Winter Regional Championships: Arena UK

The 2023 Winter Regional Championships were set in motion last week, with the first of the eight-part series taking place at Arena UK in Lincolnshire (18 – 22 January 2023).

Twenty-two regional winners were crowned, with no fewer than four combinations sealing a winning double en route to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships.

Emily Coller (20) rode Ann Coller’s Ashley (Tailormade Attention x Blue Hors Don Schufro) to a double of regional championship victories. Winners of the HorseLight Medium Silver, the partnership earned a score of 68.60% from judges Andrea Smith (C), Susan Staines (E) and John Robinson (M), ahead of Bert Sheffield with Fairuza and Gary Foggon with D-Sign who completed the leading three.

“She is a really consistent mare and has taught me to have more trust in myself,” said Emily (pictured above) about the British-born nine-year-old. “That’s what I really like about her. I mainly ride tricky horses… she’s the only one that isn’t, so on her I’ve learned to focus and ride the best I can. I can concentrate on the test with her, which is a nice feeling. She means the world to me”

This combination later added the Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver to their 2023 Winter Regional Championship success. Performing to a Calvin Harris compilation, produced by Tony Hobden of Equidance, Emily and Ashley set the bar high with a technically demanding floorplan, featuring 15m counter canter circles ridden one-handed, to post the winning score of 73.11%.

“The music was made for my other horse when I did Junior internationals, but it fits Ashley really well,” continued Emily, who is based in Norfolk and trains with Sadie Smith. “Once we’ve cracked her flying changes, I think she’ll move up to PSG quite quickly.”

The 2023 Arena UK Winter Regional Championships was a show to remember for 26-year-old Harriette Williams who, with her 13-year-old mare Creto (Conteur x Falkenstern), secured two tickets to Hartpury in April. The reigning Inter I Silver National Champions gained wins in both the Magic Prix St Georges Gold and the Superflex Intermediate I Gold.

“She (Creto) felt awesome in the Inter I, but with two costly mistakes I wasn’t sure I’d done enough, but we had and took the win on 70.83%,” commented Harriette on social media. “Today was PSG time and we were first in of a class of 25. She was on form once again, had no big mistakes and with 74.36% we took the win again. I say it every time but there are no words to describe how much this horse means to me. She really is the gift that keeps on giving so thank you Creto.”

The Hertfordshire duo of Tahley Reeve-Smith and Woodcroft Valentino, a horse owned by Tahley’s mum Sue and Jetta O’Kane, scooped both Advanced Medium Gold classes here at Arena UK - the Equitex Advanced Medium Gold on 68.64% and the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold with 73.00%; Tahley declaring afterwards on social media, “’Frankie’ was a superstar.”

Woodcroft Valentino, a 10-year-old 17.3hh son of Vitalis, has an enviable Winter Regional Championship track record with Tahley, the partnership gaining a regional title in 2020 and double win in 2021 to add to their impressive competition record together.

Emma Jablonski (pictured above) and her eight-year-old British-bred black gelding, Knight Vision, achieved the highest non-freestyle score of the show when winning the Prestige Italia Novice Gold on 75.00%. Emma and Knight Vision also took the HorseHage Preliminary Gold, with stablemate Multivision finishing strongly on both leader boards.

Emma took to social media to say, “It was the brothers turn to battle it out in the Prelim and Novice Gold. It was a new venue for both of them but boy they didn’t disappoint! Lance (Knight Vision) was up first and first down the centre line in the Novice class, he held the class all the way through to become Novice Gold regional champion with 72.84%. Mobi (Multivision) was hot on his heels to come third with 71.61%.

“Next was the Prelim Gold class and let’s just say they smashed it! I couldn’t honestly decide which test felt better, they both gave me super rides and were much more relaxed in the arena for the second time, but… once again Lance came out on top becoming Prelim regional champion on 75% and Mobi second with 74.48%. Amazing. So immensely proud of them.”

Another high-scoring dual winner was Alice Peternell who won the PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold on 75.13% aboard Katherine Pfistermuller’s seven-year-old, Franklin x Lord Leatherdale mare Lucia-A. She also claimed the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold achieving a score of 75.00% with the six-year-old stallion Vespasiano (Vitalis x Fürstenball), also owned by Katherine.

Congratulations to all the winning riders and owners, and to everyone who took part. Thanks go to organiser Lauren Fogg and the entire team at Arena UK for hosting a successful Winter Regional Championships.

Results: top three

Wednesday 18 January
Class 1: HorseLight Medium Gold
1. Darren Hicks and Kastello, 70.68%
2. Darren Hicks and Laurentia II, 68.83%
3. Jessica Thompson and Midtgaards Gijon, 68.56%

Class 2: HorseLight Medium Silver
1. Emily Coller and Ashley, 68.60%
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 68.24%
3. Gary Foggon and D-Sign, 67.66%

Class 3: Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Heidi Hutchinson and First Sebastien, 69.94%

Class 4: Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Emily Coller and Ashley, 73.11%
2. Zoe Rymer and JSR Joie de Vivre, 72.11%
3. Sarah Payne and Woodlander Wild Romance, 71.89%

Thursday 19 January
Class 5: Equitex Advanced Medium Gold
1. Tahley Reeve-Smith and Woodcroft Valentino, 68.64%
2. Harriette Williams and Winwood, 68.60%
3. Victoria Maw and Benito Dorato, 68.51%

Class 6: Equitex Advanced Medium Silver
1. Karla Deir and Silver Dream, 67.63%
2. Judy Hancock and Just Dance BH, 67.41%
3. Emily Coller and Alina V, 67.24%

Class 7: Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Tahley Reeve-Smith and Woodcroft Valentino, 73.00%
2. Harriette Williams and Winwood, 69.00%
3. Victoria Maw and Belli Blue, 68.67%

Class 8: Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Nicole Turner and J’Eton Hit LDS, 70.50%
2. Jane Von Seelen Hansen and Missy II, 70.17%
3. Patsy Bartram and Greenacres Cadiz, 69.56%

Class 9: Superflex Intermediate I Silver
1. Mandy Day and Giomf, 68.28%
2. Sarah Fitton and Florenciana 4, 66.67%
3. Antonia Brown and SJL Duuk, 66.52%

Class 10: Superflex Intermediate I Gold
1. Harriette Williams and Creto, 70.83%
2. Nikki Barker and Iwan, 70.64%
3. Emma Jablonski and Higgens van de Uilenhoek, 70.54%

Friday 20 January
Class 11: Magic Prix St Georges Silver
1. Andrew Wright and Sonnenschein OLD, 65.74%
2. Antonia Brown SJL Jackson, 64.80%

Class 12: Magic Prix St Georges Gold
1. Harriette Williams and Creto, 74.36%
2. Rebecca Edwards and Dita von Teese, 72.11%
3. Jane Critchley and Tantoni Dallaglio, 70.88%

Class 13: Equi-Trek Elementary Silver
1. Alice Begg and J’Adore II, 69.48%
2. Flora Hayes and Machno Excalibur, 69.17%
3. Ewan Hills and San Miguel 1, 68.39%

Class 14: PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold
1. Alice Peternell and Lucia-A, 75.13%
2. Sophie Wells and OFS Dragons Fire, 73.27%
3. Sarah Payne and Woodlander Wild Romance, 72.31%

Class 15: PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver
1. Sophie Chatwin and Katharina-Trix US, 73.72%
2. Flora Hayes and Machno Excalibur, 73.01%
3. Sandie Gibbs and Gomez Gold, 69.29%

Saturday 21 January
Class 16: Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
1. Nikki Barker and Kenzo IV, 70.99%
2. Alice Peternell and Lucia-A, 69.58%
3. Sarah Payne and Woodlander Wild Romance, 69.43%

Class 17: Prestige Italia Novice Silver
1. Julia Brazier and Furstin Beauty, 71.60%
2. Samantha Jimmison and Roccoco CJS, 70.25%
3. Louise McDonald and Toy Boy Terry, 69.44%

Class 18: Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver
1. Amanda Barrett and A Capella, 74.26%
2. Cat Dalton and Derrentigue Bruce, 74.07%
3. Harry Coleby and Fabergé I, 70.37%

Class 19: Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold
1. Alice Peternell and Vespasiano, 75.00%
2. Ben Martin and Fantasia XX, 74.63%
3. Hannah Esberger-Hancock and Moonlight Dancer JVDS, 73.61%

Class 20: Prestige Italia Novice Gold
1. Emma Jablonski and Knight Vision, 72.84%
2. Alice Peternell and Vespasiano, 72.72%
3. Emma Jablonski and Multivision, 71.60%

Class 21: HorseHage Preliminary Gold
1. Emma Jablonski and Knight Vision, 75.00%
2. Emma Jablonski and Multivision, 74.48%
3. Susan Carson and Red Valentino SCS, 72.07%

Class 22: HorseHage Preliminary Silver
1. Evangeline Llewellyn-Smith and Darling Deluxe, 70.00%
2. Philippa King and Madermus PP, 69.94%
3. Harry Coleby and Fabergé I, 69.60%

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photo © A.T.G Photography