‘We had a nightmare’: horsebox issue won’t stop rider and her home-bred at Winter Dressage Championships *H&H Plus*

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Katie Roberts Nemo VII
(Image credit: Kevin Sparrow)

Katie Roberts managed to overcome a very stressful journey to the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships to finish a very creditable second in the PDS Saddles elementary freestyle silver championship this morning (2 July).

“We had a nightmare getting here as the exhaust fell off my lorry about 50 miles away from Hartpury,” explains Katie, who scored 74.74% on Nemo VII. “We managed to limp it here but it’s now in Gloucester being fixed and hopefully we will be able to drive it back home to Essex later today. Thanks to Harvey Skelton, who is the partner of my trainer, Kaye De Graaf, for being such a cool customer, as he was the one driving me.”

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.