BD Winter Regionals: Merrist Wood

BD Southern region’s Winter Regionals were dominated by high scores and dual title winners (19 – 24 February 2019).

Hannah Biggs firmly laid down the gauntlet in the Magic Prix St Georges and Superflex Intermediate I classes, taking two emphatic titles with her own Don Caledonia. The Don Schufro sired gelding excelled in both small tour level tests with two impressive winning scores of 76.36% and 77.98%. Having ridden and produced ‘Archie’ from BD six year old classes to Intermediate I, Hannah has enjoyed much success along the way with multiple trips to National and Winter Championships. Taking to Facebook to celebrate and share the news she said, “Today I took my gorgeous boy Archie for a little trip out in my lovely lorry up to Merrist Wood Regional Championships, along with lorry dog Logi. The sun was shining and I danced with my best friend. I think it’s safe to say Archie smashed out two fantastic tests to become double Regional Champion. We scored 76% in the PSG and 77% in the Intermediate I, today was a good day!”

Judge Mark Ruddock was undoubtedly impressed with the duo’s performance in the Magic Prix St Georges class awarding no less than a nine for Hannah’s riding and adding a final general remark to summarise the test as “a display of harmony, preparation and great training”.

Hampshire lady Alice Oppenheimer enjoyed yet another winning trip to the Winter Regionals, this time with rising star Headmore Dionysus, owned by Amanda Radford. The eight year old gelding showed all the potential for the future taking home an Elementary double after scoring 74.63% in the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold and 75.25% in the Suregrow Elementary Freestyle Gold. It was a positive week all round for Alice and the team at Headmore Stud, eight tests from prefixed horses resulted in three wins and five second places, what a triumph for British breeding.

The highest score of the show also belonged to a Headmore horse. With Maeve Morris in the saddle, Headmore Footloose danced his way to 78.52% in the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver earning the duo a precious qualification ticket in fine fashion. Maeve and ‘Eric’ are no strangers to success having stormed to victory in last year’s BackinAction Preliminary class at the LeMieux National Championships.

Katherine Lewis enjoyed a Medium double with her eye-catching Friesian stallion Jos K, by Tsjale 454. Having turned heads at 2018’s Championships, the duo will be back to contest the Theraplate UK Medium Gold and Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold after topping the podiums with 73.87% and 75.16% respectively.

Last year’s Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver winner Holly Colgate-Hardaway also booked her place at Hartpury to contest this year’s Charles Owen Advanced Medium Silver and Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver Championships. Riding another two superb tests she scored 71.31% and 75.94% with her mother Zoe Sopp’s talented Danish bred gelding Dalvangs Lorenzo to pick up her qualification tickets in style.

Thanks go to the team at Merrist Wood, the Winter Championship class sponsors and all involved for an exciting Regional Championships. Congratulations to all qualified combinations and to those who took part.

Regional Champions:

KBIS Preliminary Silver
Gill Peckham with Hero, 71.26%

Blue Chip Novice Silver
Rebecca Marsden with Harley I, 72.84%

Blue Chip Novice Gold
Anna Miller with Silver Star, 72.84%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver
Maeve Morris with Headmore Footloose, 78.51%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold
Jezz Palmer with Emma II, 77.77%

Equi-Trek Elementary Silver 
Rebecca Marsden with Fiorello, 72.65%

Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Dionysus, 74.63%

Suregrow Elementary Freestyle Silver
Florence Human with Fulgencio, 72.50%

Suregrow Elementary Freestyle Gold
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Dionysus, 75.25%

TheraPlate UK Medium Silver
Joanne Price with Casino Scandal, 72.07%

TheraPlate UK Medium Gold
Katharine Lewis with Jos K, 73.87%

Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver
Christiane Oakley with Probono II, 72.16%

Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold
Katharine Lewis with Jos K, 75.16%

Charles Owen Advanced Medium Silver
Holly Colgate-Hardaway with Dalvangs Lorenzo, 71.31%

Charles Owen Advanced Medium Gold
Dannie Morgan with Knoxx’s Figaro, 72.54%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver
Holly Colgate-Hardaway with Dalvangs Lorenzo, 75.94%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold
Jezz Palmer with Dutch Class, 73.05%

Magic Prix St Georges Gold
Hannah Biggs with Don Caledonia, 76.36%

Superflex Intermediate I Gold
Hannah Biggs with Don Caledonia, 77.98%