Winter Regional Championships: Morris Equestrian Centre

The 2022 Winter Regional Championships continued with the second of the eight-fixture series taking place at Morris Equestrian Centre in East Ayrshire (11 – 12 February 2022). Multiple winners were the order of the day as more combinations secured their tickets to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships.

Sam Turpitt, an IT project manager from Aberdeenshire, won the Equitex Advanced Medium Silver (69.61%) and the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver (75.22%) with her talented 11-year-old mare, Bali Dancer (pictured above). Sam has a great track record at Hartpury, winning the Petplan Equine PSG Bronze final last year and the Advanced Medium Bronze in 2020, both times with ‘Bali’. This will be the fourth trip to the Gloucestershire venue for the pair.

“The first year I won, I thought I’d peaked - I never I thought I’d go and do it again,” said Sam, talking about her most recent Hartpury appearances. “I’m delighted to be going again this year. I’m from Gloucestershire originally and went to Winchcombe School, not far from Hartpury, so it always feels like a trip back home!”

Bali Dancer (Barclay x Del Piero) was bought as a two-year-old by Sam who has produced the mare herself with the help and support of her staple trainer, Jean Stephen, alongside training with Charlie Hutton.

“I’m incredibly lucky, I’ve got a really nice horse,” reflected Sam who admits that their road to success has not been without its challenges. “She was very difficult as a young horse as she’s been a really sharp, quirky, tricky mare - but in a way that’s what makes her good. We now know each other incredibly well, and I can totally trust her,” she continued. “We’re at the stage [when competing] that I can think we can have a good shot, rather than ‘how will she be?’. She’s so much more reliable and she now makes the Advanced Medium feel easy.”

Jennifer Johnston-Harman won an incredible four out of four starts with her exciting seven-year-old mare, Dance With Me Fürst MFS (Follow Me x Del Piero) - pictured above. On Friday they took the HorseLight Medium Gold on 69.01% and the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold with 71.98%, continuing their good form the following day.

Saturday, the pair was unopposed in the PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold and Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold but scores of 74.23% and 70.33% respectively made them more than worthy title holders.

Jo Barry was delighted with her rides with whom she posted a hat-trick of wins. With Gordon Grainger’s 11-year-old Goofy La Perle (Belissimo M x Jazz), she won the Superflex Intermediate I Gold on 69.71%, ahead of Fenella Quinn and Empire B.

With her own Headmore Bella Luce (pictured above), a six-year-old Belissimo M x Damon Hill mare, Jo was unbeaten at novice. This promising combination took the Prestige Italia Novice Gold on 73.64% and the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold scoring 74.26%.

Fenella Quinn and Empire B (Sting x 007), second to Jo in the Inter I, made an impression winning Saturday’s Magic Prix St Georges Gold.

Empire B (pictured above), a 13-year-old KWPN gelding, showed his class to take the win on 73.04%. “He was fantastic,” said Fenella (27) who is based at home in Aberdeen and trains with Abi Lyle. “On day one I was disappointed as I went the wrong way, which was extremely costly with the -2% rule, but he did a lovely test. I woke up with renewed determination on Saturday. He’s a lovely horse to ride and I enjoy riding the PSG, so to get the score was a bonus.”

Empire B was sourced from Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark five months ago. “We are new to each other but I cannot speak highly enough of him. My aim is to get him out at Grand Prix later this year.”

Sixteen-year-old Hilary Cowie from Aberdeenshire was a dual winner, taking the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver on 73.24% and the PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver on 70.96% with her 11-year-old liver chestnut mare, Shall We Dance II (pictured above). It was a tussle for first in the Elementary, with Jade Whitelaw and Late Night putting up a good challenge to finish on exactly the same mark, but Hilary and ‘Polly’ edged ahead on collectives.

Bobby Hayler-Wright impressed in both the Equitex Advanced Medium Gold and the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold with Catharine Gill’s eight-year-old KWPN mare, Josinaa Van De Peelvenhoeve (Emilion x Odermus R) - pictured above. The pair posted scores of 71.23% and 73.44% respectively as well as placing third in the Magic Prix St Georges Gold.

“Galaxy danced her socks off for me today in the Advanced Medium Music getting 73% and 75% from the judge at C, thank you again Catharine Gill,” said Bobby on social media. “Then went on to come third in the PSG where she just had a few baby mistakes but I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Not to be outdone by his wife, Bobby’s husband Andrew Wright enjoyed a winning ride in the Prestige Italia Novice Silver aboard Paul Hayler’s eight-year-old Rock Forever son, Woodcroft Je Suis Rocky. The duo scored 69.88% to take the class ahead of runners-up Katie Smith and Bella Vista (68.58%).

Jade Struthers and eight-year-old black gelding Suarez (by Silvano), owned by Jade’s mum Debbie, were another duo to win twice, topping the HorseLight Medium Silver with 71.31% as well as the Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver with the highest score of the show. Their freestyle, to an orchestral compilation of hits by artists including Sia and Calvin Harris, showed super harmony and expression to take the win by a five percent margin on 76.28%.

British Dressage thanks the team at Morris Equestrian, the Winter Championships class sponsors and all involved for a successful Regional Championships. Congratulations to all qualified combinations and to everyone who took part.

Top-three results
Friday 11 February
Class 1: Equitex Advanced Medium Silver
1. Samantha Dawn Turpitt and Bali Dancer, 69.61%
2. Claire Moore and EV Amore Mia, 65.70%
3. Clare Hinchliffe and Cascento, 65.66%

Class 2: Equitex Advanced Medium Gold
1. Bobby Hayler-Wright and Josinaa Van De Peelvenhoeve, 71.23%

Class 3: Superflex Intermediate I Gold
1. Jo Barry and Goofy La Perle, 69.71%
2. Fenella Quinn and Empire B, 68.74%
3. Eilidh Grant and Doornroos II, 68.04%

Class 4: HorseLight Medium Silver
1. Jade Struthers and Suarez, 71.31%
2. Katherine Tullie and Joie à Vie, 69.95%
3. Lesley Wheatley and Fürst Lazlo, 69.05%

Class 5: HorseLight Medium Gold
1. Jennifer Johnston-Harman and Dance With Me Fürst MFS, 69.01%
2. Linda Barnes and First Miss Sunrise AS, 67.97%
3. Samantha Brown and Juno Regina, 65.41%

Class 6: Prestige Italia Novice Silver
1. Andrew Wright and Je Suis Rocky, 69.88%
2. Katie Smith and Bella Vista, 68.58%
3. Karen Dewar and Kianca, 67.41%

Class 7: Equi-Trek Elementary Silver
1. Jade Whitelaw and Late Night, 71.41%
2. Lily Crisp and Le Chiffre, 67.24%
3. Lynda Cardno and Eton II, 67.24%

Class 8: Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
1. Jennifer Johnston-Harman and Dance With Me Fürst MFS, 71.98%
2. Sarah Oakden and Kerrishill Zeus, 69.06%
3. Katherine Tullie and Joie à Vie, 66.88%

Saturday 12 February
Class 9: Magic Prix St Georges Gold
1. Fenella Quinn and Empire B, 73.04%
2. Jo Barry and Goofy La Perle, 67.75%
3. Bobby Hayler-Wright and Josinaa Van De Peelvenhoeve, 64.41%

Class 10: Prestige Italia Novice Gold
1. Jo Barry and Headmore Bella Luce, 73.64%
2. Jade Whitelaw and Late Night, 72.47%
3. Carmen Gammie and Let’s Make an Opera M, 71.48%

Class 11: KBIS Preliminary Silver
1. Imogen Casely and Parvadean Estelle, 71.03%
2. Lotty Byass and Penniment Lady Mary, 68.97%
3. Emily Watson and Raemoir Broadway Baby, 66.21%

Class 12: KBIS Preliminary Gold
1. Carmen Gammie and Let’s Make an Opera M, 72.99%
2. Karen Dewar and Kianca, 71.38%
3. Sarah Oakden and Killaneen George, 69.71%

Class 13: Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver
1. Hilary Cowie and Shall We Dance II, 73.24%
2. Karen Dewar and Kianca, 69.63%
3. Emma Haigh and Guess What III, 68.52%

Class 14: Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold
1. Jo Barry and Headmore Bella Luce, 74.26%
2. Jade Whitelaw and Late Night, 70.74%
3. Carmen Gammie and Let’s Make a Opera M, 69.81%

Class 15: PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver
1. Hilary Cowie and Shall We Dance II, 70.96% (280)
2. Jade Whitelaw and Late Night, 70.96% (275.5)
3. Jade Whitelaw and Dauphin III, 68.14%

Class 16: PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold
1. Jennifer Johnston-Harman and Dance With Me Fürst MFS, 74.29%

Class 17: Spillers Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Jade Struthers and Suarez, 76.28%
2. Rose Foley and Cordici K, 71.22%
3. Mhairi Niven and I Love You Too PC, 69.94%

Class 18: Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Jennifer Johnston-Harman and Dance With Me Fürst MFS, 70.33%

Class 19: Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Samantha Dawn Turpitt and Bali Dancer, 75.22%
2. Claire Moore and EV Amore Mia, 71.06%
3. Fiona Stryjewski and Devon-B, 69.11%

Class 20: Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Bobby Hayler-Wright and Josinaa Van De Peelvenhoeve, 73.44%

FULL RESULTS

Photo © Kevin Sparrow