Festival Focus - Kings Equestrian

Over half way through our Petplan Equine Summer Area Festivals and riders made their way to sunny Herefordshire to Kings Equestrian (10 – 14 August).

Petplan’s picks!

Gaining their place to the Petplan Equine Summer Area Festival Championships in the Medium Bronze were Ruth Saunders and Dizzy Rascal VII. Just missing out on a red rosette by 0.5% the pair are still chuffed on their result on 68.77%. Ruth told us about their day, “the environment was really friendly from both the competitors and organisers who couldn’t do enough to help which was great as I was on my own with two horses. I didn’t expect much given the quality of some of the combinations and just wanted to enjoy the experience and riding my horses at a special party!”

“Having done Endurance riding for many years on a variety of different horses including Saffy’s dam, it was always my intention to join BD as I got older and less capable of riding big distances!” Susan Higgins told us about her life before dressage. Now runners-up in the Novice Freestyle Bronze the pair have always wanted to put their dancing shoes on, “I had some music and a floor plan designed by Gaynor Colbourne about four years ago when, having just started to ride again after an accident which resulted in a double neck fracture and several months of inactivity, I was keen to get going!”

However things didn’t go to plan and then with lockdown Susan didn’t get the chance to use the music on her gelding Safra Hassan she said, “this year I feel as if things have really started to come together and at last we feel confident dancing to our music. Having bred Saffy myself it makes it even more special to have qualified for the Area Festivals let alone to qualify for the Championships with our Freestyle.”  

They are also heading out to the Cavago Associated Championships as Saffy is registered as a part bred arab, “it’s going to be a busy October.”

Last years Petplan Equine Summer Area Festival Medium Bronze champion Megan Field and Bright Time FST are back to try and gain another title this time putting their dancing shoes on in the Advanced Medium Freestyle Bronze. Known at home as Harley Megan tells us about their day, “he was on fire, and he really gave me everything, I’m really pleased with how we’ve progressed through the levels. He really tries and gives his all for me, he really is that once in a lifetime horse that made my dreams come true of winning a at the Championships last year!”

Just missing out on their qualifications this time, Eleri Cadreman and her sixteen year old Welsh Section D mare Bryndolfor Aderyn Du in the Medium Bronze and Medium Freestyle Bronze the pair are still over the moon with getting to the Area Festivals. “She is my first horse, and was originally bought as a happy hacker to have some fun. We started having some lessons with a dressage trainer as I wanted to do some unaffiliated Prelim tests without my arms being dislocated by the end of a test! With that going well, and we started being more active with our local riding club and stepping up to Novice level and competing at BRC Championships,” Eleri told us.

Starting their journey on class tickets they qualified for the Cavago Associated Championships in 2016 but having surgery a year later dressage was put on hold. They then qualified for Petplan Area Festivals at Elementary last year and got selected for the Welsh teams at Senior Home Internationals and Inter-regionals. This year was their first time trying music Eleri said, “being a full time Anaesthetic Practitioner working in the NHS near Cardiff, from a non-horsey family and riding a non-dressage type pony, I always try to ride without pressure of placings, and aim to enjoy my riding.”

They had an aim of hitting the 65% mark and they did just that in the Medium Bronze, "Du got down to business and gave me her utmost best. We finished with a smile on my face, and was absolutely over the moon to hit our goal!”

Elementary Freestyle Bronze winners Philippa Williams and Pocahontas IV were determined to come away with a red rosette “I went into the freestyle with fire in my belly. After holding a place on the podium until the very last rider in the normal Elementary class, I was not missing out again!” Pip tells us.

“After watching Lottie Fry claim two World titles in Herning at the beginning of the week, it is safe to say I was suitably inspired and knew I had to ride boldly,” she goes on to say.

The twelve year old skewbald mare is pip’s whole world and means so much to get this far, “she is the love of my life, I have her name tattooed on my arm! I have trained her up the levels myself and we’ve been competing in PetPlan Area Festivals for four out of the five years we’ve been together, but have only just started to be competitive. Our freestyle win at Kings is the result of a lot of perseverance, however I hope it’s just the beginning of more to come.”

Kings Equestrian winners

Petplan Equine Preliminary Bronze 

Hannah Dixon and Briarwood Rock All Night, 72.08 %                       

Petplan Equine Preliminary Freestyle Bronze 

Hannah Dixon and Briarwood Rock All Night, 69.17 %

Petplan Equine Preliminary Silver 

Emma Pearce and The Gamblers Bonanza, 67.15 %

Petplan Equine Preliminary Freestyle Silver  

Caroline King and Hawtins Questo, 71.20 %

Petplan Equine Novice Bronze  

Emma Pearce and The Gamblers Bonanza, 68.68 %

Petplan Equine Novice Freestyle Bronze  

Catherine Rose and Abermenai Gilbern Invader, 73.52 %          

Petplan Equine Novice Silver 

Julie Smith and Sheepcote Fiorucci, 69.51 %

Petplan Equine Novice Freestyle Silver 

Julie Smith and Sheepcote Fiorucci, 75.74 %

Petplan Equine Elementary Bronze 

Molly-Rowan Sharples and Sheepcote Jackson, 72.84 %

Petplan Equine Elementary Freestyle Bronze 

Philippa Williams and Pocahontas IV, 70.19 %           

Petplan Equine Elementary Silver  

Rebecca Parsonage and Kasper O, 71.52 %

Petplan Equine Elementary Freestyle Silver  

Lucie Stokoe and Led Zeppelin, 70.58 %

Petplan Equine Medium Bronze  

Jayne Chapman and Hector III, 69.26 %    

Petplan Equine Medium Freestyle Bronze  

Jayne Chapman and Hector III, 68.56 %         

Petplan Equine Medium Silver 

Alexzandra Houldcroft and Cavallina Herself, 68.48 %   

Petplan Equine Medium Freestyle Silver 

Helena Mary Charlesworth and Frans Karlos, 71.06 %          

Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Bronze 

Chloe Victoria Dawes and Femma Lijbra, 69.06 %  

Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Freestyle Bronze 

Megan Field and Bright Time FST, 72.83 %

Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Silver 

Nicola Patricia Southall and Skelwith Loulou, 65.77 %                   

Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver 

Liz Williams and Lepero, 71.61 %   

Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Bronze  

Sophie Bennett and Vallon Du Rock, 66.67 %    

Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Freestyle Bronze  

Zara Griffiss and Allegro III, 68.75 %         

Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Silver

Emma Jenita Westley and Exige M 62.45 %

Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Freestyle Silver   

Liz Williams and Lepero, 65.54 %

Petplan Equine Intermediate I Bronze  

Sophie Bennett and Vallon Du Rock, 66.52 %

Petplan Equine Intermediate I Silver

Lynne Macleod and Hermes IV, 63.53 %

Petplan Equine Intermediate I Freestyle Silver 

Lynne Macleod and Hermes IV, 69.88 %