Winter Dressage team Qualifier

The indoor SJ qualifier has a reputation for being the coldest day of the winter but it now has a competitor for that title.  The new winter team dressage qualifier took place on 15th Dec at BCA and it was freezing!  Quite literally by the last horses to go, the warm up arena surface was getting decidedly crunchy.  A big entry meant there were 18 senior teams and 3 junior teams competing of which Chiltern had 2 senior teams.  The yellow team was Liz Atkinson on Gizmo, Philippa Jones on Hooli, Anna Wheel on Sammy, and Scarlett Leigh on Skipper.  The blue team was Gaelann East on Ulitma, Roz Gibbs on Lance, Sarah Adams on Luke and Libby Brewster on Jojo.  The first 2 members of the team were riding prelim 12 and the second 2 novice 27.  Liz and Gizmo won their section getting the yellow team of to a good start. Gaelann, Pip, Roz and Sarah all did good tests but were just out of the placings.  Anna was then 4th with Sammy and after 3 horses had gone for each team I was sat thawing in the secretary’s and we worked out that anyone of about half the teams could win depending how the last horses went.  Libby and Jojo did a great test to come 3rd boosting the blue team but unfortunately still leaving them out of the placings with things so close.  Scarlett then rode a super test to win the last section and the yellow team had clinched victory and qualified for the national championships in April at Hartpury College.  We celebrated with the mulled wine SORC had kindly been supplying through the day! 

Indoor Novice SJ Qualifier

Well yet again the indoor SJ teams took part on one of the colder days of winter. Although it was reasonably pleasant by the middle of the day I think several lorries started due to a certain amount of praying at -6 first thing!!  We had 2 senior teams entered this year and nearly got there with the original teams only to be thwarted at the last minute by a horse injury and lorry “injury”.  Fortunately Sarah Adams and Nicola Richardson were willing to stand in last minute and we could still go with full teams which were:  Liz Atkinson on Gizmo, Sarah Adams on Luke, Julie Middleton on Sticky and Nicola Richardson on Maddie.  Gaelann East on Ultima, Paula Hopkins on Magic, Roz Gibbs on Lance and Jo Claridge on Mel.  We had a successful day with everyone putting in good performances but just the odd pole rolling leaving both teams out of the placings.  It was lovely to welcome some new team members who we’ll hopefully see more of through the summer, and a great team spirit we can hopefully have at all events.

Winter Dressage National Championships

The Chiltern team consisting of Liz Atkinson on Gizmo, Julie Middleton on Sticky, Anna Wheel on Sammy and Libby Brewster on Jojo competed at the BRC national championships at Hartpury College on 5th April against 20 teams qualified from all over the country. We were fortunate to have a bright if little chily day rather than the snow that arrived the following morning and we all arrived safely in Gloucestershire. Anna and Rick had gone up the night before to take the earliest time but seemed to have enjoyed their nights camping and Sammy had a lovely stable. Julie and I arrived in time to cheer them on and Anna did a lovely test to get the team off to a good start with 61%. Gizmo found the whole championship atmosphere and busy warm up a little much but did manage to contain himself during the test even though he was convinced the flowers and banners might be there to conceal something horse eating! We scored 64%. Next up was Julie and Sticky who did a lovely consistent flowing test to score a very good 69% which was to leave them placed 8th individually. Gizmo and Sticky then joined Sammy in the stables while we enjoyed some lunch, watched some of the SJ championships and spent money on photos of our neds! Last on for the team was Libby and Jojo who also did a lovely test for 66% and 14th place in the novice. We were then delighted to find that the team were placed 9th and went to collect our lovely rossettes. A fantastic team effort - and that includes our supporters too.

From Libby: Well, what a fabulous day we had, the Hartpury Four -  Liz Atkinson, Anna Wheel, Julie Middleton and me.  We were placed 9th overall in this Winter Dressage Championship and were chuffed to bits.  We were trying to remember, after the event, how long ago it was that a Chiltern team actually got placed at a national riding club event – none of us knew.  Julie was also lucky enough to be placed 8th individually in the Prelim class.  Well done that woman and well done all of us.  For me the highlight of the day was being judged by Jennie Loriston-Clarke.  What a privilege especially as I gained some 8s for my canter work and loads of 7s.  We ended up with a score of just over 66% although I feel we could have done a little better but try telling that to a nosey pony who, during the free walk on a long rein, took the opportunity to have a jolly good look at everything and there was nothing I could do.  Thanks Jojo!  

Area Horse Trials Qualifier
We had a senior novice team entered in the Area qualifier at Tweseldown on 11th May.  Unfortunately Lordy had other ideas about coming and Isla was unable to make it.  So Jo Munting (with Pete) and myself with Gizmo competed as individuals.  The event was well run by Wokingham and Bearwood and had some fillers to test in the SJ and XC course that had various questions.  Gizmo decided that maybe dressage didn’t need to be done against the clock and did a lovely test.  Jo was competing in her first test with Pete and he wasn’t to sure about staying in the arena away from the others but they improved later in the test and completed it.  On to SJ where Gizmo had a good look at the wall but jumped round clear, Pete had a bit more of a look for a runout but also completed.  XC came next.  Gizmo started well but had one stop about half way round but went on to finish well.  Pete again had ideas about being on his own but after some discussion completed the rest of the course with the jumps posing no problems at all.  Many thanks to Helen Keen and Debbie Hodder for being our named helpers allowing us to compete.

Area and L&SE Dressage Qualifier

The Area dressage was again at Englefield run by BCRC on 8th June.  We had teams entered for the Area Novice, Area Open, L&SE dressage and L&SE Riders test along with individuals in the junior and medium tests.  So a big turnout of members – and no last minute drop outs!!  First on were the L&SE dressage team (Charlotte Deacon on Secret, Roz Gibbs on Lance, Isla Gilmour on Lordy and Helen Keen on Silken) who all rode P13.  The team was unplaced but Charlotte was 6th ind.  The L&SE Riders test team were next and came 5th (Fenella Nordquist on Raj, Akeila Lynam on Buzz, Roz Gibbs on Lance, Jo Claridge on Mel) Again all performed good tests though I never quite understand the marking in riders tests – maybe we should get more of a grip on that before next year!  Next up was the Area Novice team – again all riding P13 (Fenella Nordquist on Raj, Julie Middleton on Sticky, Jo Claridge on Mel, myself on Gizmo)  Julie came 3rd in her arena and I won in mine leaving the team just 1 mark short of being placed finishing 7th.   Many thanks to Annette Allport for taking me and Gizmo and then helping on the ground while I rode and to Denise Hackett for helping on the ground first thing especially as the organisers weren’t really organised at that point! Onto the afternoon and first on was Charlotte in the Area Juniors where she was placed 4th.  The Area Open team consists of 3 people riding different Novice tests and 1 Elem.  Kellie Pether and Zargus rode N20, Rita West on Zoe rode N27, Sarah Adams on Luke rode N30 and Jill Bradon on Wally rode the elem.  Sarah was 6th ind and with the others only just out of placings the team was 8th.  Finally Libby Brewster on Jojo and Jill both competed in the Medium and were 7th and 8th respectively.  Thankfully it was again a lovely day if a little warm for riding!

Area and L&SE SJ Qualifier

The Area SJ was held at Widmer EC in Lacey Green on 5th July. We had slightly depleted numbers interested unfortunately so had a L&SE team and Charlotte Deacon competed in the Area Junior novice as an individual. Charlotte was on first (although rather later than her allotted time, fortunately although v windy the torential rain waited till the next day) and had an unfortunate run out at a narrow style in the first round but clear in the second round left her in 3rd place and qualified them for the national championships in September. The L&SE team consisted of Akeila Lynam on Buzz, Tracy Patient on Freeway, Isla Gilmour on Lordy and Liz Atkinson on Gizmo. The course was causing a few problems with a couple of fillers that were being taken exception to. Buzz and Lordy both had a look in the first round for a stop apiece, with Gizmo and Freeway both clear. The second round produced clears from Freeway and Lordy, a pole from Gizmo and a lovely clear after an unfortunate stop at the first from Buzz left the team in 4th place which qualifies for the London and South East Championships in October. Thanks to Libby Brewster for being our nominated helper allowing us to enter team.

RC National Championships
For the second year running Charlotte Deacon represented the club at the Nationals in Lincoln.  It was a very wet weekend and the photos of the mud they had to contend with are quite something.  Charlotte and Secret were competing in the Junior Novice SJ which was reduced to a one round and jump off competition due to the going.  Secret wasn’t too keen on the mud and unfortunately had 12 faults but certainly a good effort and the Deacon family enjoyed their weekend.

Charlotte and Secret

The Lincoln Mud!!