Team Faurie on form at Equestrian Surfaces High Profile Show

Emile Faurie and his team enjoyed a highly successful outing to last week’s Equestrian Surfaces High Profile Show at Vale View in Leicestershire (1 – 3 November 2018), dominating the top level classes.

In Friday’s Grand Prix, Tom Goode was the one to beat aboard Sam Geddes’ exciting young stallion Dior III (pictured). 

Tom, who works alongside Emile at his Oxfordshire base, and the striking Gribaldi-sired chestnut earned a score of 72.90% for their high quality and expressive work. The talented 10-year-old made his Grand Prix debut at Hunters Equestrian in March 2017, scoring 74.30%, and very much looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

Next stop for Tom will be the British Dressage National Convention where we can look forward to him and Dior working as a demo combination with Emile, one of the five distinguished hosts.

There was little between Grand Prix second and third, with Georgia Stokes and Talented Mr Ripley and Steph Croxford with Mr Hyde completing the top three on very good scores of 69.20% and 69.07% respectively.

Emile meanwhile was thrilled with his young mare Café’s Caletta with whom he won the Inter II on the horse’s debut at the level. The pair was awarded a score just shy of 74% from judges Steph Cooper (C), Jane Peberdy (H) and Claire Ballantyne (B). The German-bred nine-year-old is proving to be an exciting prospect for her rider, as was shown by their super performance in the Dressage Future Elite Championship at the Horse of the Year Show last month.

“We had a really good yard outing to Vale View High Profile show this week,” said Emile on Facebook. “Hof Kasselmann’s Café’s Caletta and I won the Inter II at our first attempt at this level with 74% and Tom rode my own and Sam Geddes’ Dior to victory in the Grand Prix with 72.9%.”

At the Small Tour levels, Sarah Rao (20) and Waldessarini had the winning edge in both Thursday’s Magic Prix St Georges (70.39%) and Friday’s Superflex Inter I (71.58%). Sarah, who is based in Knutsford, Cheshire with Sarah Higgins and Alex Hua Tian at Cloud Strider Equestrian, has amassed some good results with the Wolkentanz II-sired 14-year-old who’s affectionately known as Foxy. They were third in the Magic PSG at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships earlier this year and just missed the top ten in the Fairfax Saddles PSG at the LeMieux National Championships.

It was certainly a case of youth coming to the fore at Small Tour as two further combinations to enjoy success were Julia Giner (20) and Rebecca Swain (18). Julia and her 18.1hh nine-year-old, Carbo, won Friday’s Magic Prix St Georges with 71.58%. Then, Rebecca Swain (18) and the athletic chestnut Bon Jovi (UB40 x Krack C) took Saturday’s Magic Prix St Georges with a super 72.30%. Rebecca bought Bon Jovi, a former ride of Dutch star Diederik Van Silfhout, in 2017 and they’re certainly ones to watch for the future.

The winners:

Thursday
Class 1: Medium 75 – Alex Hua Tian with Don Geniro, 69.19%
Class 2: Charles Owen Advanced Medium – Alex Hua Tian with Don Geniro, 71.92%
Class 3: Magic Prix St Georges – Sarah Rao with Waldessarini, 70.39%
Class 4: Superflex Intermediate I – Nikki Barker with Durable, 72.19%
Class 5: Intermediate II – Emile Faurie with Café’s Caletta, 73.90%

Friday
Class 6: Medium 76 – Beth Bainbridge with Diggo, 68.48%
Class 7: Charles Owen Advanced Medium – Kate Cowell with Firmino, 72.57%
Class 8: Pony Team Test – Isobel Lickley with Mister Snowman, 69.49%
Class 9: Magic Prix St Georges – Julia Giner with Carbo, 71.58%
Class 10: Superflex Intermediate I – Sarah Rao with Waldessarini, 71.58%
Class 11: Grand Prix – Tom Goode with Dior III, 72.90%

Saturday
Class 12: Medium 75 – Louise Davison with Freddie Mercury, 69.59%
Class 13: Charles Owen Advanced Medium – Alex Hua Tian with Don Geniro, 69.87%
Class 14: Pony Individual Test – Olivia Whitelaw with Brouwershaven’s Viceroy, 70.61%
Class 15: Magic Prix St Georges – Rebecca Swain with Bon Jovi, 72.30%
Class 16: Spillers Medium Freestyle – Lavinia Johnson with Dublin, 71.50%
Class 17: Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle – Lavinia Johnson with Dublin, 71.00%
Class 18: Prix St Georges Freestyle – Katie Johnston with After Midnight, 68.38%