BD Winter Regionals: Bishop Burton College

Marsha Webb and Ivanhoe had the time of their lives as Ivanhoe shrugged off his history of injuries to win four regional titles at Bishop Burton Winter Regional Championships (01 – 04 June 2021).

Marsha and ‘Patchy’ were unbeatable in all the Novice and Elementary classes, repaying owner Davina Wilson’s faith in the eight-year-old Apache gelding who has spent rather a lot of time ‘off games’. Patchy originally went to Classic Dressage for Rebecca (Hughes) to ride but she was so busy Marsha was able to nab the ride.

“He’s a bit cheeky but not naughty,” commented Marsha who is manager of the Classic Dressage shop. ”He doesn’t spook in the arena but whinnies and is insecure. This was his first ever stay away show so I’m really proud how he coped. By the fourth test, he was much more confident.”

BD Training Director Paul Hayler added to his Morris PSG and Advanced Medium Gold titles (with Jaraneiro MIV XIII) with another Magic Prix St Georges Gold victory, this time with Balero II (pictured below). “His owner Susa Van Hout bought him from me as a schoolmaster,” explained Paul. “I had qualified him ages ago and she rang me and asked if I would like to ride him. I only sat on him properly twice before the show. He’s amazing – I think he hadn’t done canter pirouettes or lines of changes for nearly 18 months. I know him inside out.”

Paul’s homebred Samurai Jubilee delivered a good win in the Medium Gold. He is half-brother to Suhara Jubilee who will be in the same class at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships with Paul’s daughter Bobby. The eight-year-old gelding is by Showmaker out of a Lancet mare.

“He’s such a nice person who tries really hard,” commented Paul. “He’s got a super canter and very good walk. I’m very excited about him and hope to start him at small tour by the end of the year.”

Lisa Megginson’s Breit Crusader was third in the PSG before clinching the Superflex Intermediate I Gold title. It will be their fifth visit to the Winter Championships.

She bought the Breitling gelding as a foal from Christian Heinrich. “He’s very easy with a super nature,” said Lisa. “We have a massive bond. My trainer [Hannah Esberger-Hancock] laughs at me because I always say he can do no wrong. His trot work was the best he’s given me recently and his three-time changes were really good. In the two-times he tried to show off his ones! His canter work is always a highlight and he gets eights for his extended canter.”

Georgia Atkin dominated the Medium Silver classes with her 10-year-old Gilles-S (Lord Loxley x Rousseau). She has produced Gilles since a three-year-old and when he was five took him with her for a two year stint training with Anky van Grunsven in Holland. She is now working fulltime for Premier Equine and trains with Amy Woodhead.

“Gilles is a showman and likes all the attention on him in the ring,” said Georgia. “He gave me a lovely feeling of forward movement and had fantastic rhythm and fluency. We’ve come second twice before at regionals so it was lovely to be the winner this time.”

Anya Kolleth and her Charles Owen Advanced Medium Silver winner, Frings 2 (Floriscount x Wolkenstein II) - pictured above, have been competing together for just over two years. He was bought six years ago as a four-year-old and the pair has come up the levels together.

“It’s been a very rewarding process for me,” commented Anya who has been training virtually with Anna Ross during the lockdown. “Although he’s working at PSG at home, he’s inexperienced with competitions. It was a great result as I took him to experience a bigger show atmosphere. He stayed with me all the way. He’s a massive character and a great horse to work with.”

Joyce Fearn took reserve championship positions in the gold Novice and Elementary freestyles on Flayne Dandini but grabbed the championship title in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold on Weltklasse.

Weltklasse is a 22-year-old British-bred Hanoverian gelding by Weltmeyer who Joyce has owned since he was two. Joyce discovered ‘horse yoga’ during the pandemic and uses it to keep Weltklasse fit and supple. “Together we have a combined age of 100,” joked Joyce. “He got very strong in the canter in the Advanced Medium. In the freestyle I do my canter work first and then I can relax and cope with the trot. He’s always been forward and feisty.”

Joyce has a training livery yard in Beverley, Yorkshire and the yard was well-represented in the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver. The class was won by Emma Mountfield riding her own Colin II (pictured below) and runners-up were Darren Kay and Maureen Lennon riding two of Joyce’s horses.

Emma has owned Colin since she was 10 and he was five. This was their first regional title and a first time trip to the Winter Championships. The skewbald gelding is a cob x Thoroughbred and Emma has trained him herself.

Emma used musical theatre tunes for her music programme that was put together for her by Gaynor Colbourn. “A few years ago I couldn’t get him in the inside school at Bishop Burton but I’ve changed his warm-up routine and this time he was nice and calm,” recalled Emma who works for her father’s butchery business. “He’s my first horse and we’ve grown up together.”

Victoria Maw had to get up at 4am to make sure of doing her yard and getting to Bishop Burton on time for an early test time. It all paid off with a win in the Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold and reserve champion to Paul Hayler by 0.04% in the Medium Gold on Benito Dorato. Their freestyle score of 75.67% was the highest of the show and they got 78% from one of the judges. Victoria commented on her Facebook page that “Benny felt awesome! I had his balance so much better and he was feeling really connected in the contact. I received amazing comments on how well the floor plan worked and how the music really highlighted his movement.”

Charlotte Cundall was reserve in the Charles Owen Advanced Medium Silver and champion in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle with the Lady Joseph Trust’s LJT Simply Red, giving her two tickets to the Winter Championships. The pair were grade V champions at the Equissage Pulse Para Winter Championships.

“Red is a very special, talented horse and I adore him,” said Charlotte. “He loves his music which is dramatic film-type tunes and is strong and impactful. He’s quite a delicate horse but it suits him.”

Mount St John VIP (Vivaldi x Donnerhall) took the Charles Owen Advanced Medium Gold title with her owner Emma Blundell. “It was lovely to do our first regional together and come out with a win,” she said. ”I had a couple of mistakes but was pleased overall with the test. The mistakes will be ironed out before Hartpury.”

Ruby Hughes won her fourth regional title when she and Classic Bee Gee won the PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver, rocking to a compilation of Bee Gees classics created by Tom Hunt. “He’s a big, open-moving horse and she copes [with his movement] very well,” commented mum Rebecca. “They’re a very good match for each other.”

Prestige Italia Novice Silver honours were won by Laura Robinson and GF Dupuis, an eight-year-old gelding by GF Deville. Laura bought ‘Herbie’, who was backed by Mark Forrest, as a four-year-old. Six months later she fell pregnant so Herbie was sent to Becky Moody for training. “He was quite a sharp nappy four-year-old but he slowly got through the nappiness and now he’s a joy. We’re an amateur partnership so to win is a dream come true.”

Lucy Lloyd won the Equi-Trek Elementary Silver title with Irish Sport Horse, Glensensaw Sweet Girl, a 10-year-old mare by Uskerty Sweet Lad. Earlier in the year, the pair won at Vale View Winter Area Festival in the Medium Silver class. It will be their first visit to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships.

It will also be a first time Winter Championships appearance for eventer Phil Brown and Trewyn who took the KBIS Preliminary Gold title. The seven-year-old who competes at BE100 is owned by Caroline Brown and Liz and Helen Cannish. “We started competing in BD shows last year,” said Phil, who trains with John Bowen. “He was very relaxed in the ring. He has a lovely nature.”

The silver section was won by Olivia Walker who rides six-year-old Active Zeitgeist for Equi-Trek. The pair won the novice silver at Northallerton Winter Area Festival. “When I started riding him a year ago, he’d done nothing,” said Olivia. “He’s cheeky with a lot of character. He’s very clever and tries hard for you. It felt like the best test he’s done.”

Olivia and Zeigeist will also be first-timers at the Winter Championships.

Top-three results

KBIS Preliminary Gold
1. Phil Brown and Trewyn, 71.6%
2. Lisa Megginson and Flight of Fancy LH, 69.59%
3. Georgia Dukes and Dakar III, 69.13%

KBIS Preliminary Silver
1. Olivia Walker and Active Zeitgeist, 72.7%
2. Michael Bainbrodge and Derrentigue Bruce, 70.86%
3. Elise Bradley and Finnigans Gold, 70.17%

Prestige Italia Novice Gold
1. Marsha Webb and Ivanhoe, 71.48%
2. Melissa Chapman and Juno Regina, 68.76%
3. Melissa Chapman and TCE Koning, 68.51%

Prestige Italia Novice Silver
1. Laura Robinson and GF Dupuis, 69.75%
2. Samantha Smith and Sylvester, 67.71%
3. Evie Coates and Foxtrot, 67.22%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold
1. Marsha Webb and Ivanhoe, 73.33%
2. Joyce Fearn and Flayne Dandini, 69.25%
3. Louise Robson and Saint Gregoire, 67.4%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver
1. Emma Mountfield and Colin II, 73.79%
2. Darren Kay and Flauris, 71.2%
3. Maureen Lennon and Scawton Park Fonteyne, 70.09%

Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
1. Marsha Webb and Ivanhoe, 70.15%
2. Natasha Leak and Future Gravitas, 69.47%
3. Maddy Frewin and Total Ectasy, 69.01%

Equi-Trek Elementary Silver
1. Lucy Lloyd and Glensensaw Sweet Girl, 71.71%
2. Jessica Parr and Foxcroft Juval, 70.88%
3. Jessica Parr and Gabber D, 69.37%

PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold
1. Marsha Webb and Ivanhoe, 73.14%
2. Joyce Fearne and Flayne Dandini, 69.35%
3. Emma Littlewood and Guinevere Aimbry 67.75%

PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver
1. Ruby Hughes and Classic Bee Gee, 72.75%
2. Heather Hopkinson and Brackenspa Houdini, 70.83%
3. Darren Kay and Flauris, 68.84%

Medium Gold
1. Paul Hayler and Samurai Jubilee, 72.38%
2. Victoria Maw and Benito Dorato, 72.34%
3. Amy Woodhead and MSJ Formula One, 72.16%

Medium Silver
1. Georgia Atkin and Gilles-S, 72.26%
2. Abigail Doherty and Brohedydd Miss Moli Mia, 69.36%
3. Claire Wyatt and Devivio, 68.10%

Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Victoria Maw and Benito Dorato, 75.66%
2. Charlotte Cundall and FJ Veyron, 73.88%

Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Georgia Atkin and Gilles-S, 70.27%
2. Eliza Alex and Sarana CDS, 68.00%
3. Julie Young and Bitsy, 67.44%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Joyce Fearn and Weltklasse, 69.94%
2. Tanya Buckingham and Obos Impressive, 67.27%
3. Alicia Laurie and Forever Young, 64.77%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 70.38%
2. Patsy Bartram and Donisbroc, 70.33%
3. Emma Littlewood and Zante, 69.72%

Charles Owen Advanced Medium Gold
1. Emma Blundell and Mount St John VIP, 71.97%
2. Melissa Chapman and TCE Jubilant Al Sno, 69.64%
3. Hannah Esberger-Hancock and Iggy Pop Beck, 69.38%

Charles Owen Advanced Medium Silver
1. Anya Kolleth and Frings 2, 67.45%
2. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 67.36%
3. Emma Littlewood and Zante, 66.88%

Magic Prix St Georges Gold
1. Paul Hayler and Balero II, 68.9%
2. Lindsay Hancock and Barachiel, 68.72%
3. Lisa Megginson and Breit Crusador, 67.76%

Superflex Intermediate I Gold
1. Lisa Megginson and Breit Crusader, 69.16%
2. Amy Woodhead and Mount St John Valencia, 66.66%
3. Heidi Hutchinson and Ellison, 63.33%

Full results

Photo © Kevin Sparrow