last updated on June 01, 2009 13:06

The College hosted the Senior Inter Regional Team Championships over Bank Holiday weekend 23-24 May 2009. The event attracted over 200 riders, the weather was fabulous and with team selection for the BD Amateur Home International Championship on the horizon competition was hot.

Each Regional team of four riders from Group 8-5 rode a test each day and the scores were combined to give a team result. The Team Championship winners from Eastern Yellow were Claire Parker, Kerry Allen, Eleanor Dimant and Michele Wyatt.

Claire Parker rode Donnimo to overall victory in the Novice Class with strong performances in N22 and N38 and team mate Kerry Allen riding Don Ramiro claimed reserve in the Preliminary Championships to strengthen Eastern Yellow’s position in the table. Eleanor Dimant with Mr Kobayashi kept the pressure on the other riders with 5th placing in the Elementary and Michele Wyatt rode Rokkefellar in the medium tests.

Eastern Team Trainer Paul Hayler had a very busy weekend supporting all his riders at The College as well as travelling back and forth to support daughter Bobby competing in Belgium.
“Paul Hayler was amazing and was in the warm up arena from 7.30am to help every rider work in” Louise Clark

The BD Inter Regional Championships go from strength to strength. Riders are selected at viewing days in their respective regions and from there they attend regional training and begin to bond as a group. Each BD region has a huge variety of training days and EVERYONE is welcome. Each Region is looked after by a Regional Development Officer who coordinates regional activity and looks after all the BD members, trainers and judges in their region. The RDOs are passionate about dressage and helping riders to develop.

Central RDO Kim Moloney commented: "Thank you Central, you make my job the best in the world- you truly do- my memories of this weekend will stay with me for a very, very long time. Without exception you were all amazing and pulled out all the stops. Well Done EVERYONE from every region.”

Central Rider Kim Young “The whole weekend was such a great experience. I am SO proud of my pony we have come so far and we only started at the end of last summer. If anyone had told me we could carry out a test in the atmosphere we experienced this weekend, I would never have believed them, even just a few weeks ago. I can’t tell you how much this has increased my confidence. I have learned so much over the weekend and from camp.”

With the introduction last year of the Regional Riders Clubs and the launch of the prestigious Amateur Home Internationals Championships, Regional Riders have the best of both worlds: access to a friendly network where team spirit is promoted and the opportunity to compete in the tense yet positively charged atmosphere of a big Championship show. In every corner at Keysoe riders were working together.

Eastern Rider Louise Clark who took 6th in the Medium Championship with Feiner Pino commented “It was a great team spirit- someone did my quarter markings, someone else plaited my forelock and someone else made my Pino’s socks sparkle”

With the final test salute riders returned to the regional camps for a debrief and to get dressed for the team photo shoots and prize giving. Prize giving was unmounted; with 24 riders from each region and some individual competitors the arena was soon filled. Looking around at the regional representatives who had all been through a selection process to earn their team place, it was easy to see how strong regional BD groups are becoming. Judging by the happy atmosphere on a very hot day with riders buttoned into competition gear regional membership will continue to grow.

Every rider praised the venue and its staff for running a first class event and setting the scene for a memorable Championship. BD Forum poster Dressage Dame from Eastern comments “The event was such great fun, the weather was AMAZING, the whole show ran like clockwork and the steward really deserved 1st place for her ability to get everyone in on time, and her ability to calm nerves whilst horses danced around”

Report from Central Rider Alison Kenward 2009.