Petplan Summer Championships 24: Day Five

The final day of the 2024 Petplan Summer Area Festival Championships saw Prelim pony power, charismatic coloureds and fantastic first-timers taking the limelight and the titles, concluding an amazing week of competition in memorable fashion. 

Petplan Preliminary Freestyle Bronze  

Winner: Rebecca Holloway and Darnay’s Mister Darcy, 72.593%  

Rebecca Holloway and her 18-year-old gelding Darnay’s Mister Darcy achieved the ultimate success in the first year of affiliated dressage together, scoring 72.593% to win the Petplan Prelim Freestyle Bronze.  

“We put together our freestyle music based on Imagine Dragons using three of their songs in a string style which really suits him,” Rebecca explained about her winning test, which she admitted to having higher expectations for following a win at the Bury Farm Area Festival, “I was really looking forward to riding the freestyle today more than anything.” 

“I evented him previously, but he’s 18 and he has developed arthritis and had a collateral injury. It meant that for us jumping and eventing just isn’t something we can do any more, although he loved it he’s actually really good at dressage so I’ve had to become half decent at it!” 

The handsome piebald gelding is something of a family horse, Rebecca shared their heart-warming story: “My nanna bought him for me four years ago, he was actually bought for me and her to share – she's 82 and she wanted to ride a little bit again, and I hadn’t ridden for about 15 years too, prior to that it was just fun riding as well. The videos of us initially are so entertaining, we were running in to canter and I was flapping all over the place! But we bought him as a safe horse, even though he’s got some quirks...he can be a bit spicy actually! After his injuries and a lot of time off we moved to Mary Robins’ yard, she’s been our coach since and we’ve both fallen in love with dressage off the back of it, she’s been wonderful.” 

“I work in London five days in week for an asset manager,” the busy 28-year-old said about her time away from the arena, “I spend a lot of time travelling around the country too. I try and make sure I ride him two or three days a week and on the weekend, but my family help me out with looking him.” 

“It’s been amazing,” she concluded on the Petplan Area Festival experience, “its been so lovely to participate and I’ve really enjoyed it. I never thought we’d get here let alone do really well.” 

“Today is the best BD score we’ve ever had too! And we’ve finally got a rug to take home.” 

Second placed rider Emma-Jane Smith and Loxland Amazing Grace also earned and repeated her placing from the Bury Farm Area Festival, making it a one-two for the West Midlands qualifier standings. Emma Greenald and Lotus Pond earned the final runner up podium position, as the top three all rode tests over the 70% barrier.  

Petplan Preliminary Silver 

Winner: Victoria Chappell and Keystone Fair Farren, 70.556% 

Second to go in the class, followed by a nerve wracking wait for each rider to head down the centre line, Victoria Chappell and Keystone Fair Farren produced an incredible score of 70.556% to hold onto the lead and win the Petplan Preliminary Silver Summer Championship.  

“I couldn’t have asked for any more from him, I’m over the moon” Victoria reflects. The stunning British Hanoverian showed incredible class during his test, giving Victoria an amazing feeling, knowing they had done a clean and accurate test, “going to down the centre line at the end” was a big highlight of their championship experience.  

Their partnership began only a year ago when Victoria began riding Casper (as he is otherwise known) for owner Sally Green, “we started off unaffiliated, because he hadn’t done anything before I started riding him, so we have been on this journey together from the beginning” Victoria shares. Starting their BD career in the Prelim Bronze classes, now competing in the Prelim Silver and moving up the level to Novice as well.  

"Lessons, lessons, lessons” that has been the main element of Victoria and Casper’s preparation for the Championships, “we have lessons with Fiona Wilson and Sara Jane Lanning.” The beautiful bay gelding is known for being a “gentle giant” at home, Victoria describes him as, “such a gentleman.”  

Victoria leads a busy life away from the horses,  “I work in an office part time, and also have my little girl, so it is pretty full on with riding and everything else.” With an exciting future ahead of them, Victoria shares, “our next aim is the Regionals next year.”  

The duo really looked the part enjoying the lap of honour as the sun set over Arena UK. They were joined by our reserve champions Nadine Gregory and Newton Grand Design, with a score of 69.792% and in third place Danielle Annable riding Penstrumbly Maid Me Smile, who received a 69.514% from our three judges in arena two.  

Petplan Preliminary Bronze 

Winner: Katie Evans and Frankie VII, 69.653% 

It was piebald pony power to top a huge Prelim Bronze class, with 41 trotting down the centre line. Katie Evans and Frankie VII impressed Moira Richardson (E), Gwyneth Lewis (C) and Nick Bigland (M) to stand ahead of second placed combination Kevin Lee and his own Nespresso G, with Alice Reid and Nanne Kort Grootenhout (Just Wimphof x Zjengis Khan) in third. 

Katie and Frankie came to the championships on a wild card ticket, having received the late call up after a drop out in the final class line up. The duo more than made the most of it, producing a 69.653% test to win the class; speaking about the highlights Katie said, ““To be honest the fact that I breathed! We got around in one piece! But he felt really lovely, he was so consistent for me. He can sometimes be a little tense and do things without pre-warning, but we got around and it was really nice. It was more nerve wracking watching the scores afterwards!” 

“We’re doing Prelim and Novice at the moment, we’re off to the Cavago Championships in a few weeks too! And for the winter I’m aiming to compete at Novice and Elementary, and have a go at Freestyle Novice.” 

The duo have a remarkable origin story starting with a Facebook advert, which Katie proudly explained before her prize giving: “We bought him at two and a half years old for only £200, I’ve done everything with him myself, from backing him to now with help with my trainer Stena Hoerner and my mum and dad – without them I wouldn’t have any of this, I’m really grateful to them.” 

“We literally found him on Facebook. It came up, he was really cute and we went off to see him. He was dropped off a week later!” 

Now nine-years-old, Katie is enjoying being able to dedicate her time to Frankie, “This is our first year doing BD and this is our first championships. I’ve only been playing around with unaffiliated competition because I’ve been so busy working as a groom. I’ve now set up my own business as a certified equine sports massage therapist so I’ve got more time, and it was time he came out and had some fun!” 

Horses have always been Katie’s life, having previously worked for Lacy Stud, who’ve now retired from their work in breeding show ponies: “It was perfect timing that it all seemed to work. I also spent time in America back in 2012 competing in Youth World Games for Western Riding,” Katie confessed, “I was fifth in the world in America and I came back and went to Germany where I was Youth high point there too. I went to college and went ‘I want to go back to English riding!’”  

“I’ve always loved being in the show ring, but not in a way that I have to win, we came here today with the sole objective of just getting around! We managed to get here and that was what’s important.” 

Concluding with a word to her gorgeous wonder pony Katie said, “he loves his schooling, he’s not much of a jumper...he’ll pop a cross, but schooling and hacking are his thing, he can’t get bored in the arena at all. He just loves to please. You can leave him for six months, come back to him, and he’ll just ask what you want him to do.” 

Petplan Advanced Medium Bronze  

Winner: Sam Roberts and Moelview Prince Consort, 70.385% 

Showing supremo Sam Roberts secured the Advanced Medium Bronze double with Petplan pony powerhouse Moelview Prince Consort. The combination led the 21-strong field by no less than three percent, with a winning score of 70.385%. 

“It’s just unbelievable,” an over-joyed Sam commented, “I can’t believe my little 13hh pony is capable of even coming out and being competitive at this level, let alone winning. It’s something I never even dreamed of, it’s not his job, it’s not my job, we just go out there and have fun.” 

“I’m still flying high from Wednesday, Alice [Oppenheimer] convinced me to come back even though I’ve got a busy week at HOYS next week and he just went in there and I pressed the buttons and I was happy regardless of what the score would’ve been!” 

Reflecting on the highlights for today’s Advanced Medium test, she continued, “the extended canter was amazing and really uphill. It was a really nice test, I love riding flying changes on him, they’re always uphill and expressive and fun. But he’s just a happy pony, I’m so fortunate to love him and enjoy him and lucky that we found something else to do.” 

Sam was keen to share her grateful support to Chip’s owner Helen Skirton who has been the number one supporter on their dressage journey together, along with Alice Oppenheimer who’s been a huge part of her success as a friend and coach.  

Speaking about whether she’s had another pony who’s matched up to Chip, Sam explained: “I’ve had a few that would come close but I’ve never had a pony who has aboslutely zero tension and 100% concentration. He doesn’t know how to spook, it’s just not his vocabulary and he’s been like that from day one. He’s a total freak of nature, we had people saying he did too much as a four-year-old, but he’s totally not normal. I’m just so proud of him, and to find something else that he clearly enjoys is an amazing second chapter to his life. I love him to pieces, he’s all heart.” 

“He covers, he jumps the dummy and he does AI and he’s got a good number of stock on the ground. He’s even bred a Royal Welsh winner,” the humble, yet talented rider added about the third string to Chip’s bow, in his private breeding career, “he’s brilliant though, he can go AI training one day and go to a show next, his brain is always on the job.” 

Samantha Crosdil earned the runners up spot with her Vitalis-sired mare Venezia II, whilst Alex Greatorex made it another podium finish with the Irish Sports Horse Carrick Toomes Ambassador (Carrick Diamond Lad x Cruising).  

Petplan Preliminary Freestyle Silver 

Winner: Gabrielle Macdonald and Heatwave V, 71.945% 

Gabrielle Macdonald and the lovely Heatwave V were crowned the Petplan Preliminary Freestyle Silver Champions after dancing and amazing floorplan in front of judges, Alice Elliot, Lotte Olsen and Cherry Elvin. The duo won the title with an impressive score of 71.945%.  

“It feels really emotional, it’s been so good and I am so proud of him” Gabrielle describes how she is feeling following our final lap of honour celebration of the summer championships. The super sweet bay gelding soaked up his moment in the spotlight, “he’s only five-years-old and he is such a good boy, he has the nicest temperament and he just loves life, always with his ears forward and excited to go out. Whenever we take him anywhere, he just wants to do his thing” Gabrielle explains.  

Looking back on her winning test Gabrielle shares how it felt at the time, ‘he did a really good test, I was so pleased with how it went. As soon as his music came on he lit up, he has done it a couple of times now so I think he is starting to know it.” The combination danced along to a melody of Mowtown music, “his trot work is to ‘Love is like a heatwave’ inspired by his name Heatwave and his canter is to ‘Superstition’ and his walk is along to ‘My Girl.’ So it is all really fun upbeat music.” 

This highly sought after achievement is even more impressive for Gabrielle and Heatwave having only began their journey together in February this year, “I found him on HorseQuest, he had been on there a couple of months. I had unfortunately lost my horse last year, who I had owned for seven years, so we finally plucked up the courage to go and see Heatwave.” Gabrielle shares how this decision was the right one, and how important her bond with Heatwave has been on a personal level, “he has gotten me though a lot of hard times this year, we have had quite a tough year personally.”  

Gabrielle is a engineer at Land Rover, “I am currently working on the new car that is coming in 2026, so it is very full on, so my time with Heatwave is my time to destress after work.” Everyone at work knows about Gabrielle’s trip to the championships today, and now she has exciting news to go back to work with!  

The next aim for this fantastic partnership, is to qualify for the Winter Area Festivals, as well as giving the other disciplines a go, “he loves jumping as well, so we will do a bit of Arena Eventing and Showjumping and give the Combined Training a go throughout the winer. We have done all of this today in a jumping saddle, just trying to get my stirrups down as long as I can.” 

Supporting Gabrielle and Heatwave today, were Gabrielle’s Mom and boyfriend, everyone travelling from Southport, “they are my support team and I couldn’t do it without them.”  

Joining our champions in our final presentation of the 2024 Summer Area Festival Championships were, Tamsyn Hammond and Darkwaters Desire, in second place with 71.297% and rounding out the top three were Natalie Britcliffe riding Piebald Jacko, scoring 70.278%.  

VIEW FULL RESULTS