Sunday 12th July 2020
Our 2020 event season finally got underway on Sunday 12th July with unaffiliated dressage. With all our Covid-19 measurements in place, it was great to finally welcome competitors back to Speedgate. Restrictions to the events at present means we can have no spectators permitted on to the showground and there is no score board to view, but everyone was just pleased to be able to get out to compete again. The sun was shining, and so it made it the perfect day for competitors to dust off their show jackets.
Katie Owlett and the lovely Cool Echo were our first combination of the day to head down the centre line. Having delivered a fluent test, they scored a wonderful score of 67.0%. This score along with their collectives were good enough to secure them third place in the class.
There was only 0.2% between first and second place, and with the collectives being the same it was very close indeed. But it was Alexandra Woodward and Prevelly Queen that just pipped Mia Kirby and Castlewoods Taloulah to the winning post.
Prelim 15
Judge: Stacey Ward
1st Alexandra Woodward and Prevelly Queen 67.2% (68)
2nd Mia Kirby and Castlewoods Taloulah 67.0% (68)
3rd Katie Owlett and Cool Echo 67.0% (67)
4th Georgina Harwood and Doris 66.6% (66)
5th Susan Peters and Skeheen Silver Fox 65.6% (67)
6th Claire Lyne and Silverspring Louis 63.6% (64)
The next test of the day was Prelim 19 and again we had received good entries. Zara Harrison got the class underway with her horse, Eric. This combination did a lovely test to gain a score of 65.83% which was enough to give them fourth place in the class. Susan Peters and the lovely Skeheen Silver Fox was next to go in this class. This great partnership delivered a wonderful test to gain a score of 68.95%. Eight more combinations followed on, but no one was going to take the second victory of the day away from them.
Prelim 19
Judge: Stacey Ward
1st Susan Peters and Skeheen Silver Fox 68.95% (69)
2nd Stacey Mcdaid and Lymebrooks Arabella 66.45% (67)
3rd Viv Howie and Eternal Bond 66.25% (66)
4th Zara Harrison and Eric 65.83% (66)
5th Alysia Winzar and Evolution 64.79% (65)
6th Mia Kirby and Castlewoods Taloulah 64.37% (65)
On to our final two classes of the day and we started with Novice 23. Georgina Harwood and Doris were the first to go in the class. They produced another lovely test in which to gain a score of 65.41%. This was going to be enough to gain them sixth place in the class. Once again, the scores of the top two combinations in the class were very close with just 0.42% separating them and both riders also gaining the same collective marks. It was Laura Higgs and Eternal Bond that delivered a fantastic and fluent test to just pip Abi Haime and Cool Echo to the winning post.
Novice 23
Judge: Alison Prestidge
1st Laura Higgs and Eternal Bond 69.37% (42)
2nd Abi Haime and Cool Echo 68.95% (42)
3rd Louise Prideaux and Rooney 66.66% (39.5)
4th Vicky Pearce and Ball of Fire 66.45% (39.5)
5th Frances Ruddleston and Felix 65.62% (40.5)
6th Georgina Harwood and Doris 65.41% (39.5)
The final test of the day was the Novice 37A. With just over 1% dividing first and third place, the scores were very close. Sophie Wyles and Juniper Berry were the first to go, and with a respectable score of 62.96% they finished in third place. Victory in the final class of the day went to Debbie Garland and her lovely horse, Indian Van Het Maala.
Novice 37A
Judge: Alison Prestidge
1st Debbie Garland and Indian Van Het Maala 64.44% (52)
2nd Frances Ruddleston and Felix 63.33% (55)
3rd Sophie Wyles and Juniper Berry 62.96% (50)
Congratulations to all our deserving winners of the day. Thank you to everyone that came and adhered to the new way of competing. We are very grateful for your support and look forward to hopefully seeing you all again soon. Our next unaffiliated dressage show is being held on Sunday 2nd August. All entries can be made on-line via Horse Monkey. Please enter early to avoid disappointment.