Saturday 11th October
What a Day! A Big Thank You from Us to You
What a fantastic day we had – it was so lovely to see so many of you, both regulars and first-timers alike. Whether you were in the arena, cheering from the sidelines, or helping out behind the scenes, thank you for making the day so enjoyable.
A Little Bit of Housekeeping…
We had a few questions about requesting a caller, so just to clarify: we always do our best to help with this, but to avoid disappointment, please pop a note on your booking via Horse Monkey if you’ll need a caller. This helps us organise everything in advance.
While we don’t charge for this service, we do kindly ask for a £2 donation to Cancer Research, our chosen charity. A big thank you to everyone who did contribute – however, we did notice quite a few people forgot. Just a gentle reminder that the charity pot lives inside the secretary hut if you’re looking for it.
A Huge Thank You
We’d like to give a massive shout-out to our brilliant judges: Marion Hollands, Alison Orsbourn, and Mary-Anne Horne. Your time, expertise, and encouraging words mean a lot to everyone competing.
Now… On to the Good Stuff!
There was a real buzz in the air with some outstanding scores across the board – here are a few highlights from a jam-packed day of dressage:
- Claire Henson competed in Prelim 4 and 5 producing great tests in both classes, and it was a real pleasure to welcome her back to our venue after previously competing here at Area Festival.
- In Prelim 4, Megan Palmer and Lisrua Matty took the win with a brilliant 70.5%, closely followed by Karen Mills and Baythoven on 68.75% – an especially impressive comeback after some time off from competing!
- Over in Novice 5, the top four riders all scored over 70% – what a class! Huge congrats to Linda Hall who came out on top with a whopping 74.17%, with Abi Moore hot on her heels with 72.67%.
- Speaking of Linda, she’s had quite the journey with her horse Woodcroft Larimar. She admitted to feeling over-horsed at first, as he can be quite spooky, but their bond has grown over the last three years – and now, she says, she enjoys every minute with him. That’s what it’s all about, right?
- In Novice 6, Abi Moore continued to impress with 70.16%, while Vicky Pearce wowed the judges with 72.42%. Incredible riding all round.
- Then came Elementary 5, where Craig Messenger and Niko Aster absolutely smashed it with a stunning score of 74.06%. Brilliant work!
Musical Moments
Our freestyle music classes brought something extra special to the day – from Status Quo to Disney and Madonna, there was something for everyone. One standout was Sarah Williams and F Kapitan, who danced their way to a brilliant 71.5% in the freestyle music medium.
A Word from the Judges
To wrap up, we wanted to share some great tips from our judge Alison Orsbourn:
“First impressions count – your entry is key! Be accurate with your centre line, show straightness and impulsion, and don’t forget to smile at the judge (we’re not that scary!).”
She also shared her favourite movement to judge:
“I love the free walk – it really shows the horse’s natural way of going and tells us a lot about their training.”
Until Next Time…
A massive thank you to all our volunteers, competitors, supporters, and helpers for making the show such a success. It was a fantastic day and we’re already looking forward to the next one!
Full results can be found on Horse Monkey. Photographs taken on the day can be purchased via neillennonphotography.com.
See you soon! 🐴✨