Wales and the West YR European trials

Ryan Prater impressed the selectors when taking the top two young riders grand prix places with Otage and Vahagn De Lozana at Wales and the West.

Charlotte Platt on Paulien took third, ahead of 18-year-old Chris Smith and Dozent. Georgie Strutton and the mare Little Lefanie finished fifth.

Joining Ryan Prater (Vahagn De Lozana) and Chris Smith in the Nations Cup were Georgie Strutton’s Little Lefanie, also second in the A4, and James Billington on Quidame Des Hayettes.

European Champion Daniel Neilson and his fellow team member Matthew Sampson were consistently in the limelight in the under-18 trials.

Daniel Neilson topped the grand prix with High Tone Z. Matthew Sampson was clear on three of his four rides, finishing second on Miss Sante, fourth on Otto and fifth on Chianti Classico. Brett Gardner slipped Lola Wade’s Horia Du Neretz into third.

Otto jumped a Nations Cup double clear to join High Tone Z at the top of the line, while Matthew had just four faults apiece on Chianti and Marco Polo Du Preai. Daniel Neilson rode Findas Keepas into joint first place.

Read this report in full, including details of the children on horses selection trials, in this Thursday’s Horse & Hound (3 May, ’07)

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