‘I never thought watching novice 37A could be so exciting’: top dressage rider reflects on Winter Championships *H&H Plus*

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Alice Oppenheimer & Headmore Delegate (329) – Lemieux Grand Prix Championship – LeMieux National Dressage Championships 2014 – Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, United Kingdom – 20/09/2014 © Jon Stroud Media 2014, all rights reserved
Alice Oppenheimer & Headmore Delegate (329) - Lemieux Grand Prix Championship - LeMieux National Dressage Championships 2014 - Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, United Kingdom - 20/09/2014 © Jon Stroud Media 2014, all rights reserved
(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)

Top dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer has enjoyed a fruitful week at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships with a number of wins and placings, including the SpuerFlex Intermediate I freestyle gold with Headmore Bella Ruby earlier today (1 July), and she has been quick to praise organisers and sponsors.

“I just love the fact that we’re all here – it’s a real credit to British Dressage (BD), Hartpury, Show Direct and the sponsors that it’s actually all been able to come together in what has been a really peculiar year,” explains Alice. “BD managed to put the show on last year too, which was a huge achievement, but this year was more probably more difficult because we hadn’t had the regional finals, so they had to reschedule all the regionals as well. People are just so thrilled to be here – whether they’ve had a good championship or not, just the chance to actually ride here and compete in the championship as we know it and love it is really, really phenomenal.”

Gemma Redrup
Gemma Redrup
Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.