Summer Regional Championships: Mount Ballan

A busy weekend of Regional Championship dressage took place just across the Severn Bridge at The David Broome Event Centre at Mount Ballan Manor in Monmouthshire (06 – 08 August 2021).

Rob Barker who is based in Norton, Gloucestershire, and trains with Carl Hester, won not one, not two, but an impressive three classes aboard two of his rides – Katherine Bateson’s Landea and Alison Haste’s Woodlander Romance.

“I’m over the moon with her,” said Rob, talking about seven-year-old Landea (pictured above) with whom he posted the winning score of 72.79% in the TopSpec Medium Gold. Landea has been in training with Rob since a three-year-old. “Hopefully we can do it again at the Nationals, which will be our last Nationals before she’s flown out to Florida to be based with her owner, Katherine.” |

Rob’s dual-winning partner, nine-year-old Woodlander Romance (by Rousseau), won both the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Silver (67.72%) and Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Silver (69.17%). “She’s another mare I’ve had since a three-year-old. I was so pleased with her,” commented Rob. “Especially as it was only her second Inter I.”

Rob secured two further tickets to Somerford with fourth place in both the BETTALIFE Novice Gold and Equitop Elementary Gold with Christine Kirk’s German-bred Herbstrot. “I wanted to give her a good experience. She was a little tense and she did have a few wobbles but she’s only six years old. She’ll be a very special horse in the future.”

Rob credits sports psychology sessions with Debbie Hill of Ahead for Sport with his competition mindset. “It really really helps me,” he says. “It really helps me to focus. It’s all too easy to focus on the end result, which takes the rider’s mind away from the moment.

“My ethos is to focus on the moment - the here and now, and Debbie has helped me to take that into the competition arena.”

In Sunday’s Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold, Lara Kuropatwa and For Season (pictured above) topped the leaderboard in convincing style. Lara (21) from Wiltshire and 11-year-old For Season (Fifty Cent 2 x Voltaire), owned by Sian Kuropatwa, posted the winning score of 70.22%. Lara and ‘Fergus’ have enjoyed much success this year including two podium placings in the Young Rider classes at Wellington CDI3*. Completing the top-three were Elder Klatzko and Dior VIII (69.30%) followed by Liz Diegutis and Dresden Boy (68.55%).

Georgie Nicholls and Headmore Figaro (pictured above) continued their run of good form by winning Friday’s Equitop Elementary Silver by a considerable margin on the biggest score of the show – 75.83%. Georgie and ‘Jack’, as the Florencio-sired eight-year-old is known at home, were double winners at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships and will no doubt be ones to watch at Somerford.

Another high scoring duo, posting 73.46% in the Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I Gold was Lucinda Elliott with Judith Davis’s Hawtins Soave (Sir Donnerhall x Belissimo M) - pictured above. New to Inter I this year, the ten-year-old British Hanoverian mare landed a win at Wellington Premier League as well as second place at Hartpury Premier League last month.

British Dressage thanks the team at Mount Ballan as well as the National class sponsors for their generous support. Congratulations to all competitors and good luck to those heading to the LeMieux National Championships at Somerford Park.

Top-three results
Friday 6 August
Mobiliser Preliminary Silver
1. Alicia Roberts and Godin Linda, 73.22%
2. Matthew Procter and AB Milton-D, 71.61%
3. Matthew Procter and AB Lolita, 70.52%

Mobiliser Preliminary Gold
1. Lucy Goodman and Sheepcote Big Deal, 75.17%
2. Kirsty Imm and Dancini T, 73.97%
3. Alice Peternell and Macaron ZB, 73.51%

Equitop Elementary Silver
1. Georgie Nicholls and Headmore Figaro, 75.83%
2. Matt Jenkins and Branston II, 70.42%
3. Emily Dove and Epetry, 70.42%

Equitop Elementary Gold
1.Lucy Straker and Didjeridu, 73.33%
2. Jane Morris and Silverstar Z, 71.04%
3. Sara Gallop and Kupido-Tetti, 70.99%

Saturday 7 August
BETTALIFE Novice Silver
1. Kelsey Dyer and Ferro Khan, 70.37%
2. Bryony Jones and Northcliff Fairoak NE, 69.81%
3. Martina Lella and Akira Euphoria, 68.58%

TopSpec Medium Silver
1. Lucy Mills and MSL Saltarello Hit, 70.54%
2. Sara Squires and Laetitius C, 69.32%
3. Brendan Tegg and Sunset Boulevard, 68.29%

TopSpec Medium Gold
1. Rob Barker and Landea, 72.79%
2. Sarah Wilkinson and Koko, 71.89%
3. David Garvey and Hercules III, 70.77%

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Silver
1. Rob Barker and Woodlander Romance, 67.72%
2. Gary Foggon and Gypsy Squire, 65.53%
3. Lucy Goodman and Freya V, 65.26%

Sunday 8 August
BETTALIFE Novice Gold
1. Serena Pincus and Sheepcote Floyd, 74.20%
2. Sarah Rogers and Full Moon II, 72.96%
3. Matt Burnett and Mackintosh I, 72.28%

Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium Silver
1. Debra Fews and Fabizio, 68.29%
2. Sara Squires and Laetitius C, 67.63%
3. Bryony Jones and Northcliff Samantha, 67.41%

Andrews Bowen Advanced Medium Gold
1. David Harvey and MFS Cayden HH, 70.79%
2. Daniel Bremner and Frederico, 69.96%
3. Charlotte McDowall and Alive and Kicking, 69.61%

Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold
1. Lara Kuropatwa and For Season, 70.22%
2. Elder Klatzko and Dior VIII, 69.30%
3. Liz Diegutis and Dresden Boy, 68.55%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Silver
1. Rob Barker and Woodlander Romance, 69.17%
2. Holly Norris and Rubuloo, 60.22%

Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Gold
1. Lucinda Elliott and Hawtins Soave, 73.46%
2. Tom Goode and Sakira, 72.32%
3. Andrew Bradley and DJ Attitude, 71.18%

FULL RESULTS

Photo © Kevin Sparrow