Sunday 8th September 2019
The final of our Unaffiliated Team Dressage events for the season saw seven teams come forward to compete. Carol Davies and her horse Bracken were the first combination of the day to head down the centre line in the Intro C. It was Amy Nicholls and Keefe, who produced the best scoring test for this section, with a score of 67.17%, so getting team White House off to a great start. Four of the seven teams were now off the start block, and the Prelim class was about to start!
The Prelim 19 was very well subscribed, and each team had at least two riders in it, so all was to play for. Leigh Mitchem and her consistent mare Poppy got the class started, and finished her test with a very respectable score of 65.00%. Three riders finished on the same score, with only collectives separating them, but just before the break it was the turn of Kate Boxall and her new ride, Cold Play. This new partnership delivered a consistent test to finish on a score of 67.19%, which became the best score of the section and put Team Beeches into a very strong position.
Five riders came forward to the Novice 38 test and it was Ellie Jenkins and her lovely chestnut gelding, Un Muchacho who delivered a wonderful test to score a fantastic 72.25% and to be our highest scoring partnership of the day.
With five of our teams having now ridden all their tests and their final scores all worked out, it was all to play for in the final section of the day. With only an Elementary and Medium test to be ridden, everyone watched on as the final two riders went down the centre line. First to go for Team Beeches was Mark Boxall and his lovely horse, Irish Law ll, who produced a wonderful Elementary test to score a very respectable 65.94%. Our final rider was Mariana Broucher who was riding the very handsome Funny Finn in the Medium test for team Poppy and her Pals. This combination danced down the centre line to gain our final score of the day of 63.03%.
Now it was all down to the two final scores being added up and the team placings being announced. The top two team scores were so very close, and it was only 0.72% separating first and second place. But with a final score of 66.30% it was team ‘Ride It like you Stole it’, who was made up of Charlie Sunderland, Kerry Stanley, Evie Northwood and Ellie Jenkins, that were finally crowned our team winners.
Thank you to everyone that has supported this event this season, we have very much appreciated it. A huge thank you to all our judges, and to the team for helping make it work. Finally, congratulations to all our deserving winners, and we look forward to see you support this event again in 2020.
1st ‘Ride It like you Stole It’ – Charlie Sunderland, Kerry Stanley, Evie Northwood, Ellie Jenkins 66.30%
2nd ‘Team Beeches’ – Jelly Boxall, Diane Lorton, Kate Boxall, Mark Boxall 65.58%
3rd ‘Poppy and her Pals’ – Leigh Mitchem, Ellie Voce, Abi Haime, Mariana Broucher 63.96%
4th ‘White House’ – Janice Greenfield, Amy Nicholls, Emma Hart, Sophie Wyles 63.91%
5th ‘4 Shades of Grey’ – Carol Davies, Sue Westwood, Louise Prideaux, Debbie Garland 63.87%
6th ‘The Unplaceables’ – Mia Kirby, Serena Kidd, Gillian Pronger, Vicky Clarke 63.23%
Photographs were being taken on the day and can be viewed/purchased by visiting https://stavros-sports.instapr…