Rain was certainly not to stop play or top class action on the final day of the LeMieux National Championships, as the remaining titles were claimed by some top combinations, and Lewis Carrier become the new LeMieux National Champion.
Bret Willson International Advanced Medium Gold Championship
Becky Moody and Magic Dream, 72.579%
Becky Moody and Magic Dream successfully claimed their second win of the week, battling against the torrential rain to top the Bret Willson International Advanced Medium Gold Championship, with a score of 72.579%.
Becky spoke very proudly of the seven year old mare’s performance in the arena today commenting, “she was just a little legend. Bless her. She has had a really busy show, but she is a bit of a Duracell bunny. She always has energy. It's one of the really good things about her.”
“Weirdly, she was actually a little bit more spooky today than she's been any other day. Maybe just objecting to the rain, or possibly just the fact that everything was a bit shiny and reflective and different. So we had a couple of glitches because of that. But otherwise, it was just a nice, easy fluid test.”
A couple of glitches aside, judges Nick Burton (E), Fiona Wilson (H), Richard Baldwin (C), Christine Prip (M) and Debby Lush (B) were suitably impressed by the combination’s performance, and they even scored a ten from one of the judges for their halt.
Looking ahead to the future, Becky is excited at what is in store, “there's still so much more to come from her. I think that's she's definitely a horse that just needs to get a little stronger through her core, and be able to sort of control the energy that she has. So that's why she's really exciting, because she is doing really well, but I know there's so much more in there.”
“She'll have a little bit of a holiday now, but we don't really ever completely let them down. She'll just go hacking for a little while, and then she will just work on consolidating the Small Tour work for next year, maybe try and qualify her for the Prix St. Georges and Inter I for the winters.”
Our goal is always sort of to be working towards Grand Prix in the future. So keeping on just developing that training at home, so that hopefully in a couple of years, she'll be ready to step up to that definitely.”
After a busy championships and year, Becky has plans for a holiday in the sunshine over the coming weeks for a well deserved rest.
It was a very close second place for Matt Frost with Kerouac scoring 72.579%, followed by Amy Woodhead and Keep In Mind on 70.947% in third place.
Rothera Bray Under 21 Championship – Children on Horses
Winner: Ella-Grace Dovey and Sheepcote Jackson, 76.925%
Children on Horss European Champion Ella-Grace Dovey and the 11-year-old gelding Sheepcote Jackson rose to victory in the Rothera Bray Under 21 Children on Horses Championship with a top score of 76.925%.
Speaking on her test today, “he was a really good boy, we had a few mistakes but the highlights of the test for me were the medium trots, the best one’s we’ve done so far. The medium canters were also on point. Just obviously the few mistakes brought it down but the mistakes on my back not him.”
Ella-Grace has had a busy year, recently returning from the Europeans adding, “I was aiming for a medal, but I wasn’t expecting gold!”
At home Sheepcote Jackson is described as “the sweetest horse that always wants more attention. He’s really funny because he doesn’t like you spending time with any other horse.”
The duo has only been a partnership for four months and they now aim to contest the Aachen Young Stars Children on Horses classes over Christmas to complete their time in this age category, but in the meantime, they plan to work on changes to go out at Juniors next year.
Olivia Luscombe and Rosewater Chamonix claim second place with Rocky Leahy and Damocles LL finishing in third.
Rothera Bray Under 21 Championship – Pony
Winner: Abigail Gray and George Clooney B.S. 73.857%
In the Pony Championship, it was a spectacular win for Abigail Gray and George Clooney B.S with a score of 73.857%, judged by Islay Auty (E), Pam Bushell (C) and Jenny Ward (M).
When asked about her test Abigail told us, “George felt really relaxed, it was a great test, and our highlight was probably the simple changes as one of the judges gave us a 9.”
Abigail describes her win today as “really incredible, it really is a dream come true and I’m really grateful for George for trying his hardest. He loves hacking and competing, he’s such a showman. He’s a really big foodie, his favourite treat is bananas.”
This is Abigail's last year with George, as she reaches the top of the age bracket. She plans to enjoy the rest of her time with him and hopes to compete in Juniors next year.
Second place went to Daisy Bullman and Godrics Dionysus with third going to Lily Cawley and Cognac IX.
Rothera Bray Under 21 Championship – Junior
Winner: Myles Graham and Nibeley Union Hit, 71.364%
Junior team stalwart Myles Graham and the seventeen-year-old mare Nibeley Union Hit secured the win in the Rothera Bray Under 21 Junior Championship with a fantastic score of 71.364%.
Talking of his test today, Myles said, “It was a harmonious, beautiful picture and that’s what the judge was looking for. Every stride was a joy with that mare.” The combination have been together for three years and have had great success so far including attending three European Championships with three medals, Myles describes her as “just an outstanding mare.”
Myles describes his National title as “a dream come true; the atmosphere is absolutely amazing. All the buzz, all the joy. Everyone’s worked so hard to get here, it’s just the centre of British Dressage.”
When asked about Caroline Bell's top class mare, Myles told us, “she loves her tummy! Her favourite snack is bananas and polos. After every test she’ll come out and look for the Polos. She’s a character!”
Speaking of his hopes for the future he concluded, “we’re going to aim for Young Riders and Juniors next year and see how it goes, but overall, she’s going to have a nice quiet winter and a well-deserved break.”
Sofia Games and Boccelli 6 finished in second place with a score of 69.798%, followed by Isabella Caldwell and Don Geniro in third.
Rothera Bray Under 21 Championship – Young Riders
Winner: Morgan Haerr and Behroez, 69.363%
Scoring 69.363%, Morgan Haerr and her own Behroez were crowned winners in the Rothera Bray Under 21 Young Riders Championship.
Morgan was overjoyed with Behroez and told us, “he gave me a really good feel in the arena which was really good. He was a bit spooky as I went around the white boards, so I was a bit worried at first but as soon as we entered the boards, he put on his showman mode, he was really good so I’m really super pleased.”
“I’ve had him for just over a year now and I feel like we’re finally starting to click, which I think today our test showed that so I’m very pleased with him.” Morgan continued.
At 18.3hh, Morgan admitted it’s not always been easy with her tall gelding, “there’s definitely been some ups and downs because he’s such a big horse. Learning to ride such a big horse, especially those 8 metre circles but I feel like we’re finally starting to get them.”
Behroez is described as the “biggest sweetheart, such a big gentle giant. The girl that works for us is only around 5ft and everyone can handle him, everyone can lead him in. He’s a really, really good boy.”
Speaking on future plans, Morgan tells us she’s hoping to compete at more CDI’s and tells us, “I’d like to fly the Great Britain flag a bit more at the Young Rider level and then hopefully the Europeans on him.”
Daisy Hills and the fourteen year old Midtgaards Gijon were second with a score of 64.118%.
KBIS Young Dressage Horse Final Five-Year-Old Champion
Winner: Ashley Jenkins and Game On I
The super talented Game On I (Governer x Sir Donnerhall) ridden by Ashley Jenkins won the KBIS Young Dressage Horse Six-Year-Old final in the LeMieux Arena today. The gelding owned by Nicola Mahoney, impressed judge Christine Prip, trainer judge Gareth Hughes and riding judge Alexander Harrison.
In the national test for five-year-olds the previous day, the combination scored 90.000, securing them a place in today’s final. When reflecting on his experience during the test, Ashely tells us, “his canter work was really good” despite thinking that he could have done more in the walk, “he is no stranger to the atmosphere, having won the four-year-old final last year at the National Championships, he knew what it was all about.”
Ashley has ridden Game On I, otherwise known as ‘G’ to his friends at home, for two years now. “He has got a great brain with enough energy, always engaged and enough sensitivity, without ever going overboard” Ashley describes. Some of the Hanoverian's highlights are, “his temperament is amazing, his paces are amazing, he is a really lovely type of horse, not too big and also not too small.”
Game On’s owner Nicola, spoke to us about how it felt watching on today, “it is so stressful, but I am so proud of both Ashley and the horse, they both did such an amazing job. You are just willing him to do his best as you know he can do; you don’t want them to make any silly mistakes due to the pressure.” The amazing liver chestnut is a homebred, Nicola having also bred his dam, Stella, making the journey to this point even more special.
“He is just a total professional” Nicola states, “it is almost like he understands that everyone is here to see him, he goes out there and is proud to show off, that is what’s so beautiful about him.” Nicola plans on riding the gelding herself in the future, “hopefully he will just carry on and be an amazing sport horse, whether that is for me I don’t know.”
Nicola praises Ashely for this contribution in producing such an amazing young horse, “he really takes his time and makes sure they are having a nice time.” Riding judge Spencer Wilton was impressed by the young horse, “all the basics are there” he commented, “he is really supple through the back and has great ground cover in the cater” complimented how the horse has been produced relevant to his age.
Known for being a cheeky chap at home, the 16.1hh “loves being the centre of attention” Nicola tells us, he is a yard favourite. Ashley believes that the equine talent has the potential to reach Grand Prix level, he is defiantly one to watch for the future as he continues his career.
The five-year-old reserve champion was another Hanaverian, this time a lovely mare, MSJ Dutchess, ridden by Amy Woodhead and owned by Emma Blundell.
KBIS Young Dressage Horse Final Six-Year-Old Champion
Winner: Alicia Lee and Della Ballerina
Della Ballerina (Destacado x Weltmeyer) ridden and owned by Alicia Lee, was crowed the 2024 KBIS Young Dressage Horse Six-Year-Old Champion today in the LeMieux Arena. Alicia told us how ‘Bella’ felt “so confident and proud” in front of the grandstands. “She didn’t once feel nervous or sky” Alicia reflects.
During their six-year-old national test yesterday Alicia explains that some of her highlights were, “the fluency meant the whole test felt easy. She was really lovely to ride and her extensions I was really happy with and how she came back from those extensions.” The test was full of magic moments, “the half passes felt really easy and supple and she was just a really good girl.”
In today's final the stunning chestnut was ridden by rider judge Alexander Harrison, who when speaking to the crowd watching about his first impressions of the mare shared, “she is a lovely willing mare, really easy to ride and very free and established for this age.”
Alicia has owned Bella from a foal and produced her right from the beginning, which she describes as “so rewarding to see your baby as a foal, to then when she was broken in as a three-year-old and all the way through the stages to where she is now.” The duo has a strong partnership, “she has just developed so much over the last few years, and it is so fun being on this journey with the same horse when you are producing them yourself.”
The young horse classes provide an educational opportunity for horses at the beginning of their career to experience a competition environment. Alicia spoke to us about how the young horses classes have been beneficial, “she has gained a lot of confidence doing it, I think the format works nicely especially at nationals. She got to do her test yesterday in a nice atmosphere to give her an introduction, and today to go in the bigger arena with the other horses also gave her confidence.” Despite some horses not being suited to it Alicia explains, “some aren't ready for it but horses like her, it is really good for her to experience all of this for when she competes at the higher levels.”
“She is mostly a dream” at home Alicia tells us, “she is so easy, everyday she is the same, she loves to work, but she can be a bit sassy.” Living up to the reputation of chestnut mares, “she is funny with it, she is never unkind or mean, she is just a real character, the biggest on the yard. She thinks she is the best and knows she is the best” Alicia explains.
The super talented horse has an exciting future ahead, “I would love her to go to Grand Prix” Alicia tells us, “she feels like a mini Grand Prix horse to ride, she gives a feeling that the skys the limit for her. I just want to keep enjoying her, training her, giving her confidence and letting her become the best she can be.” After the championships, Alicia plans on giving Bella a few weeks holiday then plans on carrying on working through the winter, “she is already quite confident with her changes, so I would love to do some Advanced Mediums and maybe towards the next year a PSG. I just want to have fun and let her become herself.”
The reserve six-year-old-champion was Valentinio ridden and owned by Jody Haswell.
The Centre Line Preliminary Gold Championship
Winner: Jezz Palmer and Olaf TC, 77.241%
Jezz Palmer has done it again. Riding the stunning five-year-old, Olaf TC, (Kevin x Ravel) owned by Lucy Reynolds, Jez took the champion title with 77.241%. Jez was also celebrating his third place with the four-year-old Platinum SNW (Le Formidable x Vivaldi) owned by Tara Faulds, 75.402%. This double victory alongside his success across the weekend highlights Jezz’s talent and enthusiasm for working with young horses and getting the best out of them.
“I came with a focus that he could win. And I'm really lucky that that came off.” Reflecting on his test Jezz adds “The canter was just real today. He's, he's only five. He's grown a lot, but he's very exciting.” The canter was something that first drew Jezz to this promising five-year-old as he recounts, “I went to Holland with Lucy Reynolds, who owns him, and we found him as a four-year-old. He cantered on this hind leg that just sort of snapped up underneath him. I was like, ‘I think we found our one.”
Despite luck being on his side, there has been a huge amount of consideration and strategy behind his win. Talking to Jezz, he highlights the balance between pushing the horses and knowing when to support them: “I think when get to know my horses, and they know me well enough, I can know when to sit quiet and help them, and when I need to push and be like, no, come on, there's a bit more. Now, I think that's what I love about doing the young horses, is you get to that balance where you go, right, okay, I'm ready for a bit more, and their body feels ready for a bit more, and you can challenge for a bit more. And this week, it's just come off that they've all felt kind of ready at this right point.”
Jezz also attributed his success to Dannie Morgan, who is his vital eyes on the ground: “it's sometimes easy to get a bit lost on your own gut feeling. I felt like I wanted to push with a bit more in the warm up, but actually I didn't need to and Dannie was really good at being like, no, they're just leaving that. He's got to be able to come through that. Give his body time, because he's such a big moving horse and he's got his body to fulfil. So eyes on the ground for me was really important this week.”
“Without this team that I've got now, I wouldn't be way be able to do what I do, as far as Molly, our groom and Amy Hose, who works for Anmour Dressage, then my wife, who's always supportive in riding herself. But even as far as those here supporting, like my parents, mother and father in law, who've got our daughter, and the first thing I do is pick up the phone to my sister every time I get to get good results. So, yes very lucky to have the team that we have around me. I cannot do without them. I wouldn't want to do without them either.”
George Blackburn and Faust V delivered an impressive test earning a score of 75.977%, putting him in second place.
Bret Willson International Advanced Medium Silver Championship
Winner: Bryony Goodwin and Dion II (Dante Weltino x Rubiquil), 73.868%
Securing a terrific hat-trick at the event, Bryony Goodwin topped not only her third class of the week, but enjoyed a one-two in the Bret Willson International Advanced Medium Silver. The Dante Weltino-sired Dion II was her winning ride, whilst Antonia Brown's Krack DE, placed second with 70.526%.
“I was really pleased. Dion is quite new to Advanced Medium. He only stepped up a couple of months ago, so I didn't have any expectations of him today. I just wanted to have a good confidence giving round.” Says Bryony, reflecting on her winning test with the nine-year-old gelding.
This is the second win for the duo, who also claimed the Medium Gold Champion title on the day before. Describing just how much this success means to her Bryony added, “It's unbelievable really.” However, she shared how she tries not to let the pressure of their success affect how she rides and trains: “Last year we came, and he won the elementary gold. So that does put a bit of pressure on to come and keep winning. I never go into a class thinking ‘I'm going to win’. I just go in thinking ‘we're just going to give it our best shot and do the best we can do’, and then to come out on top is just the icing on the cake.”
Bryony not only does this for herself but also for her horses sharing with us how she approaches competition to support Dion as best she can: “He's quite a sensitive horse. So again, with him, I've come in very much with no expectation, aiming just to keep him happy and relaxed and give him confidence in what we can do. And he's rewarded me.”
“I think it's really important that the horse is the happy athlete. They've got to be allowed to be horses. If they're not happy, how can we expect them to perform their best for us?” Says Bryony, summarising why she feels her approach to caring and training for her horses has been successful for her, before adding that her plans for their future are to “Just keep training him at the speed that's right for him, and obviously I would dream of reaching Grand Prix, but we'll just keep going.”
As with so many of the riders here at this year's championships, Bryony expressed thanks for her coach, “Serena Pincus, who I train with, helps me at the bigger shows and she's just fantastic. She doesn't necessarily have to say an awful lot, but she has such a good eye and gives me confidence in what I'm doing. I couldn't do it without her."
With three horses with her competing at this year, Bryony, who is very hands-on with her horses, doing a lot herself at competitions, describes the last few days as being, “just constant. But Tim and Antonia and their grooms have been so helpful. My parents have been really supportive. Everybody just mucks in.“
Further reflecting on where she’s come from and how much her parents' support has meant to her, Bryony added while smiling, “They absolutely love it. They're so thrilled as well. They've been there alongside me through all the years of hard work. To be coming out now and winning sashes and rugs and things - it's amazing. It's lovely.” Bryony started out in riding schools. Her mum had ridden when she was younger and when Bryony "showed an interest in riding, it was the perfect excuse for mum to get back into it.”
Reflecting on how her younger self would not have imagined being here, smiling, Bryony added that “15-year-old me thought I wanted to be an event rider. It’s not what I thought I would be doing, but I’ve defiantly fallen in love with dressage - it’s addictive”.
Charlotte Donovan and Just It's Mie came third with 70.395%
HorseQuest Elementary Gold Championship
Sarah Ingham and Mowgli S, 73.563%
The rain didn’t put a dampener on the HorseQuest Elementary Gold Championship as 30 combinations took to the Kudos Arena to impress judges Sue McMahon (E), Mark Ruddock (H), Debbie Wardle (C), Anne Keen (M) and Paul Hayler (B).
With the top seven riders finishing on 70%+, it was Sarah Ingham and Michele Wyatt’s Mowgli S who came out on top, scoring 73.563% to take the win in a competitive class full of top names.
It was a successful week for the pair, who had also finished third in the TopSpec Medium Gold Championship the day before. But Sarah is no stranger to the National Championships, having competed on a number of horses here previously, with Mowgli S making his National Championship debut in 2023, where the pair competed in the Elementary Gold Championship and finished in the top 10 of the Novice Gold Championship.
This isn’t Sarah’s first National title win however, having won at the Winter Championships on her previous horse Fiddlesticks, but she has had to patiently wait 18 years to experience it again. She told us of how it felt to go so long between her two wins, “I think having an element of success when you're younger is lovely, but it perhaps doesn't make you realize how difficult it is to do it again. And especially now, I think the calibre and quality in the riding, the training, has all improved astronomically over the last sort of 20 years, it does make you really appreciate it.”
Sarah was quietly hoping for some success today, and that luck would be on her side to get a result “If I'm being honest, I thought if I did a good job, that I did have a chance [of winning], because he has had some successes, but I knew I had to pull it out in the bag on the day, and a little bit of luck alongside that.”
Telling us of her test highlights, Sarah spoke proudly of what the seven year old gelding had achieved in the test “I would say the canter work was beautiful, and the simple changes and all the transitions in the counter, but he just gave me a lovely feeling in the arena. It felt easy. And I just sat and steered really!”
“He can be a cheeky monkey. He likes taking boots off in the field and that sort of thing. He's a character, as you can see, but he's, he's the sweetest horse, and just the nicest.”
In a very close second place was Gracie Catling with Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune who scored 73.094%, with third place going to Alice Peternell and Vespasiano on 72.594%.
Kudos Grand Prix Freestyle Gold Championship
Gareth Hughes and Classic Goldstrike, 74.950%
2022 LeMieux National Champion Gareth Hughes returned to the top step of the podium at this year’s event, riding Julia Hornig and the Hughes family’s Classic Goldstrike to success in the Kudos Grand Prix Freestyle Championship. Their winning score was a superb 74.950%, rewarded by an outstanding British judges panel of Clive Halsall (E), Richard Baldwin (H), Peter Storr (C), Isobel Wessels (M) and Nick Burton (B).
"That's actually the first time I’ve ridden it with him," Gareth spoke about his winning freestyle programme, "it’s an old test I had years ago because the test I did at Windsor as a little bit too difficult I think I got a bit too ambitious and he got a bit confused because we don’t practice the freestyles very often. Whereas with the Grand Prix they really start to understand the lines and get really confident in it. So this was different enough to ask questions, but hopefully gave him a bit of time so he could hopefully stay with me. He just tried all the way through and every question I asked him to do he picked up and followed me.”
The competition for the Kudos title, and the LeMieux National Champion crown, was exceptionally close this year and Gareth commented on the standard of the competition: "It shows the level that we have over here. None of the team horses are here, which is understandable as it’s a big year leading up to the championships. So to have the team that we have that can go to a Championship and win medals, to then have this level nationally and the depth as well, it’s great for British dressage. And the more depth there is the more it keeps pushing forward and making the top even better.”
With his own Diego V, Lewis Carrier placed a close second place on a score of 74.850%, enough to deliver him his very first LeMieux National Champion title. Lewis' success story is truly inspiring, he has produced his horse from Young Riders to Senior Grand Prix, and now has achieved the greatest title in the BD collection.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic," he spoke about what it feels like to be National Champion, "this horse absolutely deserves it. He has been just incredible over the years; to do Young Rider European Teams , Under 25 European Teams and Nations Cup Teams at seniors, which I didn’t think he’d be able to do. And now overall National Champions, it’s absolutely surreal. You see the likes of Gareth, Carl and Laura and think I want to do that, it’s unbelievable that it can actually happen – I’m absolutely over the moon.”
The partnership between horse and rider is surely what makes this combination so successful: "We just know each other inside and out, he’s a different horse at home – he’s so chilled out, whereas here he just absolutely loves a show, he loves to show off and for the crowd he really lights up. And this is what I do it for, coming to the shows. I absolutely love competing and it’s just fantastic to have a British crowd here and enjoying dressage in the UK. Diego and I are quite similar in a way, Liv my wife tells me that!”
Lewis and Liv recently got married and enjoyed their honeymoon at Somerford Park...thankfully a beautiful trophy and a historic title make up for not being in the Maldives. “2024 has been an amazing year but also a very difficult year in the background, we’ve had a lot of change, but Diego has always been very consistent at shows and we’ve had an amazing year together. To get on the long list for the Olympics was just unbelievable. To be able to go to the Olympics and see how amazing it was out there in Paris, to hopefully set us up going forward to a Games hopefully. And then to come here and get overall National Champion is just unbelievable.”
Gareth's combined total was 146.189, a fraction behind Lewis' 146.719. Whilst Laura Tomlinson took a duo of thirds in the Grand Prix classes with Soegaards Bon Royal, completing the National Champion podium in another third place on a total of 145.23.
