National dressage championships elementary silver results

Caroline Hunt secured a first LeMieux National Dressage Championships victory on her own mare Fancy That (Freya) after they led the Equitop national dressage championships elementary silver championship with a final score of 72.13%.

Caroline, who runs a livery yard in Oxford and also teaches on a freelance basis, bought the now seven-year-old when she was a two-year-old.

“I went over to Germany to look at a four-year-old and came back with a two-year-old,” said Caroline, of the Hanoverian-bred chestnut mare. “She came round the corner looking very scruffy, as two-year-olds often do, and my heart sank a little bit as I didn’t want a chestnut mare. But I saw her move and she showed off some of her character and I said ‘yep, that’s my horse.’ My parents were a bit mortified as she was the scruffy one out of the horses we saw, but she was the right one to go for. She’s totally been worth waiting for.”

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Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.

‘She’s been worth waiting for’: chestnut mare blossoms from ‘scruffy’ youngster into nationals champion

Caroline has been selective with Freya’s outings.

“We’ve been doing lots of arena hires,” said Caroline, who trains with Julie Payne and Judy Harvey. “She’s working towards medium at home. She tries really hard and is a pleasure to train. She’s not a typical chestnut mare in any way.”

When asked what helped Freya achieve her winning score, Caroline said: “It was her focus. I went in expecting to worry about getting her around the arena, but she said ‘come on Mum, what are we doing today’ and she got on with her job.

“This is a bucket list moment. I’m so happy with Freya today; the win is a very big bonus.”

Girl power trickled down into second place in the national dressage championships elementary silver championship, as Jennifer Corrett and her mare Joie De Vie finished on 72.81%. In third on 71.41% was RS Fürst Love ridden by Jessica Griffiths.

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