Tales from Somerford: home-bred heroes to the fore at the National Dressage Championships
(Image credit: Jo Prestwich)
Lucy Swinden and her home-bred Odwig’s Echo came close to winning the Saracen Feeds inter I silver at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships, in the end filling the runner-up spot behind Harriete Williams and Creto.
Like Harriete and fourth placed Sarah Heath, Lucy is trained by rider of the 2022 nationals, Becky Moody.
Lucy started her British Dressage career with the mare Spirit Of Summer who she competed successfully up to medium level. She then moved onto the coloured stallion Stanhopes Odwig competing successfully up to inter I level. Echo is the son of Odwig and Summer.
“We lost her first foal, then she had Echo but sadly we didn’t manage to get her in foal again,” said Lucy. “I’ve been so lucky to breed what I wanted and he truly has turned into every inch of the horse we would have wished for.”
There were more home-breds in the top 10; Jennifer Johnston Harman in fifth with Jumble, Nicola Adams eighth with Royal Troy and Gemma Pinson with Spitfire along with the racing-bred Voolra owned and bred by Valerie Nick and ridden by Lucy Baker.
Jumble is by the super-star eventing sire Jumbo out of Jennifer’s advanced event mare Craigmancie April.
“April was a freak of nature, just 15.1hh, very careful and with a heart of gold,” said Jennifer. “Sadly Jumble is the only one we had out of her as I was moving towards dressage then, and yet here he is outstripping the Warmbloods. Jumble still thinks like an eventer though; he did a test yesterday and I’m sure he was hoping this would be the cross-country phase. He kept eyeing up the fencing every time we went towards it.”
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