Preview: Keysoe Premier League

Keysoe Equestrian in Bedfordshire is making final preparations before welcoming a high quality contingent of riders for the second Premier League competition of 2019. Here’s a taster of what promises to be three days of top dressage from Friday through Sunday (26 - 28 April).

The show gets underway at 8am on Friday with a competitive Equine Construction Advanced Medium. Featured are some interesting combinations including San Marco who was the the 2016 Shearwater six year old Champion with his late owner-rider Caroline Church. San Marco, owned by Caroline’s son Will, will be making his Premier League debut with young rider Dylan Deutrom.

Visitors Friday will also have a quality Fairfax Saddles PSG line-up to look forward to. Lizzie Murray presents two horses – the Totilas son Timolin and her winning 2018 Small Tour Championship partner Ulyssa – both talented young horses on the up. Charlotte Crocker-Westlake with Gaspar De Valle and Tom Pett and Curioso bring an Iberian feel, and all eyes will be on Tom Goode and Langley, a young horse who gained quite a fan club at the 2018 BD National Convention.

Starting at 1pm Friday is the LeMieux Grand Prix. Charlotte Dujardin will make a second competition appearance with Erlentanz whilst owner-rider Sonnar Murray-Brown continues to recover from a broken leg. Charlotte and ‘Erly’ (pictured) competed together for the first time in March at Keysoe CDI3* where they finished close second to Carl Hester and Nip Tuck in the Grand Prix and Freestyle – such is the strength of this fledgling partnership. Grand Prix contenders include FEI 5* Judge Isobel Wessels with Chagall, young rider Lucy Pincus who has two rides, Maria Eilberg with Royal Concert, Bobby Hayler and Aldborough Rubinhall who won at Wellington Premier League in 2018, and Louise Bell and Into The Blue who’ve just returned from Sint-Truiden CDI3* in Belgium.

Fresh from a phenomenal NAF Five Star Winter Championships where they did the Small Tour double, Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore Davina go into Saturday’s Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I as ones to watch; the same day’s Fairfax Saddles PSG includes youth talent such as 2015 FEI Pony European Championships team gold medallist Rebecca Bell with her Young Rider partner Nibeley Union Hit, and talented young French rider Camille Audo. The Hickstead British Young Horse qualifiers start with the five year olds at 1.58pm followed by six year olds at 4.30pm in front of judges Jenny Ward and Michel Assouline, whilst indoors from 4pm are Freestyles from Advanced Medium to Grand Prix.

Sunday starts at 9am with another bumper Fairfax Saddles PSG class. Kate Cowell, FEI Young Rider European Team Bronze medallist in 2000, has two rides forward – Rayban and Firmino; and Emily Harris, 2007 FEI Pony European Team Bronze medallist, presents her exciting prospect Freya FST.

Sunday afternoon’s Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I is a must-see. Dannie Morgan, who had the best week of his dressage career so far last month at Hartpury, will be riding his own and Sue Becvar’s Southern Cross Braemar; Rebecca Edwards rides Headmore Delegate, and Andrew Gould who was on the same bronze medal-winning Young Rider team as Kate Cowell, rides Blue Hors Dexter, a horse with whom he’s achieved exciting results so far in their short time together.

From midday onwards, judges Nicola McGivern, Nikki Herbert and Chris Porterfield preside over the Shearwater Young Horse and Pony qualifiers between them, an opportunity to see many of Britain’s emerging equine talent as they are assessed for their potential as future performers.

For all this, plus a chance to see the FEI Pony tests on Saturday and Sunday, simply head to Bedfordshire’s premier venue. Keysoe boasts a high quality cafeteria and entrance is free on all three days.

Programme
Friday 
08:00 Equine Construction Advanced Medium
09:00 Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
09:00 Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
13:01 LeMieux Grand Prix
13:45 Hickstead British Young Horse FEI 5YO Qualifier
15:21 Hickstead British Young Horse FEI 6YO Qualifier

Saturday
9:00 Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
9:00 Pony Team Test
9:00 Equine Construction Advanced Medium
11:50 Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
13:58 Hickstead British Young Horse National 5YO Qualifier
16:30 Hickstead British Young Horse National 6YO Qualifier
16:00 Advanced Medium Freestyle
16:56 Prix St Georges Freestyle
17:28 Intermediate I Freestyle
18:32 Grand Prix Freestyle

Sunday
9:00 Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
9:00 Cavalor Intermediate II
9:00 Equine Construction Advanced Medium
14:04 Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
14:20 Pony Individual Test
12:01 Shearwater Young Horse 4YO Qualifier
14:17 Shearwater Young Horse 5YO Qualifier
16:49 Shearwater Young Horse 6YO Qualifier
12:01 Shearwater Young Pony 4YO Qualifier
15:53 Shearwater Young Pony 5YO Qualifier
17:56 Shearwater Young Pony 6YO Qualifier