Petplan Summer Championships 24: Day One

Day one at the 2024 Petplan Summer Area Festival Championships produced five worthy winners, all producing performances to brighten up grey skies over Arena UK

Petplan Advanced Medium Freestyle Bronze 

Winner: Sam Roberts and Moelview Prince Consort 

Sam Roberts and the fourteen-year-old Welsh Section B stallion Moelview Prince Consort were the first duo to take to the top step of the podium at the 2024 Petplan Summer Area Festival Championships. As the sole combination to top the 70% barrier, they secured the Advanced Medium Freestyle Bronze title with 71.778%.  

An overjoyed Sam spoke after her prize giving in total disbelief of her pony’s achievement: “Honestly I can’t believe it! I just get to ride my little pony around to some music and he did a lovely test, it’s always a pleasure to ride him and I just can’t believe he’s actually won! It seems unreal against all these amazing big horses and he’s just a little native pony stallion showing that it can be done.” 

Today’s win was a team effort, as a buoyant Hampshire support team rallied around the combination to help them on their way to freestyle glory. “Sara Green does my music,” Sam explained, “Alice Oppenheimer does the floorplan and I just point and steer!” At which point proud friend and trainer Alice added, “the music is from the film The Hustle...Sam won’t know that!”  

Reflecting on the highlights in their test Sam continued, “He loves a good medium trot and extended canter but I love doing the changes, he’s so expressive, for a little pony he does big changes and they’re just so much fun to ride.” 

“He’s a huge character, he’s got a big personality – he just loves to please and to get everything right. He comes to a show and he just smiles from the moment he gets off the lorry to when he goes home, he’s a showman through and through.” 

‘Chippy’, as he’s known as home, has had two standout careers in his lifetime, one in showing and one in dressage. “It’s like a dream. I bought him as a top show horse which he has been over his career and I fell into this because I wanted to continue to ride him but I didn’t know what else I could do with him. It’s all down to love and thirst for wanting to learn and wanting to please, which is incredible. Never in my wildest expectations or dreams did I think he could even do an Elementary test, nor did I think that I would have the skills to be able to do it. I’m absolutely clueless this is not my day job!” 

Sam’s day job is producing and showing show ponies to the highest level with great talent. Her win at the Area Festivals is down to a schedule blessing which allows her to go straight from this show to Horse of the Year Show next week, where she’s presenting no less than five ponies. Chippy himself was a winner at the London International Horse Show at just four-years-old, before going on to win at Royal Windsor, the Royal International Horse Show and the NPS Championships. Next up for the combination in the dressage arena is a trip to the Associated Championships, where they hope to continue their run of wins through the levels.  

Second place went to Bex Woolf with the British-bred mare Hillgrounds Woleena, whilst Nicola North claimed third with her own Gianni Versace (Glocks Voice x Rubinstein).  

Petplan Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver 

Winner: Florence Human and Fulgencio, 72.000% 

Somerset-based Florence Human and Fulgencio took the win in the Petplan Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver with a top score of 72.000%. After having a break for a couple of years, this is the combinations first season back due to injuries the gelding has had, and she tells us, “it’s been lovely to be back at a Championship, especially a Petplan one, it’s such a nice atmosphere and he really loves the music. He always knows when it’s a big competition!” 

Florence returned to the top step of the podium having previously notched up a win at the 2020 Winter Championships at Medium level, “we always have a thing, expect nothing and you can’t be disappointed and to even get placed is pretty cool.” 

“Every time I sit on him it’s just the best feeling,” Florence reflected on what it’s like to have brought her horse back to the top, “even walking him round at home I feel really privileged to be able to ride him.” We’ve had him for seven years now which is a bit crazy. Although he’s not getting any younger, but he still absolutely loves it which is nice.” 

Florence describes her Florencio-sired gelding as ‘very chilled’, adding that “nothing really phases him, he loves attention, loves a fuss and has never put a foot wrong. I can’t fault any part of him to be fair, he’s just lovely and I absolutely adore him.”  

The former BD Youth National and Foundation Academy rider credited her music as one of the main highlights of her test: “It’s by Equidance and it’s to Six The Musical. Our Medium music was Hamilton, so I like the musical stuff. I rode to it at home and I thought this fits quite nicely and put it altogether!” 

A six-and-a-half-hour journey to make it to the Championships was more than worthwhile for the Somerset-based rider who is a support worker for people with learning difficulties away from her time in the saddle, and hopes to move into working in the ambulance service. Next up...the Prix St George Bronze class on Thursday and a celebratory McDonalds, which is a show tradition, meant for winning but often taken up whether first or not! 

Scotland’s Carmen Gammie brought her Guardian S-sired gelding Let’s Make An Opera to the Championships in fine form for second, followed by the multi-titled combination of Victoria Homden and Olly in third, adding another great finish to their record.  

Petplan Intermediate I Freestyle Bronze 

Winner: Jenny Ainscough and Florence PFB, 69.875%  

Jenny Ainscough and Florence PFB found their way to the winner’s circle in the Petplan Intermediate I Freestyle Bronze Championship, scoring 69.875% to earn the title.  

Speaking about her win with the elegant 14-year-old mare Jenny said, “I’m over the moon, she was a really good girl, really came with me today which can not always be the case! She can be quite opinionated with her manner but she felt up for it today. We won the Prix St Georges Silver at the Winters so we stepped up to Inter I after that - this is a bit unexpected because I haven’t been doing it very long.” 

Reflecting on her winning test she added, “she enjoys her freestyle, there was a little blip in the two tempi changes today, which is a bit of a shame, but everything else I was really pleased with and she was so rideable. I’m really happy.”  

“She’s a very talented mare,” Lancashire-based Jenny continued, speaking about her relationship with Florence, I’ve had her for eighteen months on lease from James Boulton, her owner. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to have such a talented mare. She’s fourteen now, but low mileage, she’s always up for it. We call her Duracell Bunny, she can happily do two tests back-to-back, she’s got lots of energy!” 

Away from the competition arena, the duo enjoy a varied routine leading to championship success: “At home she’s great, can jump her, hack her, she’s a really easy mare. The first time I’ve had a mare, I’ve always been put off by then but she’s definitely opened my eyes to how amazing they can be.”  

“I train with Laura Rowe and Becky Moody, they’ve both been huge helps in perfecting the finer detail of these tests which has been a big step up into the Inter I, there’s been more difficult moves in there so they’ve been a huge help.”  

Next up for the combination will be a visit to the autumn High Profile shows before a winter break in readiness for the Winter Regionals. 

There was British-bred success in second place for Kentford Stud’s Totilas-sired Totil Diamond Jubilee, presented beautifully by Alison Jenden, whilst third place belonged to Alina Ingham with her own mare Fantasma.  

Petplan Intermediate I Freestyle Silver 

Winner: Julia Walker and Rodea, 67.375% 

Julia Walker and Rodea were return winners at the championships, adding a summer title to their winter win achieved at Intermediate I Silver level back in April. With her own Lithuanian-bred beauty Rodea, Julia rode to 67.375% in front of Fiona Lace (E), Andrea Smith (C) and Jane Peberdy (M).  

“She’s so lovely and I was really pleased with her,” a proud Julia said after her prize giving, “I came here with her last year and did the same class and came second so it’s really nice to have won it this year! We won the straight Inter I Silver class at Addington so to have won the music now as well is really good.” 

Despite her fantastic record Julia says she doesn’t feel the pressure, which is largely down to enjoying her superstar veteran mare, who is excelling in her later years: “She’s 19-years-old and I’m really just enjoying the journey with her. We’re trying to have a go at some Inter II and Grand Prix tests but I couldn’t ask any more from her, she’s just getting better and better. We were thinking of retiring her at the end of this year but she’s come out of this year better than she went into it so we’re going to keep going. She’s done a bit of showing over the summer too, she’s just amazing.” 

Julia, who works for Char Lassetter, has been working with Rodea for 14 years, “Char bought her as an unbacked five-year-old, I’ve ridden her the whole way through! I backed her and I’ve ridden her right from the beginning.  She did a para show this year, the Wellington CPEDI, it’s really nice for her to go out with somebody else and do something completely different.” 

“She’s really lovely,” she reflected on her character, “she’s so easy going, anyone can ride her and she’s really easy to look after. I took her to the beach two weeks ago for a photoshoot where we were cantering along the beach bareback! She’ll do anything, she hacks every other day and schools every other day.”  

Whilst Rodea is in her twilight years, there’s plenty to look forward to in the future as her legacy will live on in her two-year-old colt son born by embryo transfer, who Julia describes as looking just like her.  

The runners-up position belonged to Rachel Tetley and her bouncy chestnut gelding Bono, whilst Leonie Brown and Wishaw Lord Nelson were a popular combination in third.

  

Petplan FEI Intermediate I Silver  

Winner: Claire Ballantyne and Dvorak, 67.108%  

Staffordshire-based Claire Ballantyne returned victorious to the Summer Area Festival Championships, earning a win in the Intermediate I Silver with Dvorak. “He was on fire,” Claire reflected on the performance of her British-bred gelding by De Niro, and out of a Florestan mare, “he was just going for it today, we had a couple of little mistakes but he’s a super horse to ride.”  

Speaking about the highlights in her winning test, which earned 67.108% she continued “ the changes are his highlights and pirouettes as well. We had a couple of mistakes in our changes but he’s quite happy at this level and training to go onto the next level.”  

It’s been a family affair for owner and breeder Claire and this horse, as she explained about his story: “I won a championship on his mother, she retired from competition in 2012, he was born in 2014 and he’s just exceeded what his mother did. She was lovely to ride and he’s now carrying all that, it’s amazing. We put her to De Niro and we’ve got these two amazing siblings competing well at Inter I. He’s got a sister who’s a year younger, she’s just upgraded to Inter I and she’s going well at that level.  

“For the immediate future we are carrying on for the Regionals,” Claire concluded about her competition plans, alongside training with Calum Whitworth, “but my main focus is to carry on training, take him to the next level and developing the confidence and connection.” 

Lucinda Bellis and Windhover II were worthy runners up in second; Rachel Tetley and Bono earned their second podium finish of the day, earning a creditable third place. 

FULL RESULTS