Festival Focus - Myerscough College
We then headed to Lancashire for Myerscough College’s Summer Area Festival, the buzzing atmosphere helped competitors display an amazing standard of dressage while competing for championship qualification.
Following their amazing results at Rockrose Equestrian, Catherine Chalkly and Bradwell Dun Deal travelled to Myerscough College hoping to also qualify for the Area Festival Championships in the Elementary Freestyle class. “Our experience at Myerscough was really enjoyable, it is one of our favourite venues.”
The combination impressed the judges, receiving an amazing 69.87% and winning the Elementary Freestyle Silver! Reflecting on her test Catherine told us, “the test went really well, and we received some lovely comments from the judges, including one saying their were some real highlights in the canter.” Despite breaking her hand the week before, Catherine wasn’t going to let that stop her competing at the Area Festivals.
Catherine’s dressage journey started a bit later than most, when the opportunity came for her to ride her mum’s friend’s one eyed cob, Otis. “He gave me confidence and introduced me to dressage. I joined BD in March 2020 (just in time for Covid!) and I started competing my horse Rolo at intro and Prelim level.” The pair gone from strength to strength moving up the levels, being a part of BD Youth playing a huge role in their progress, “it has really shaped me as a rider and the support has been incredible. I’ve made so many friends though teams, competitions, camps and my favourite U25’s at Sheepgate.”
One of the biggest highlights of their journey so far was winning the Sheepgate Trophy for ‘most promising youth rider’ in 2023, “I have had Rolo six years and we have both grown together.” Their first trainer Cressida Heath, shaped how Catherine viewed the training process and the sort of rider she aspired to be, “our current trainer Gwyneth Lewis is now pushing us to be the best we can be. I love the way she has both ridden and judging backgrounds and has experience riding and training all sorts of horses to high levels, whatever their breed.”
Talking about superstar Rolo, Catherine tells us, “he may be just a ‘cob’ but he isn’t as easy as he looks and can really struggle with tension and nerves.” Rolo is a part bred Gypsy Cob, who was broken to drive when he was young by his pervious owner but has spent most of his life in a field doing nothing. “When he came to us at age 12, he was a blank canvas, he is now 18-years-old but you wouldn’t think it when you see him ridden.” The beautiful buckskin means the world to Catherine, “he may never be an Olympic winner but he is one in a billion and I am truly lucky to have him.”
Competing in the freestyle classes has a very special meaning for Catherine, “the music classes are definitely our favourite as they allow you to be creative and show off your horse's strengths. The horse's love it too - especially Rolo. My Grandma used to do dressage to music (back in the days when she had to record music from records to tape) and she actually helped with the music choices for our medium FSM. She unfortunately died at the start of May just when we received the finished music from Equidance so we dedicate all our medium FSM performances to her and can't wait to perform it at the Championships this year.”
At home, now training at Advanced Medium, Catherine is working on getting the changes more established and is looking forward to start competing at Advanced Medium level, “I can’t wait to wear tails for the first time!” Catherine and Rolo have attended Area Festivals before, and also previously qualified for the Summer Championships in 2023. Speaking on why she chose to compete in the series, Catherine explains, “the Area Festivals give all the riders the opportunity to work towards something and put their time training or competing to the test. It is hard but extremely rewarding and I know we can’t wait for the Championships at Arena UK.”
Helena Lea and Linfirefly heading to their first Summer Area Festival, choosing to compete at Myerscough College. Having qualified for both the Novice Silver and Elementary Bronze, the combination received a very good score of 67.99% and 64.26% from the three judges on the day.
Helena and Firefly have previously competed at two Winter Area Festival series and been successful at Prelim and Novice level, the combination have now moved up to Elementary. Helena tells us “we picked up BD two years ago to keep us going out through the winter and improving our dressage between eventing seasons.” However Helena has now caught the dressage bug and it has, “turned into something I really enjoy and want to progress in” Helena explains that she had never previously thought she would want to move up the levels and keep enjoying dressage.
The pair are not stopping with Elementary, Helena has bigger aspirations for the rest of 2023 with her beautiful skewbald mare, “our aim is to complete a medium test by the end of the year” this will then help them aim to qualify for the Summer Area Festivals next year at Medium level.
Rachel Platt and Gracia Du Rona achieved incredible results in both their classes at Myerscough College, standing on the second step of the podium in the Intermediate I Silver with a score of 64.56% and then taking the top spot in the Intermediate I Freestyle Silver with a great score of 68.95%.
Competing at Myerscough College was a great experience for Rachel, “I always enjoy competing there - superb surfaces & always well organised with super friendly stewards!” The Area Festival atmosphere definitely didn’t disappoint, “there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst my fellow competitors too which was so enjoyable - we were definitely all there to enjoy the experience & riding at such a super Festival.” Rachel tells why she chose to compete in the Area Festival series, “as a true amateur (I purchased my first horse for my 40th birthday!) I felt comfortable that the competition was aimed at riders like myself. I entered my first Area Festival in 2021 where we won at Hartpury in the Elementary Silver and Medium Bronze!” Rachel’s journey has continued since then, moving through the levels, “I have always been keen to enter the Area Festival Championships as they are warm & friendly, well run, & really give you a great sense of achievement in our sport!”
Gracie, as the bay mare is known as at home, loves working to music. Rachel explains, “she’s quite a spooky horse but when she hears the soundtrack start, it focuses her brain, she settles and relaxes into a rhythm far more.” This was evident in her winning test on the day, “the whole test was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for us both; perhaps my best test feeling to date!”
Rachel is a professional musician and complied her own soundtrack using music from violinists Lindsey Sterling and Regina Carter. Rachel tells us, “Regina is an America jazz violinist, and actually gave me special permission to use her track ‘Something for Grace’ which was so generous of her - the tempo of the Latin’s vibe just suited Gracie’s canter perfectly! I love the rise and fall in the music that I’ve carefully choreographed the required movements to. The judges seemed to love it too which was so rewarding.”
Having brought Gracie as a four-year-old, only six months after she had been broken in, Rachel reflects on what has been an “incredibly colourful journey” for them both. Before owning Gracie, Rachel had only ever before dabbled in lower level unaffiliated dressage and a handful of affiliated competitions. The 13-year-old KWPN, is bred from show jumping lines, “she’s bred to be quite hot & fiery which, in many ways, is quite helpful for these higher levels! However, we had many more downs than ups during our formative years together, primary through my lack of experience bringing on a youngster. Once I started working with my current trainer, Hannah Moody at the end of 2019, our partnership has flourished.”