Fairy tale finish for Woodhead at Myerscough

The second Premier League fixture of the year reached its conclusion at Myerscough College (30 April – 04 May 2021) with a thrilling LeMieux Grand Prix taken in style by Amy Woodhead and Mount St John Kom Fairy Tale, winners of the previous day’s Haygain Intermediate II.

Amy and the enthusiastic 15-year-old Fürst Heinrich x Weltmeyer mare (pictured above), known affectionately as Princess, presented an elegant, accomplished test for owner Emma Blundell, and in doing so scored a Grand Prix PB of 72.77% in the final class of the six-day show. Becky Moody with Carinsio, Abi Lyle with Farrell and Becky Moody with Famke PF all earned +71%, and Lisa Marriott with Valucio completed the top five on 69.17%.

“I was delighted with her [Mount St John Kom Fairy Tale],” said Amy. “I felt confident and she was relaxed, yet there is still a lot of room for improvement. It was only her fifth Grand Prix and it was a fantastic experience. We’ve created a really good bond as the Covid restrictions of the past year have given us plenty of time to get to know each other.”

Mount St John Kom Fairy Tale is a former ride of Charlotte Dujardin, who trained and competed her to Small Tour. Amy has had the ride since the beginning of last year. “It’s a privilege to ride her after Charlotte - she’s such a well-trained horse. She also has extreme enthusiasm, as if she’s on springs the whole time!” says Amy. “She really loves her work and is teaching me a lot.”

Following international success as an U21, Amy worked for dressage maestro Carl Hester before returning to Humberside to set up her own business at home, Weelsby Park, near Grimsby. It was while at Carl’s that she met Emma Blundell of the Mount St John Stud. “When I moved back home, I started going to Emma’s in the afternoon to help with some of the young horses - she lives not a million miles away from me – and I’ve taken on more rides recently. The young ones spend their time between my yard and the stud where they go home to hack and go on the aqua, but Princess stays with me all the time.”

The yard’s location not far from the coast offers close proximity to Cleethorpes and its expansive beach. “Princess had a canter in the sea the next day. She absolutely loves it! We don’t pressure her too much with all the detail, we give her lots of variety so at a show it feels like something new.”

Next stop for the pair is the inaugural Wellington CDI3* where they will represent Great Britain in the big tour.

Becky Moody dominated the Grand Prix Freestyle winning the top two spots with stablemates Carinsio (pictured) and Famke PF. Seasoned campaigner Cariniso, a 14-year-old Painted Black son who Becky co-owns with Julie Lockey, earned a total score of 73.04% from the judging panel of Claire Ballantyne (E), Helen Bradley (M) and Sandy Phillips (C).

Becky and Eleven-year-old Famke PF, who impressed at the LeMieux Grand Prix Championships in December, were awarded 72.71% riding to a compilation of Madonna hits for second whilst Lisa Marriott and Valucio completed the top three (71.50%).

Gareth Hughes won Sunday’s Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges with Georgina Wilkinson’s nine-year-old PSG debutant Happiness (73.51%) who until recently was competed by his owner and Angharad Harries. Gareth and ‘Happy’ made their debut appearance at a local show last September and Myerscough was the gelding’s first PSG.

Becky Moody and her promising Dutch gelding Jagerbomb (Dante Weltino x Jazz) claimed second with 70.48% adding to a victory in Friday’s British Dressage Young Horse FEI Seven-Year-Old class with a score of 74.17%. “I nearly sold this horse when he was four because he was ‘lazy and boring’,” said Becky on Facebook. “Thank God I didn’t - I absolutely adore him! Just goes to show how far a good temperament can get you....”

British para multi-medallist Sophie Wells went home to Lincolnshire with a clutch of successes. In addition to Friday’s TopSpec Medium with Don Cara (71.17%) she won Sunday’s Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I with her reigning Individual and Freestyle World Championship partner, C Fatal Attraction (Fidertanz x Olivi), owned by Charlotte Hogg. She also gave Premier League first-timer Classic Jillz Geuzenhof (Charmeur x Frühling) two great rides to win both the British Dressage Young Horse Seven-Year-Old qualifier on Saturday with 71.18% and the Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium the following day.

British Dressage thanks all the class sponsors as well as the Myerscough team for putting on a fantastic event. Congratulations to all the winners listed below and to all those who competed over the six days.

The winners:
Friday 30 April
Class 1: TopSpec Medium 75
Sophie Wells and Don Cara, 71.17%

Class 2: British Dressage Young Pony 4YO
Gemma Moss and Day Dream, 7.90

Class 4: British Dressage Young Pony 6YO
Hannah Moody and Godrics Cryptonite, 7.72

Class 5:British Dressage Young Horse FEI 5YO
Jade Whitelaw and Late Night, 76.40%

Class 6: British Dressage Young Horse FEI 6YO
Hayley Colwell and AB Kingsman, 75.40

Class 7: British Dressage Young Horse FEI 7YO
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb, 74.17

Saturday 01 May
Class 8: Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium
Emma Blundell and Mount St John VIP, 72.81%

Class 9: Advanced 102
Emma Blundell and Mount St John VIP, 72.01%

Class 10: British Dressage Young Horse 7YO (AM96)
Sophie Wells and Classic Jillz Geuzenhof, 71.18%

Class 11: Shearwater Young Horse 4YO
Greg Simms and Fastnet Rock, 7.92

Class 12: Shearwater Young Horse 5YO
Sophie Wells and LJT Egebjerggards Somoa, 8.14

Class 13: Shearwater Young Horse 6YO
Amy Woodhead and Kasanova III, 7.90

Sunday 02 May
Class 14: Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium
Sophie Wells and Classic Jillz Geuzenhof, 69.95%

Class 15: Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Gareth Hughes and Happiness, 73.51%

Class 16: Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Sophie Wells and C Fatal Attraction, 70.61%

17: Pick Your Own - FEI
Rebecca Hughes and Extra Time, 70.32%

Monday 03 May
Class 18: Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium
Hannah Esberger-Hancock and Iggy Pop Bek, 67.11%

Class 19: Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Jessica Dunn and Woodcroft Ferdinand, 70.57%

Class 20: Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Sarah Higgins and Netzo, 68.55%

Tuesday 04 May
Class 21: Haygain Intermediate II
Amy Woodhead and Mount St John Kom Fairytale, 71.23%

Class 22: Advanced Medium Freestyle
Anna Bates and Jolianna, 67.28%

Class 23: Prix St Georges Freestyle
Charlotte Lutener and Full Fusion BS, 69.50%

Class 24 Intermediate I Freestyle
Eilidh Grant and Mount St John Doornroos II, 70.62%

Class 25: Grand Prix Freestyle
Becky Moody and Carinsio, 73.04%

Wednesday 05 May
Class 26: LeMieux Grand Prix
Amy Woodhead and Mount St John Kom Fairytale, 72.77%

Full results

Photos © Kevin Sparrow