Student partners 18.3hh ‘gentle giant’ to glory as youth shines at Hartpury: ‘I forget about his height when I’m on him’

Ireland’s Lily Kelly scooped her first Petplan Equine Area Festival final title with the towering “gentle giant” High Boy Van De C on the opening day (19 April) at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships at Hartpury.

The Hartpury University undergraduate topped the prix st georges silver class on a score of 69.46% with her “best test to date” aboard the 11-year-old Jazz son.

“I’ve been riding him for about a year now, he belongs to my trainer, Sara Gallop. I’m lucky to get the opportunity to ride him and gain some more experience,” said Lily.

“He’s 18.3hh – he’s big, but he’s a gentle giant and he’s been really good for my riding, he’s taught me so much.

“I forget about his height when I’m on him, but getting on at a show is a bit difficult!”

The final result was close, with 0.5% splitting the top three. The pair’s win is particularly poignant as this will be their final show as a partnership.

“He kind of had a look at everything when I first went in, but once I patted him, he relaxed and I was really happy with him,” said Lily, who will ride her final test on the gelding in Friday’s inter I silver Area Festival final.

“I love doing pirouettes on him, he finds them quite easy and he always scores quite high in them.”

The final year equestrian sports science student credited Sara for the help she has given her over the last three years.

“She’s really taught me to keep going, to get on with it, to not be afraid of making mistakes and to learn from everything,” she added.

Pony shows off ‘favourite party piece’ to scoop Area Festival final title

Youth continued to shine on day one of the Winter Dressage Championships with 15-year-old Flora Hayes next into Hartpury’s indoor arena to collect her prize.

And while High Boy Van De C towered over his rivals, Flora’s ride Machno Excalibur, owned by Hetty Sclater, showed good things come in small packages too.

The former event pony’s score of 70% on the dot secured his winner’s sash in the Petplan Equine medium bronze Area Festival final.

“We’re very new to medium so if he felt like he was really listening to me and let me help him,” said Flora, who trains with Helen Babington Smith, Jaqui Campbell and Nikki Barker.

“His medium trots were one of our highlights, he just loves them. He found it hard to learn them, but they’re his favourite party piece now.”

The 11-year-old gelding stands perfectly patiently in his new winner’s rug as his rider chats.

“He has such a friendly personality – he loves being around people and food!” she said.

Romanno Weltino from bridesmaid to bride at Winter Dressage Championships

Romanno Weltino went from “bridesmaid to bride” in claiming the Spillers medium gold freestyle crown under rider Jezz Palmer at the Winter Dressage Championships.

Melanie Morris’ mare sealed victory with an impressive 75.56%, which is testament to the solid partnership the horse has with Jezz.

“She’s always been a bit of a bridesmaid and today was finally the bride,” said Jezz, of the. “She is the most fun horse to ride every day. I have to ride her first, otherwise she kicks the hell out of the door because she loves working so much!”

The mare, whose has real aptitude for lateral work, has hugely strengthened since her debut at these championships as a shooting star five-year-old in 2021.

“She’s got these powerful hind legs – now she’s starting to get strong enough to hold the balance and he’s showing more and more in her work,” said Jezz, who cites the mare’s lateral work as one of her real highlights.

“That’s why I didn’t really do the young horse classes with her, as she’s not really a young horse type, but now at medium she can start showing herself off.”

It was also a special moment for the Palmer family as Jezz and his wife Lucy’s baby daughter, Ella Jane, was at her first Winter Dressage Championships to see her father win a national title.

“She sleeps well, so we’re not lacking sleep!” he added.

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