2008 Nationals: day one
last updated on September 22, 2008 12:54
The sun shone as the 2008 Blue Waters National Dressage Championships kicked off today, 18 September, at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. More than 400 of the best riders and horses in the country are contesting the 17 titles on offer over four days of competition.
The biggest class of the show was held today; the Stellar Wealth Management Prix St Georges Championships had a massive 38 entries and was won by Carl Hester, who clocked up his 42nd national title with TMovistar.
Please visit our dedicated championship website www.bdchampionships.co.uk for the full results, start lists and any other info.
Here are the winners of the first four titles:
Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted Championships:
Stena Hoerner and Machno Ramazes, 65.86% (main picture)
Stena nearly didn’t make it to the regional finals due to problems with her horsebox and then nearly did not go to the national championships after her eight-year-old 14.1hh Welsh-bred gelding knocked his knee.
Mum Karen and Joss Edwards train 16-year-old Stena, who is based in Wales. This win should stand her in good stead for the Talent Spotting Finals (18-19 October) for which she qualified last month.
Machno Ramazes is by Minyffordd Demcrat, damsire Glantraeth Fion, owned by Karin Horner.
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Biotal Medium Open Championships:
Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, 73.14%
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Charlotte and Valegro won this class with a massive 4% lead. The combination has an amazing track record. Last year they won the young horse and novice open championships here. This year, they took the Shearwater FEI 6-year-old Dressage Horse title and won the elementary and medium open at the North West Finals with 77.19 and 75.05% respectively.
Carl Hester and Roly Luard own the Dutch-bred gelding by Negro, damsire Gershwin.
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Stellar Wealth Management Prix St Georges Championships:
Carl Hester and TMovistar, 70.9%
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Carl Hester and TMovistar won the advanced medium title here last year. This time Sarah Tyler-Evans’ 16.1hh eight-year-old Dutch-bred stallion by Jazz moved up a level to take the PSG championships just a couple of weeks after winning the Nirvana Spa Young Horse PSP Final.
This is Carl's 42nd national win.
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NFU Mutual Intermediaire II Championship:
Nicky Barrett and Faberge 50, 67.51%
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Former national champion Nicky Barrett has competed the nine-year-old 16.1hh Hessen approved stallion by Fidermark sparingly and has never been placed lower than second in England in the three years that she has had the ride on the consortium-owned horse.
They swept the board in the small tour at the Hickstead CDIO in July. Their past successes include being reserve PSG champions here last year and winning the advanced medium title in 2006.
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