Festival Focus - Addington
Hello 2023! We’re just a couple of weeks into the start of a new year when the Petplan Equine Area Festivals started. Addington (13 - 15 January) are back on the competition schedule and they were our first hosts, find out who made their way to this venue.
Petplan’s picks!
The Petplan Equine Winter Area Festivals was a comeback debut for Sain and her horse Pauldarys Bonobo, also known as Barclay after suffering a stifle injury back in 2021. She tells us about the accident, “Just as sport was getting ready to resume post COVID we were getting ready to kick off our BE eventing season, the freak accident happened at home.” It was touch and go for the pair whether they would be able to be a ridden combination again said Sian, “The vets put him in the 6% recovery category and I was devastated to learn that his future looked so bleak.”
After working hard for two years on rehabilitation, physio, stem cell therapy and a lot of faith they are now back between the white boards. “This dressage series gave us a new goal to focus on.” Sian told us all about their run up to the big day, “We loved the build-up and the excitement leading up to it, but the day itself was such a brilliant experience.” Finishing in the top ten on 67.99% in the Novice Bronze Sian could not be happier with Barclay, “9th place and getting to canter around the lovely indoor arena at Addington Equestrian, to Tina Turner for the prize giving was icing on the cake. I think he’s a dressage diva at heart anyway.”
After gaining their first title last year in the Saracen Horse Feeds My Quest Novice Championships, Andrea Sparkes and Kazan have already impressed the Area Festival judges. “I was absolutely thrilled to win,” Andrea told us after having a very nervous start to their dressage career a year ago, “I started BD last May just doing Quest as I had no confidence in our abilities. At our first outing to Cherwell I forgot to pack my girth I was so nervous!” Overcoming their nerves over the last year and with a Quest title on their record they had the confidence to gain two qualifications in October and December for the Winter Area Festivals.
Top of the class in the Prelim Bronze with over a 5% difference Andrea talks about her love for her seventeen year old gelding, “My horse is an absolute legend, I’ve owned him for ten years but he took a bit of a back seat whilst my kids were growing up and competing, where he did a bit of British Eventing with my daughter.” Andrea had a great day at Addington which we are very excited to have back in our competition calendar, “I love the venue and was so pleased they had reopened! I had no expectations and fully expected to be outclassed, so I was so delighted to win. I am loving dressage now and am really looking forward to the Petplan Equine Winter Championships in April!”
Gaining two qualifications at Addington were Clairaline Blanche and Calimero VD VELDHOEVE Z, in the Novice and Elementary Bronze where they came first and second respectively. Clairaline has only picked back up the reins recently after lockdowns and with the help of her trainer Harry Corkett, they made a plan, “Our aim was to qualify for Novice and Elementary Bronze for the Petplan Equine Winter Championship. I can only really compete once a month so we did our three outings to collect our sheets plus a top up training outing in December to run through the Elementary and off we went to Addington!”
Known at home as Calio, they have been together for seven years after buying the gelding as a freshly backed three year old, “I found him from a dealer in Doncaster and he just looked like an oversized foal.” Going on to say, “We had a few bumps in the road and being such a big horse (who is now standing at 17hh) we had to take things slow and allow him to mature in his body and brain.” Clairaline has always loved dressage but Calio has other ideas as he loves to jump, so the pair do go out cross country too but things came to a halt a few years ago. It wasn’t until August of last year Clairaline thought, “I cannot waste such a talented horse.”
With two qualifications under their belt they went to Addington to gain their place at the championships, however “I'm known to go wrong in my tests... so I was determined not to go wrong! I now seem to have a really good technique where I'm always riding in my head one movement ahead so I don’t have the panic moment where everything goes blank and you have no idea where you are in the test.” Thankfully it all came together in their test with some of their highlights being their medium trot and canter Clairaline told us. “He was fairly soft in the contact and forward which was lovely to ride. I was totally baffled by our results I never imagined in a million year I would be going to Hartpury in both classes in April!” They are not stopping there they are now hoping for Medium by the end of the year.
Clairaline wants to thank her partner, “who is my dedicated chauffeur and horse assistant every time we go out competing. He makes things so much easier for me and Calio and we couldn’t have achieved this without him being there.” They are not stopping there they are now hoping for Medium by the end of the year.
“The whole day was a dream come true,” exclaimed Chery Tuff, the runner up in the Medium Bronze with 68.63% on her sixteen year old gelding Ritter Sport. “This is such a prestigious venue, I went with no expectations and was just excited to have the opportunity to ride in their International Arena.”
After gaining a last minute wildcard to the Petplan Equine Winter Area Festival Championships last year they were "overwhelmed and astonished" to gain a direct qualification this time. “Despite our pirouettes letting us down on the day, our simple changes were the best Remy had done. The rest of the test felt good and we even rewarded with a few '8''s for our centre lines.” Overall it was a great day out for the pair who shared it with her husband, “John, friends Bethan Young, Lisa Kimm and Angela Fenn, who also achieved excellent placings and trainer Claire Knowles, who does a fantastic job training us all.”
It’s been a long time coming for winner of the Medium Bronze, Emma Agnew and Heroique J, “I first rode at Addington 43 years ago, when I was still doing British Eventing and over the years even when I wasn’t riding, I saw it develop into an International stage and decided, when I had my chance I’d go back again to compete.” Then four years ago Emma was diagnosed with breast cancer, “My brilliant consultant told me to “give him a year of my life and he would then give me the rest of my life.”” It was the thought of riding again that kept Emma going, “even during the dark days I vowed that when I recovered, I would buy myself a nice horse and compete at Addington once again.”
Emma, who works for BBC News, got in touch with her trainer Amy Woodhead who found her a suitably safe horse to ride. Telling us about Hero Emma said, “Due to my job, and family commitments, it’s impossible to ride every day, so luckily Hero (or Perfect Peter as he is known at home) will hack, go to the gallops, have fun on the beach, do pole clinics, have days off and is utterly forgiving.”
Making a weekend of it Emma booked Hero and stable and herself and a friend a hotel before the big day, “However as I checked my clothing I was utterly horrified to realise I hadn’t packed my riding hat. An emergency call to my very non-horsey husband (who was just settling down for a quiet evening with the dogs and the remote control) resulted in him doing a four hour round trip to deliver it so I could be ready for the arena walk in the morning,” Emma told us.
Luckily it was worth the trip as Emma recalled that her test felt “lovely, supple and connected. Hero is such a trainable horse we can really go for it in our medium canter, and now I’m learning how to position my half passes, they are also regularly getting ‘8’s’.”
“The marking system at Addington is so sophisticated, I heard the scores come out before we had even left the arena; two judges putting us well over the magic 70% and I burst into tears. The photos from the prize giving showing me grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat. It was literally my dream day.” They're now aiming for Advanced Medium by the end of winter but first it’s a trip to Hartpury where Emma said she will be, “Completely star struck about competing alongside my heroes. But whatever happens, with such a kind horse, I know we will have a lovely few days.”
Addington Winners
Petplan Equine Winter Preliminary Bronze
Andrea Sparkes and Kazan, 75.76 %
Petplan Equine Winter Preliminary Silver
Katie Horgan and Miracle SB, 72.15 %
Petplan Equine Winter Novice Bronze
Clairaline Blanche and Calimero VD Veldhoeve Z, 71.46 %
Petplan Equine Winter Novice Silver
Sarah Louise Mary Moreland and Coultard Z, 68.89 %
Victoria Hurst and Woodcroft Fantasia, 70.56 %
Petplan Equine Winter Elementary Bronze
Molly Parkinson and Mister M II, 71.08 %
Petplan Equine Winter Elementary Silver
Angela Westgarth and Royal Heritage, 68.97 %
Petplan Equine Winter Medium Bronze
Emma Agnew and Heroique J, 71.52 %
Petplan Equine Winter Medium Silver
Louisa Julie Brend and Hillgrounds Wolkeeno, 68.68 %
Petplan Equine Winter Advanced Medium Bronze
Alexandra Hopkins and Waldon Wild Ruby, 66.32 %
Petplan Equine Winter Advanced Medium Silver
Daryl Ware and Furst Crusador, 70.26 %
Petplan Equine Winter Prix St Georges Bronze
Sophie Watkins and Inca Spirit, 67.25 %
Petplan Equine Winter Prix St Georges Silver
Gracie Catling and Tsjebe Fan 'E Vesta Hoeve, 69.26 %
Petplan Equine Winter Intermediate I Bronze
Sophie Watkins and Inca Spirit, 67.70 %
Petplan Equine Winter Intermediate I Silver
Diana Margaret Barley and Nirvana Haydenville Z, 66.86 %