Maestro Marakov wins Addington Grand Prix

The first major fixture of the domestic calendar, Addington High Profile Show, took place last week at Addington Manor Equestrian Centre in Buckinghamshire (12 – 14 January 2018).

British team medallist Michael Eilberg won the Grand Prix with his father Ferdi’s Marakov (Rufus x Mitjulands), the horse he partnered to team silver at the 2015 European Championships. The age-defying Marakov (pictured), who this year turns 18, was awarded 73.87% by judges Steph Cooper (H), Peter Storr (C) and Penelope Lang (B) – his best Grand Prix score to date.

“What can I say about Marakov winning the Grand Prix! This horse is just unbelievable…he turned 18 this year and feels better than ever!” said Michael via Facebook. “He posted a PB of 73.8% and gave me the most fantastic ride. I keep thinking at some stage he will need an easier life but he lives for it and looks so happy when he is at shows, he’s obviously not ready just yet!”

Michael was also awarded with a win in the Small Tour divisions with Marakov’s stablemate Daltrey (Desert Moon x Sao Paulo) heading Saturday’s 40-strong PSG with 71.71%. Michael and Ferdi have owned Daltrey, an eight-year-old Woodlander Stud-bred gelding, since he was a two-year-old. He was fifth in the Equine Construction Advanced Medium Gold at the 2017 LeMieux National Championships, won on his PSG debut last November and is described by the Eilberg family as having ‘a heart of gold’.

Third to Michael, behind Luke Baber-Davies and Drummer Boy, was 20-year-old Lewis Carrier, who works as rider and young horse rider at the Eilberg’s Pink Green Farm in Worcestershire. Aboard Diego V, his ten-year-old Spielberg-sired gelding and 2015 Medium Restricted reserve champion, Lewis presented a cracking test to score 69.21% despite a blip in the four-time changes which he put down to rider error. This was a promising start to the year for Lewis who’s recently moved up to the Young Rider Prime Squad for those in contention for a British team place.

London 2012 medallist Laura Tomlinson enjoyed a successful return to the arena on this her first serious competitive outing since the birth of her second child, Wilfred. With Duval’s Capri Sonne Jr (Rhodium x San Remo), a world young horse bronze medallist in 2012, she won Friday’s Inter II on the horse’s first attempt at the level. Laura and the 11-year-old stallion who was bought by the Bechtolsheimer family in 2015 scored an impressive 71.93%, the good-looking black horse baring the makings of a top class Grand Prix competitor.

Further multiple winners were Amy Woodhead who scored a hat-trick taking two Mediums and an Inter I, and Craig Millard who scored a double winning both Sunday’s Medium and Medium Freestyle with Shirley Nixon’s Flores L.

The winners:

Friday 12 January
Medium 75
Amy Woodhead with Cordici K, 70.68%

Advanced Medium 91
Beth Bainbridge with Woodcroft Smirnoff, 70.64%

FEI Prix St Georges
Paul Friday with Romano’s Rafiel, 70.96%

FEI Intermediate I
Amy Woodhead with Branduardi, 72.46%

FEI Intermediate II
Laura Tomlinson with Duval’s Capri Sonne Jr, 71.93%

Saturday 13 January
Medium 76
Amy Woodhead with Cordici K, 67.73%

Advanced Medium 92
Sarah Khairallah with Keystone Darling, 69.32%

FEI Pony Team Test
Maddy Whelan with Beaurepaire Frodo, 67.43%

FEI Prix St Georges
Michael Eilberg with Daltrey, 71.71%

FEI Intermediate I
Vicky Thompson-Winfield with Artist, 71.18%

FEI Grand Prix
Michael Eilberg with Marakov, 73.87%

Sunday 14 January
Medium 75
Craig Millard with Flores L, 67.43%

Advanced Medium 96
Sally Bell with Ceryl, 67.37%

FEI Prix St Georges
Charlotte Dujardin with Florentina VI, 74.25%

Medium Freestyle to Music
Craig Millard with Flores L, 72.00%

Advanced Medium Freestyle to Music
Sally Bell with Ceryl and Robyn Walker with Master Merlin, 71.06% col.324

Prix St Georges Freestyle to Music
Debbie Poynter with Keystone for Real, 69.58%

For full results click here

Photo c Adam Fanthorpe