News
North & West reclaim team title at Youth Home Nations
- Written By: British Dressage | Camille Peters
- Published: Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:05
North & West Bella Rose were Werth-y winners of the Youth Home Nations, whilst the region also dominated the individual titles at a Paris powered event hosted by The David Broome Event Centre (2 – 4 August 2024). 
With 33 teams lined up to contest the Youth Home Nations, including overseas teams from Ireland, two days of competition required the highest quality of riding and team spirit to bring home the title. North & West Bella Rose took every ounce of inspiration from their medal winning namesake, channeling their inner Isabell Werth to rise to the occasion and secure the gold medal step on the podium for their region. Anna Wheeldon, Lois Hughes, Lydia Holmes and Lilly Ella Newcombe achieved a standout total of 422.01 to clear the field by 11%, ahead of South & East Pegasus (411.57) and the equally aptly named team, North & East Versailles (408.92).
The team were overnight leaders following the efforts of their riders on day one, with Saturday total of 213.83; their team score of 208.18 on day two was enough to give them two days worth of top totals, giving them the Home Nations crown and bringing the accolade back to England and the North & West for the second consecutive year.
Lily Ella Newcombe brought Georgina Roden’s KWPN gelding Lagos to the Home Nations and returned home not only with the team title, but with the Preliminary Individual title too, cementing a wonderful team contribution with solo glory. The eight-year-old by De Niro was beautifully presented by Lily Ella across both days of competition, as they became the sole combination to top 70% for both of their tests.
15-year-old Lydia Holmes was the second North & West Bella Rose team rider to secure individual spoils too, bringing her Winter Area Festival Champion Caramelle to the top position in the Novice Individual championship. The 11-year-old buckskin mare by Howen Limeaid II and out of a Farriers Rambler mare has an outstanding British Dressage record with Lydia riding to first place in all of their 2024 starts. At the Home Nations, the combination scored 72.43% on day one, earning a healthy overnight lead, before adding 67.28% to their total score of 139.71%, giving them the overall Novice win.
The consistency of this team was admirable and without doubt the factor that gave team Bella Rose the winning edge. Notching up scores of 68.53% and 69.58%, Anna Wheeldon was third as an individual in the Elementary competition, with her own Negro-sired mare continuing the good form which saw them place in the top two at the same level at Aintree’s Winter Area Festival. Whilst Lois Hughes was a very close runner up as the winning team member taking part in the Medium Individual contest; her own British-bred gelding Woodlands Ugo earned the top spot on day one with 69.56% and added 67.16% on day two.
Continuing the North & West Home Nations domination, Gabriella Kozersky and Hollywood Semilly took the individual title at Elementary level. As with fellow region compatriots Lydia and Caramelle, Gabrilla and Hollywood Semilly are another youth combination to have brought home a title at the 2024 Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships. Using their experience and skill to their advantage, the combination produced two beautiful tests to be the highest scorers across both days of competition, giving them the win with a total of 139.37%. Hollywood Semilly, known as ‘Frog’, is a multi-talented equine also turning his hooves to British Eventing, whilst his focused rider has balanced competing alongside sitting her A-levels this year.
There was success for North & East in the individual Medium class, as Lincolnshire’s Tabitha Leicester and Eires Rock made the journey to Wales worth every second. Tabitha presented Laura Leicester’s Santana-sired gelding for 68.19% and 69.19%, emerging victorious in a really close fought class this level. The Lincolnshire-based rider was a BD Foundation Academy Athlete in 2023 and took to social media after the event to praise her winning ride, saying ‘I’m so so proud of my special pony!’
In the FEI Individual classes, it was almost a remarkable clean sweep for team South & East, as they claimed three age categories and a close second in the fourth. Rocky Leahy and Damocles LL were top of the tables in the Children on Horses competition, achieving two super consistent scores of 66.17% and 66.71%. At Junior level it was Madison Eagle and Royalty II to take the crown; Madison, hailing from Norfolk, is another former Youth Foundation Academy athlete and has represented her region for two years running at both the Home Nations and Inter Regionals. The final glittering green FEI win belonged to Daisy Hills and Midtgaards Gijon who claimed the Young Rider competition. BD Youth National Academy rider Daisy is currently based with Louise Bell and has enjoyed a successful season at FEI Young Rider level with her horse known as ‘Gi’.
Home Nations hosts Wales enjoyed a win of their own in the Pony FEI class, as Mimi Kempster and Che Bello earned a total of 137.07%, following two great scores of 68.38% and 68.69%.
Congratulations to all riders who travelled to Wales to take part and fly the flag for the BD regions, the standard of horse care, riding and team spirit on show is truly what makes British Dressage youth activity so special.
Thanks go to BD Wales and The David Broome Event Centre for hosting the event, to BD Wales sponsors Charles Owen for prizes and rider goodie bags, the Worshipful Company of Saddlers for providing individual winner head collars and to the Bridle Boutique for supplying a bridle to the highest scoring combination across the weekend.
Results
Team competition
1. North & West Bella Rose – 422.01
2. South & East Pegases – 411.57
3. North & East Versailles – 408.92
4. North & West Dalera – 407.90
5. Ireland Emerald – 406.22
Preliminary - Individual
1. Lilly Ella Newcombe and Lagos, 143.16% (North & West)
2. Lily Pett and Snabo Star, 139.45% (Wales)
3. Amelie Cohen and Ambassador C, 139.04% (South & West)
Novice - Individual
1. Lydia Holmes and Caramelle, 139.71% (North & West)
2. Verity Matthews and Bunberry Peppermill, 138.52% (North & West)
3. Olivia Staples and Felinmor Buddy, 138.12% (South & East)
Elementary - Individual
1. Gabriella Kozersky and Hollywood Semilly, 139.37% (North & West)
2. Sadhbh O’Toole and Next Diamond, 138.15% (Ireland)
3. Anna Wheeldon and Jackie-Bertha R, 138.11% (North & West)
Medium - Individual
1. Tabitha Leicester and Eires Rock, 137.38% (North & East)
2. Lois Hughes and Woodlands Ugo, 136.72% (North & West)
3. Hannah Macmillan and Brookeborough Lad, 136.43% (North & East)
FEI Children On Horses - Individual
1. Rocky Leahy and Damocles LL, 132.88% (South & East)
2. Phoebe Simcox and Reitland’s Diamond Hit, 123.13% (Wales)
FEI Pony - Individual
1. Mimi Kempster and Che Bello, 137.07% (Wales)
2. Molly Powell and Diego, 136.27% (South & East)
3. Sophia Longworth and Don de Luxe, 135.66% (North & East)
FEI Junior – Individual
1. Madison Eagle and Royalty II, 133.60% (South & East)
2. Hannah de Wit and Prince May the First, 132.70% (South & West)
3. Hope Wheway and Guess Who C, 131.84% (North & East)
FEI Young Rider – Individual
1. Daisy Hills and Midtgaards Gijon, 134.37% (South & East)
2. Marie-Ayesha Barilits-Gupta and Rob Roy II, 134.36% (South & West)
3. Crystal Robinson Long and High-Quality, 131.13% (South & East)
