‘She’s known as nan’s horse’: rider spends ‘house deposit’ on mare who is now a national champion
(Image credit: KEVIN SPARROW)
For Harriete Williams her goal at the 2022 LeMieux National Dressage Championships was a clear round in the Saracen Horse Feeds silver inter I with her 12-year-old Hanoverian mare Creto. And what a clear round it was, securing the partnership the win on a mark of 70.5%.
“I came out of the test really happy with what I had on the day,” she reflected. “It’s day three for Creto, and I was worried as to how much fuel was left in the tank during our National Dressage Championships silver inter I test. But the answer was plenty; she was still up for it.”
Harriete, who trains with Becky Moody, bought the mare as a seven-year-old out of the Brightwells Sale.
“She was one of just a couple of dressage-breds in a showjumping sale and it played into our hands as the dressage people weren’t there buying,” she explained. “She’s known as nan’s horse at home; my nan, Margaret, died when I was three and left me a lump sum. I know most people would have put it to a house, but when I got to 21 I bought a horse!
“I picked her out from the online sale videos. I liked her breeding; it’s quite old fashioned-Conteur/Falkenstern II but a good source of power. We put in the last bid and it was topped. I said to mum that we should stop now and she said no, she had one more left, and that was the one that brought the hammer down.”
Becky’s pupils also took home second and fourth; Lucy Swinden and Odwigs Echo (69%) took the runner up spot while Sarah Heath on Feuertanz was fourth (68.06%), only beaten by third placed Anna Brown and Bocelli (68.82%).
You might also be interested in:
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
‘He needed another job’: former vaulting horse, who stands at 19hh, takes national novice gold glory
National Dressage Championships day two round-up: Becky Moody and Charlotte Dujardin take top two spots in inter I gold final
National Dressage Championships day one round-up: Annabella Pidgley and Gio score highest mark of their partnership
TOPICS
