Summer Regional Championships: Bicton Arena

Janine Jansen won both the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Silver and the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Silver with Spitfire III at Bicton’s Regional Championships in Devon (21 – 23 July 2023).

Janine was a committed eventer competing up to 4* level before turning to dressage where she is proving to be equally successful. “I’d always evented but secretly loved the dressage side of it and it does give me more time for my other hobby,” she said.

In between her day job as presenter and reporter for Spotlight, the BBC’s regional news programme for the South West, Janine is also a keen ballroom dancer, a pastime that complements dressage but on the day nearly caused her downfall or should that be near embarrassment.

“Ballroom dancing involves a lot of fake tan,” she explained. “I was competing at Bournemouth the week after the regional championships and getting the right amount of tan means building it up over a few days. I applied the morning’s fake tan and set off to the dressage and hadn’t factored in the forecast, it was tipping down as I was tacking up and I was seriously worried the tan would come through my white breeches but luckily the rain stopped and I whipped them off as soon as I’d finished.”

Janine feels the two sports, dressage and dancing complement each other. “You need good posture for both, it has to look easy and effortless and my ear for music has definitely improved with the dancing,” she said.

Janine’s Spitfire III, pictured above, by Surprise II out of the Dutch mare Rilanca, was bred by Alice Peternell, winner of the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold with Cynheidrefawr Crème de la Crème. The purebred Welsh sec D stallion Crème de la Crème is owned by Helen Lomas who stands the striking cremello at her Four Seasons Stud, having bought him as a four-year-old.

“He went through the Welsh Cob sale at Builth Wales but didn’t make his reserve,” explained Helen. “A friend had seen him and said I should look at him and I managed to buy him. I’ve bred pure Welsh and part-breds over the years and I love a cremello and perlino but this boy is not just a pretty face.”

Alice has ridden the horse since he was competing at Medium level. “He is such a good boy,” she said. “He’s a pure-bred Welsh and it is a big ask to win the gold section of a Prix St Georges at a regional, we had a clear round and his changes and extensions are always a highlight. I feel small in the warm-up when I’m walking round but as soon as he gets going he does not feel small, what a superstar he is.”

Alice went on to finish third in the Saracen Feeds Intermediate I Gold behind Mark Forrest with his own Flavio B. The 12-year-old Flavio B was an unplanned purchase as he explained. “I was looking for a youngster to bring on for myself and happened to see him, in the end I decided he’d make a nice junior horse and I would do a bit and then sell him to give myself a bigger budget,” said Mark. “He was quite spooky so he’s stayed but he’s got a lot of ability for the more difficult stuff and we’re getting a real understanding.”

So far the combination have already collected a third at the Winter Championships and two seconds at Premier League level – so close to direct qualification. “He gave me a great feel today and I hoped we’d done enough to get our ticket even though I couldn’t quite go for it in the extensions which are his party piece,” he added.

Ellen Glover’s win in the BETTALIFE Novice Silver with Morricone’s Love MFS, pictured above, was the start of a fantastic few days for MFS Stud. Run by Gordon and Caroline Ironside, the stud at the opposite end of the country on the edge of the Moray Firth is responsible for MFS Jazzman, qualified for the Nationals at PSG level, MFS Love Actually Wins, qualified for the Nationals at Novice level, MFS Loretta Blue, qualified for HOYS show jumping and MFS Lolieta who jumped a double clear round the CCI2* at Burgham and all from what is a small foal crop each year.

Both Morricone’s Love and Love Actually Wins are out of the Florestan I/Donnerhall mare Lady Fabienne, a mare bought from Holland as a five-year-old by the Ironsides. “I promised myself a Florestan I mare when I saw the right one and she has a fantastic dam line,” said Caroline.

Aside from a high number of Grand Prix and advanced dressage performers, the line has some decent jumpers too. “I love the cross-over of bloodlines and this mare is so straightforward and showed real trainability as do all her foals,” she added.

For Ellen it was love at first sight when she saw the colt foal on the internet. “We were approached by someone wanting to rent a field for a foal they were buying and it made us think that might be a good idea,” explained Ellen. “’Will’ was the first foal I clicked on and I fell in love from the get go. When he arrived after weaning, he stepped off the lorry and we all just went wow! His half-brother followed 12 months later, and I’m looking forward to him making his debut in the near future.”

Emma Jenkinson won the HorseQuest Elementary Silver with Fleur C, an eight-year-old daughter of Finest. “I saw her advert even though I wasn’t really looking,” admitted Ellen. “I went to see her with my mum Corinna who has a great eye for a horse and as soon as she saw her she said this one is going to be good so we brought her home.

“She was second in the Novice and got her ticket so the pressure was off for the Elementary! She’s so rideable and a real performer and she won despite a couple of mistakes.”

Lucy Amy had a show to remember, no less than five qualifying tickets secured by her rides. There were wins at Prelim and Elementary level along with three other placings. The five-year-old Rubins Edwardo, winner of the Centre Line Preliminary Gold beat stablemate Morrico M into second, Morrico M took third in the BETTALIFE Novice Gold and Millenium Falcon won the HorseQuest Elementary Gold before adding a third in the TopSpec Medium Gold.

Rebecca Cowderoy’s homebred stallion Nights Dream won the BETTALIFE Novice Gold getting back to winning ways in the process. The Dream Boy five-year-old was unbeaten this year until the young horse semi-final at Hartpury and is an embryo transfer from Celicia, Rebecca’s international horse. “He’s very like her in many ways,” she said. “He has his father’s frame but his ‘want to work’ attitude is absolutely his mother’s along with her beautiful head albeit with a stallion take.”

Sadly Rebecca lost Celicia, a second generation homebred, her mother having been bought as a foal in Holland, a couple of weeks after foaling but has a lovely half-sister to Nights Dream to carry on the line.

Results
Top three
The Centre Line Preliminary Silver
1. Tom Carter and Newton Despina, 71.44%
2. Emma Murch and Gwynfaes Gethin, 70.11%
3. Debie Dyke and The Trojan, 69.66%

The Centre Line Preliminary Gold
1. Lucy Amy and Rubins Edwardo, 75.86%
2. Lucy Amy and Morrico M, 75.69%
3. Jessica Davies and Nemo II, 74.77%

BETTALIFE Novice Silver
1. Ellen Glover and Morricone’s Love MFS, 70.56%
2. Emma Jenkinson and Fleur C, 69.01%
3. Dominique Kinnaird-Perry and Pallas Vanquish, 68.95%

BETTALIFE Novice Gold
1. Rebecca Cowderoy and Nights dream, 70%
2. Beth Bainbridge and WHD Elton, 69.63%
3. Lucy Amy and Morrico M, 69.44%

HorseQuest Elementary Silver
1. Emma Jenkinson and Fleur C, 69.48%
2. Alex Robinson-Farr and French Affair, 69.22%
3. Lucie Stokoe and Led Zeppelin, 68.8%

HorseQuest Elementary Gold
1. Lucy Amy and Millenium Falcon, 72.81%
2. Davey Harvey and Benefit, 71.88%
3. Beth Bainbridge and WHD Elton, 71.56%

TopSpec Medium Silver
1. Amy Foster-Smith and Kimberley SHR, 69.82%
2. Helen Marsh and Disco Chick, 69.23%
3. Amy Searle and Haver II, 68.33%

TopSpec Medium Gold
1. Sarah Wilkinson and Ji Alda, 71.89%
2. Bryony Goodwin and Sparkle II, 70.86%
3. Lucy Amy and Millenium Falcon, 70.81%

Bret Willson Dressage International Advanced Medium Silver
1. Jessica Anne Ralton and Active Delamotte, 68.38%
2. Nicola Pearce and Keystone Quartz, 67.81%
3. Jessie Kirby and As Well De La Roche CMF, 66.49%

Bret Willson Dressage International Advanced Medium Gold
1. Sadie Smith and Jaguar I, 71.45%
2. Beth Bainbridge and Newton Astro Nascente, 69.69%
3. Darren Hicks and Jack XXVI, 68.82%

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Silver
1. Janine Jansen and Spitfire III, 68.92%
2. Beau Williams and Ipurus, 67.11%
3. Emily Burns and Lago Icon, 66.86%

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold
1. Alice Peternell and Cynheidrefawr Crème de la Crème, 68.38%
2. Charlotte Dicker and Catherston Timeless, 68.24%
3. Mark Forrest and Flavio B, 67.5%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Silver
1. Janine Jansen and Spitfire III, 67.70%
2. Emily Burns and Lago Icon, 65.44%
3. Jessica Davies and Sparkling Moet, 63.68%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Gold
1. Mark Forrest and Flavio B, 68.53%
2. Charlotte Dicker and Catherston Timeless, 67.06%
3. Alice Peternell and Cynheidrefawr Crème De La Crème, 66.13%

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photo © ESP-Photographic