Winter Regional Championships: Chard Equestrian

Competitors were in fine form for the Winter Regional Championships at Chard Equestrian (17 – 18 February 2024), where the freestyle winners hit the high notes and the high scores, and plenty of talented combinations collected their tickets to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships.

Katie Warner and Active Nuvolari (pictured above) earned the highest score of the event with an outstanding 75.46% in the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver, rewarded by Tamsyn Cowie (C), Jo Rose (E) and Martyne Galland (M). This will be Katie’s first visit to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships with her own eight-year-old Oldenburger mare, whose visit to Chard was both her first stay away show and first Regionals. The duo will contest two classes at Addington in April having collected a qualification ticket in the Prestige Novice Silver class too for a stellar second place.  

Katharine Lewis also shone at Novice level on the second day at the Somerset venue, achieving 74.07% in the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold class with Diana Hayes’ seven-year-old SLS Maurits. Katharine took over the ride on the eye-catching grey gelding in 2022 from Lauren Russell, who took Maurits through Young Horse and Prelim classes.  

Satin II hit the high notes for Maria Griffin in the SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold Championship, scoring 74.06% to claim the Regional title; The Fidertanz-sired mare is owned by Maria in partnership with Adrian Baker.  

Robbie Mcneill (pictured below) was a double winner with Georgia Keegan’s six-year-old Reventador (Brittany x Tuschinski); the mare excelled in front of Richard Baldwin, Nicola Du Plessis and Martyne Galland to claim the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold on 72.55% before winning the Prestige Novice Gold on day two at the show, with another strong score of 72.96%.  

Jezz Palmer also completed a Chard double; Romanno Weltino, owned by Martin Price, produced a 69.78% winning performance in the Equitex Advanced Medium Gold whilst the AES licensed stallion Ketcher B excelled in the Superflex Intermediate I Gold class, earning 70.98% to take the win. It was a successful week for not only Jezz, but also Lucy Palmer, as the duo took to Facebook to round up a busy week before heading to the Wellington Riding Regionals: “In total we’ve qualified in eight classes from Novice to Inter I, the horses held it together in less than ideal weather and the team really did keep the show on the road meaning despite us looking like we’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, Molly Ryan kept the horses looking gorgeous and were able to do there best for us!”

Jess Davies completed a duo of Silver wins, taking home the top qualification spots in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle and Equitex Advanced Medium classes with her own elegant mare Kadanz II. The duo return to the Winter Championships having competed in last year’s event at Elementary and Novice level, following another duo of wins at Chard’s Winter Regional fixture that year.  

There was also success for Devon’s Elite Dressage team, as Beth Bainbridge collected a win in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold class on board My Pride (Toto Jr x Dayano); the combination represented Great Britain at last year’s FEI WBSFH World Breeding Championships and are former Regional Champions at Elementary level. Whilst Tom Carter added another title to his name, with Anouszka Dabrowa’s Rubin Regal scoring 72.10% in the Prestige Novice Silver contest. Anna Ross praised her riders for an outstanding show on Facebook commenting, “With every horse over 70% today, the team have earned a few days rest before they go again to Wellington for the next round.”

Congratulations go to all competitors taking part, as well as to those successful in achieving places at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships. Thanks go to the team at Chard Equestrian for running a successful Regional Championship fixture.  

Results

Saturday 17 February  

HorseHage Preliminary Silver  
1. Daisy Hedges and Felicia V, 71.67% 
2. Polly Tucker and Chaceley Bobby, 69.89% 
3. Olivia Luscombe and Caederwen Lady Elinor, 67.92%

HorseHage Preliminary Gold  
1. Tyler Bradshaw and For J’adore, 73.28% 
2. Robbie Mcneill and EQP DaFinest, 72.36% 
3. Tamara Egglestone and Olinde, 71.90%  

Equi-Trek Elementary Silver 
1. Amy Hose and Enrique, 72.71% 
2. Tom Carter and Rubin Regal, 70.63% 
3. Katie Warner and Active Nuvolari, 68.49%

Equi-Trek Elementary Gold  
1. Robbie Mcneill and Reventador, 72.55% 
2. Lucy Palmer and La Vida Loca, 70.31% 
3, Lucy Anne Baker and Last Dancer, 70.16%

PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver 
1. Alysia Matravers and Dargason’s Moon Shadow, 72.82% 
2. Sophie Gregory and Lady Lucydale, 69.81% 
3. Victoria Maundrell and Bonetta, 69.36%

PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold 
1. Charlotte Smithwhite and Luciano IV, 75.19% 
2. Jezz Palmer and Hawtins Fiorucci, 73.97% 
3. Lucy Palmer and La Vida Loca, 72.82%

Equitex Advanced Medium Silver 
1. Jess Davies and Kadanz II, 70.17% 
2. Jessie Kirby and As Well De La Roche CMF, 70.13% 
3. Patrick Troddyn and Wi-Fi Hotspot, 68.29%

Equitex Advanced Medium Gold 
1. Jezz Palmer and Romanno Weltino, 69.78%  
2. Beth Bainbridge and BKS Felicia, 69.25% 
3. Nicola Buchanan and St Giles Flamboyant, 69.12%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver 
1. Jess Davies and Kadanz II, 73.50% 
2. Jesssica Ralton and Dallaglio II, 70.33% 
3. Fiona Gair and BRS Kingdom, 70.22%

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold 
1. Beth Bainbridge and My Pride, 72.94% 
2. Jezz Palmer and Honey D’Or, 72.44% 
3. Beth Bainbridge and BKS Felicia, 71.83%

Sunday 18 February  

Magic Prix St Georges Silver 
1. Fiona Gair and BRS Kingdom, 68.09% 
2. Holly Kerslake and Totil Platinum, 67.60% 
3. Emily Farleigh and Wake Up, 65.25%

Magic Prix St Georges Gold 
1. Nicola Buchanan and St Giles Flamboyant, 72.25% 
2. Roland Tong and CHS Fonteyn, 71.18% 
3. Jezz Palmer and Honey D’Or, 70.15%

Superflex Intermediate I Silver 
1. Becky Latimer and Vilan, 68.61% 
2. Abbie Newbury and Seagry Firstamour, 66.72% 
3. Emily Farleigh and Wake Up, 65.20%

Superflex Intermediate I Gold 
1. Jezz Palmer and Ketcher B, 70.98% 
2. Charlotte Dicker and Catherston Timeless, 70.83% 
3. Mark Forrest and Fidel V Singing, 70.59%

HorseLight Medium Gold  
1. Charlotte Dicker and Catherston Tarantella, 70.31% 
2. Lucy Amy and Millenium Falcon II, 70.27% 
3. Jess Davies and Kadanz II, 70.09%

HorseLight Medium Silver 
1. Amanda Leaker and Fanon Lilybet, 69.01% 
2. Anna Johannson and Kapellmeister, 68.24% 
3. Paula Jane Lee and Deseado Santo, 67.93%

SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold 
1. Maria Griffin and Satin II, 74.06% 
2. Georgia Stokes and S.O.S Johnny Cash VDL, 72.17% 
3. Charlotte Dicker and Catherston Tarantella, 71.83%

SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Silver 
1. Paula Jane Lee and Deseado Santo, 69.50%  
2. Amy Hose and Enrique, 69.00% 
3. Anna Johannson and Kapellmeister, 68.89%

Prestige Novice Gold 
1. Robbie Mcneill and Reventador, 72.96% 
2. Jezz Palmer and Toddington Debut, 72.28% 
3. Hannah Biggs and St Giles Fortune Cookie, 70.86%

Prestige Novice Silver 
1. Tom Carter and Rubin Regal, 72.10% 
2. Alysia Matravers and Vorvashill Vertigo, 70.00% 
3. Katie Warner and Active Nuvolari, 69.26%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold 
1. Katharine Rose Lewis and SLS Maurits, 74.07% 
2. Charlotte Dicker and Time To Fly II, 72.13% 
3. Jezz Palmer and Hawtins Fiorucci, 71.95%

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver 
1. Katie Warner and Active Nuvolari, 75.46% 
2. Alysia Matravers and Vorvashill Vertigo, 72.59% 
3. Claire Deithrick and SP Dramatic, 71.30% 

FULL RESULTS

Photos © ESP Photographic / British Dressage