last updated on July 21, 2009 10:09

Winston Bond ridden by Charlotte Dujardin (pictured) won the Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Supreme Championship at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire on Saturday night. Winston Bond, a six-year-old gelding by 007, owned by Charlotte’s boss Carl Hester, and Claire Crocker, had come second in his qualifying round which was held in the outside arena earlier in the day, so it was a bit of a surprise when he beat Peter Storr and Royal Concert to take the Championship indoors in the evening.

“I was in shock!” said Charlotte afterwards, “It was a massive surprise when they came walking towards me with the rug and the sash. I was really pleased with him because he’s never been in that kind of situation or an environment like that before and he handled it really well.”

Christophe Hess was the judge for the six-year-old class in the morning and for the overall supreme championship in the evening and he explained why Royal Concert was beaten by Winston Bond in the end: “Peter was the favourite for the night, but it was a different atmosphere inside in the evening and the horse was a bit tense, he tried three or four times to show lengthening and it just didn’t work. As for Winston Bond – this horse has a perfect canter and a very good trot, that’s why he came first.”

SHEARWATER YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE SIX YEAR OLD CHAMPION
Royal Concert, ridden by Peter Storr was the six-year-old Champion, the pair scored 88.4%, beating Charlotte Dujardin and Winston Bond by less than one per cent. Royal Concert, owned by Hermione Black with Peter and Penny Pollard is by Royal Diamond, he came from the Oldenburg auction in Vechta in Germany. In 2008 he was five-year-old Young Horse and Overall Champion and Shearwater five-year-old Champion at Stoneleigh. “He’s turning out to be a lovely horse to ride in the competition arena,” said Peter, “He’s a hot horse but he doesn’t boil up, he has great adjustability in his paces and great balance.”

SHEARWATER YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE FIVE YEAR OLD CHAMPION
Gemma Green and Zolansky were five-year-old Champions with an impressive score of 89.80%. Zolansky is a Dutch warmblood stallion by Polansky , owned by Gemma’s mother Jennifer. He was reserve four-year-old Champion at last year’s National Young Horse Championships at Stoneleigh. He was bought as a two-year-old in Holland, “When he was two, what impressed us was how balanced and sane-looking he was,” remembers Gemma, “He’s a real gentleman, and though it’s nice to do well in the young horse classes you are really looking for Grand Prix potential and it’s a long, long way to that, but he is showing in his training that he has the potential.”

SHEARWATER YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE FOUR YEAR OLD CHAMPION
Tim Sillevis and Romano Ruinart were the four-year-old Champions, winning on a score of 84%. Ruinart is a British Warmblood graded premium stallion by Rhodiamant out of a state premium mare. He is owned by Clayton and Julie Down and was bought from the Romano stud as a foal. “We bought him based purely on his bloodlines,” explains Clayton, “And he was good looking! Also we had bought from the stud before so knew what we were getting. We wanted a dressage breeding stallion.” Ruinart will stand at stud next year.