Lucinda and Best Of All, image credit by Kevin Sparrow
British Dressage Report:
Stoneleigh Park
BD National
Championships
written by Daisy Jackson
L
ast month Stoneleigh hosted the
BD National Championships
which is always an exciting
event with big names competing
for national titles this year including
Charlotte Dujardin and Michael Eilberg
amongst others.
Starting with the winner of the
Advanced Medium Restricted section
was Sadie Smith on her own Keystone
Dynamite. The British bred 8 year old
gelding is by DiMaggio out of an Escudo
mare. I caught up with Sadie after the
show; ‘‘I have owned him since he was
a just backed 4yr old and I bought him
from his breeder Suzanne Lavendera.
Mambo, as he’s known at home, hasn’t
been the most straight forward of
horses as he’s very sensitive and gets
nervous. This was actually his first time
8
at the nationals and he was petrified of
everything! He gets worried at shows as
last year a horse collided with him and
he bucked me off! However, despite his
nerves, I was really pleased with how he
kept it together for me in the test. Our
walk wasn’t great as he was anticipating
and jogged a bit! My next aim is to ride
our first PSG together and continue
training with Isobel Wessels and Carl
Hester. I absolutely adore Mambo and
I think he’s coming into his own at the
higher levels as there is more for him
to think about! I’m really excited about
our future and I’ve been asked to ride
him at the National Convention which is
amazing.’’
Also gaining a National title was
Lucinda Elliott with Emma Blundell’s
Best of All (Mount St.John). Lucinda and
the 5 year old Bordeaux x Donnerhall
mare won the Dodson and Horrell
Novice Restricted with a huge 74.14%.
Lucinda trains with Emile Faurie and
Charlotte Dujardin and has had a very
successful first season in dressage since
changing from her pervious showing
career; Best of All has surpassed last
year’s reserve finish in the 4 year old
class with Charlotte Dujardin.
Laura Wollen has also joined Sadie
and Lucinda in achieving a National
title at Stoneleigh. Buddy, Laura’s ride,
is owned by her father and his wife,
Helen Farley-Higgs who bought him in
April last year. The Burlington x Don
Frederico bred 8 year old was bred by
Lynne Crowden and was previously
owned by Abi Slater who took him to
the winter champs in 2014 coming 3rd
in the Novice. A thrilled Laura told
me; ‘‘He is a lovely genuine horse who
wants to please, so much so that he puts
everything into his test so by the time
the prize giving came he could hardly
canter around the arena - so much for
looking forward to an exciting gallop
round!
I regularly train with Peter Storr with
him, and now our plan is to crack on
with Medium level movements and get
his changes to continue up the levels. We
have had to take him quite slow due to
how weak he was, and so to get through
the Nationals, let alone win it, was a
huge achievement!!’’
Jess Dunn and Fyona also claimed
a win at the championships, winning
Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 26• November 2015