Rider biographies: Saturday
Read the full biographies of our Saturday riders, ahead of their demo rides.
Anna Burns and San Isidro
BD Youth Inter Regionals wverall winner of the A Squad section | Final year of BD Youth
Anna Burns is a 24 year old rider in her final year of BD Youth. Anna rides for Becky, having joined the Moody Dressage team in 2020. Anna helps Becky and Hannah produce the young horses and will compete them at the start of their career. Anna was overall winner of the A Squad section at both the 2023 and 2024 BD Youth Inter Regionals, riding the A Squad Young Horse Test on Becky's 5 year old San Isidro in 2024.
Session one: BD Youth – progress at the right pace
Jasmine Bone and Rackwood Danny Boy
Progressed from Preliminary up to Medium | Area Festival combination | Represented the North & East Region at Inter Regionals
Rackwood Danny Boy (Dudley Dumpling) is a registered Fell pony gelding by Brackenbank Amos. He was originally purchased (aged five) as a shared pony for Jasmine and her older sister coming off riding school ponies. The pair started out together when Jasmine was just eight years old. Once she’d mastered the basics they started doing Pony Club, local shows and a bit of everything together. After winning a few unaffiliated dressage championships they decided to give British Dressage a go, doing their first Prelim competition in 2020. Currently, they are competing at BD Medium and Pony FEI level. Together they won the Elementary Silver FSM Area Festival at Alnwick Ford last year. They were second in the Medium Bronze FSM Area Festival at Myerscough this year and third in the Pony FEI at the U25 Championships. They have represented the North and East Region at Inter Regionals C, C+ and B squad over the last three years, achieving a top ten placing on every occasion.
Jasmine is currently 16 years old and studying A levels. She has also started competing her older sister’s horse at FEI Junior level this year and is training an exciting new young horse at home. Dudley’s personality is huge, just like his fringe. He has masses of job enthusiasm whatever the task. They’ve previously been successful at showjumping, arena eventing and Native Workers classes. He even wears a harness in winter to pull Jasmine’s sledge in the snow. Jasmine often gets asked if Dudley can see where he’s going, but please don’t be fooled. He has the eyesight of a hawk when it comes to snacks and can easily spot a Polo mint from the other end of the arena.
Session one: BD Youth - Progress at the right pace
Penny Smith and Rembrandt GSH
BD National Academy rider | Represented the South and West region at regional team events | Progressed through the levels up to Advanced Medium | Aiming for Regionals, High Profile shows and Premier Leagues
Penny studies Art at Stonar School and is a member of the BD National Academy this year. Penny learnt to ride in Singapore where the main focus was dressage and showjumping before evolving more into dressage. She has evented a little in the UK with the horse she brought over from Singapore but Eclipse believes very strongly that at least one foot must be on the ground at all times!
Penny is based at Equestrian Heights in Wiltshire where she trains with her coach Jessica Davies, and regular sessions with Adam Kemp. Eclipse was purchased from the Erdmanns in Austria when he was 4 years old and stayed there until he joined Penny in the UK in 2021. Since then they have progressively worked through the levels.
Penny and Eclipse competed for the South and West region in 2022 winning the S&W C+ at Bicton and placed at the Inter County and Home Nations the same year. They missed most of 2023 through injury they started competing again at Novice last November and have worked their way up to Advanced Medium this year. The duo are aiming to compete at Regionals at Advanced Medium and Freestyle as well as attend more High Profile and Premier league events.
Session one: BD Youth - Progress at the right pace
Theo Charnley and RSPCA George
Quest, Area Festival and Associated Championships winners | Progressed from Introductory to Elementary | Rescue pony | North and West rider
2023 saw them jump to stardom winning their first of eight titles that year. They have since gone on to win 15 major titles including the National Schools Championships, The Trailblazers Championships, The Carnival of Dressage, The BD Quest Championships, The BD Associated Championships and the Area Festivals to name but a few. They have also won the BD North and West Rider Skills league two years running, as well as a training bursary from BD. Theo and George also competed for England at this years Home Nations Championships. Their highlight of this year was riding at the LeMieux National Championships, completing on a 69.2% and having a mounted photo shoot with the one and only Becky Moody!
Over the winter Theo and George are aiming for Novice FSM regionals as well as Elementary FSM for the summer. Beyond that, Theo also drives and trains with the British Young Drivers. Next year once Theo outgrows George, he will set off driving him, aiming to represent Great Britain at the European Championships in Romania in 2026!
Theo already has his next pony ‘RSPCA Jerry’ who is a four year old pony rescued from a shipping container. He is already showing great promise with ground work, and the plan is to back him in the spring. At the moment they have a lovely walk and trot, but a canter where all four legs are having a fun time independently! Theo is really passionate about showing what Rescue ponies with no specific breeding can do.
Session one: BD Youth - Progress at the right pace
Susan Bullock and Seabally Sergio
BD Listed 4 Judge | Successful at the Associated Championships | Qualified for Prelim Regionals
Susan is a director of a motor trading company and also a BD Listed 4 Judge. She caught the dressage bug when the horse she had decided jumping wasn't for him, that's when the addiction started! She trains with Paul Rigby and David Trott. The duo are taking their time but have already been successful at the BD Native Associated Championships and have qualified for Prelim Regionals. Their goal is the BD Combined Training in 2025. Susan hopes they can do each other proud and develop a little more confidence together.
Session two: Competition ready – develop your test riding presentation
Joe Midgley (Handler) and Remy
Remy is a western ranch and cow horse | Won the AQHA UK Ranch Horse Futurity | Qualified for the European Championship
Joe has owned Remy since he was a yearling and started him in his ridden work as a three year old. In his ridden work, Remy is a western ranch and cow horse. Ranch horses typically compete 3 main classes.
Ranch riding - similar to a dressage test. The ‘pattern’ is available before the show. Horses are judged on their lightness, and willingness to navigate the pattern along with the quality of the manoeuvres.
Ranch trail - an obstacle course based on ranch tasks. The horse demonstrates an ability to open gates, drag logs, back or side pass narrow spaces, walk over a bridge and more
Working western rail - similar to a showing class. All entries compete together and walk, trot and canter when instructed. The horse is judged on their movement and responsiveness.
Out of competition, Remy loves to work cattle. There are a variety of classes all simulating day to day tasks on a working cattle ranch. These include moving a group or individual cow from one pen to another. Going into a herd and bringing one out etc. Next year he will start competing in cow classes. He won the AQHA UK Ranch horse Futurity this year and qualified for the European Championship. He loves a bum scratch, taking people’s hats off and bananas!
Session three: From the ground up – using groundwork to develop your partnerships
Samantha Britton and Southway Twice as Nice
Trains with Sophie Wells and BD judge Alice Elliott | Interested in exposing Diva to new environments
Samantha's dressage journey started at a young age, having always been surrounded by horses. She later went to agricultural college and then completed a three-year apprenticeship as a Bereiter in Warendorf, Germany. Unfortunately, her riding career came to an abrupt stop due to a nasty accident, which left her wheelchair-bound for a year and unable to pursue her career in riding. At the time, this was devastating for Samantha, but it was through her change in circumstances that she met her now husband, had her four children and founded Mon Ami Children’s Nurseries, a successful early years education provider in Lincolnshire – quite the career change!
It wasn’t until 15 years later, when her eldest daughter wanted to get into riding, that the horse bug was rekindled. They now have a yard with ten horses, including some home-breds that are getting ready to be ridden. She has had the delight of seeing her and her husband’s horse, Woodcroft Django Mon Ami, who they purchased as a three-year-old and who she rode in his first years with them, progressing up the levels and now competing at Inter 1 with their friend, Spencer Wilton.
Southway Twice as N’Ice (Diva) is a Welsh part-bred who was offered to Samantha as a filly by Southway Stud. She was the most beautiful foal with a real air about her. She ran in a herd for four years and was brought in for backing last year. Diva has been slowly brought on, and although she has not competed a lot, in the few shows she has been to, she has achieved scores of up to 77% at Prelim. Diva is very trainable and loves her job. She definitely has ‘more go than woah’ and is a real overachiever who just wants to please. In the stable, she’s like a big yellow labrador who just wants to play and lick everyone!
Samantha's focus is not on competing with Diva at the moment – she is more interested in exposing her to new environments without the pressure and focusing on training. She trains with Sophie Wells and BD judge Alice Elliott, and travels to Spencer Wilton whenever she can. She really likes how Sophie sees the positives in every horse regardless of size or breed, proving that with the right training, even the welshies can do well in the dressage arena!
Session three: From the ground up – using groundwork to develop your partnerships
Izzy Palmer and Last Gift
World Class Programme member | Competed Internationally in Grade 4 Para Dressage competitions | Aiming toward the Paralympics in the future
Izzy started riding at the age of 2 through her mum as she always loved horses and to help build strength and coordination as Izzy was born with right sided hemiplegia. Izzy has been on the world class programme for 10 years now, since being inspired to start para dressage after seeing Sophie at London 2012. She works full time with adults with special needs around my commute from Leeds to Lincoln to train.
After Izzy was given the ride on Queenie last November, they have had several international wins. The duo also had success with her half sister too being named as reserve for the Europeans last year. Izzy feels beyond lucky and grateful to Cat Austin of Adiva stud for trusting her and giving her the opportunity to ride such an incredible horse who she loves to pieces and for enabling her to continue doing what she loves.
Izzy has trained with Sophie Wells for the last 10 years and the support, training, advice and friendship she’s given, Izzy describes as truly invaluable. She feels so lucky to be riding such an amazing mare with an amazing coach.
The aims for next year are to compete internationally again and the Europeans.
Session four: The judge’s perspective
Lexie Howe and Rosewater Rockstar
Area Festival combination | Represented the North and East at Inter Regionals | Progressed to Medium at the Area Festivals
Lexie and her first pony did their first affiliated test in late 2022, and quickly joined the BD North and East Youth programme, being helped massively in the early days by her first coach Vikki Hayton, who they still see today, especially as their family has no history with horses.
Lexie has competed in regional teams for the past two years at Home Nations, Under 25 Championships, and Inter Regionals – where she was part of the winning team this year at Arena UK.
They purchased Rocky from his owners Lynne and Kate Morgan in March this year, after outgrowing her first pony, in the hope they might do some FEI Pony Classes at some point. Previously they had seen Rocky compete a few times in 2023 before they went to try him, Lexie had liked him and once she sat on him she instantly fell in love with this special boy. Lexie and Rocky compete at Elementary (including music to the theme songs from the film Rocky) and Medium, where she won her Area Festival Qualifier to qualify for the National Area Festival Championships at Medium level. Lexie’s goal in 2025 is to achieve 68%+ in an FEI Pony Class to be considered for selection at a CDI event.
Long term Lexie would love a career as an equestrian – producing horses for herself and others, with a small competition livery yard and helping others achieve their goals as an instructor. Lexie has always believed in “loving the horse before the sport”.
Session five: Progressing up the levels
Samantha Smith and Sylvester
BDCC Level 2 coach | Enjoys polework at home | Aiming for Premier Leagues and High Profile shows | Working towards Advanced Medium
Samantha got into dressage ten years ago when one of her old horses decided he would rather die than go over any kind of poles! He took Samantha on the best journey and taught her so many skills along the way. She works with her husband on their private yard offering competition livery, has also recently gained her BDCC Level 2 qualification and coaches reguarly.
Sylvester is a 16.1hh gelding by Scudaria, she bought him as a just backed 3 year old and has brought him up the levels herself. He's had success at the Regionals at each level along the way and qualified for the Winter Championships on 3 occasions. He's described as a sensitive soul and not the bravest, so he soon got the nickname Sylvia and it's stuck!
Session five: Progressing up the levels
Sam Roberts and Moelview Prince Consort
Area Festival and Associated Championships winners | Placed at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships and LeMieux National Championships | Progressed to Prix St Georges | Originally a show pony
During their time he has been three times winner of the Associated Native Pony Championships, winner of Area Festivals, Regional titles, placings at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, LeMieux National Championships and won at the Associated Championships five times at every level from Novice to PSG. This year he won both Advanced Medium finals at the Petplan Area Festival Championships. He has been recognised as Horse & Hound's 'one to watch' as both a showing and dressage pony and has been a front cover star too! Sam is fortunate to be sponsored by LeMieux, Freestep and Balanced Horse Feeds and can't wait to meet Becky and learn lots!
Session six: Ready to progress? Developing a partnership ready to move up the levels
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb
Bronze medal winner at Paris 2024 | Won over 30 National titles | Homebred Jagerbomb from a foal to Grand Prix
