D&H Associated Championships 26: Day five

Day five saw our terrific Traditional Gypsy Cobs and breathtaking British Native Ponies take on the D&H Associated Championships at Addington Equestrian.

© British Dressage

Traditional Gypsy Cobs

The pure and part bred Traditional Gypsy Cobs stormed their way to victory across ten classes, with Naomi Aguilar claiming the highest score of the Traditional Gypsy Cobs aboard Karen Barette’s Chynas Top Deck on 73.100%. Naomi and Chynas Top Deck, who is known as Squirt to his friends, made the long journey from Jersey for the championships, alongside Squirt’s owner who was also competing one of her other horses. Naomi and Squirt have only been a combination since July, with Squirt having won the Coloured Horse Champion title at Windsor Horse Show back in 2025 with his old owner. In front of judges Julia Catling (E) and Rachel Crook (C), Naomi and Squirt danced their feathers off to produce an impeccable sheet filled with 7.5’s and 8.0’s. Coming from a showing background, Naomi described their first tests together as, “very wobbly” and “a bit like trying to navigate a cruise liner down a river!”, however the pair have persisted to gain some excellent scores during their trips to the UK. “It was a bit of a disaster, his first couple of tests. And I think leaving the warmup when he's used to being with so many horses in the ring was a bit different for him.”

Squirt’s owner, Karen, is a close supporter of Naomi, and often travels with Naomi when she comes over from Jersey to compete on the mainland. Naomi is the rider of another regular face on the Premier League circuit with her Knabstrupper x Appaloosa gelding Whitehawk Dancing Fire, also known as Enzo. Naomi has owned and produced Enzo since he was a youngster and has worked her way all the way up the levels to Grand Prix. Karen trains with Naomi back home, and Naomi will sometimes sit on her horses as a thank you for her ongoing support. When looking at planning for this year, Naomi described how she asked Karen, “‘What are your goals for this year? Because I want to go and do Premier Leagues.’ And she said, ‘I want to go to the Associated Champs’… so that's what we did! She qualified her traditional cob at Medium and Squirt arrived in July… so we decided to get him [Squirt] qualified because the other one was going. I wasn't planning to ride there at all, but I was helping Karen transition him from showing to dressage. We decided that since the lorry was going, we might as well go too!”

After a nightmare twelve-hour boat journey across to Portsmouth and a broken lorry once they did reach land, Karen and Naomi finally made it to the championships in one piece, and it was certainly a worthwhile adventure! “It was all a little bit of a journey that we weren't really expecting, but a fabulous one. I was so proud of Squirt because he stayed with me the whole way. It was only his tenth and eleventh ever tests, and because we live in Jersey, we don't have the opportunity to compete that much. He'd won the Jersey Dressage Club Novice Championship with me a couple of weeks before, but he was he really had very little dressage experience. His paces are phenomenal, and his canter is a real highlight. He just went in there feeling really confident, really listening to me, and he really owned the ring. He was brilliant.

“I am going to hand him back over to his mum, Karen. She's going to now take him over, and take over the ride on him. I think she'll be back at Associated Championships next year, alongside aiming for the Area Festivals!”

When asked how she found the Associated Championships in comparison to competing at some of the top levels in the Premier Leagues, Naomi told us, “It was brilliant. I am lucky enough to travel around with the support of Karen and her husband Trevor, so we get to go to quite a few shows in the UK, but the vibe and the atmosphere at the Associated Championships was absolutely wonderful – it felt like a real team. Everybody was rooting for each other, and I loved the variety of horses. I mean, I do Grand Prix on my Appaloosa, so I love the different horses going out and doing the things. I've actually just sold my five-year-old dressage-bred horse because he was too dressage-y for me, and I've just acquired a 12hh Welsh Section A, who I used to train, and I've taught him pirouettes and changes! I'm hoping to be back here next year because the whole atmosphere was so fun, so friendly, so supportive, and everyone had a wonderful time.”

Silver champion Catherine Tristram took second place overall in the Prelim 6 Championship with Sherlocks Razzling Royale on 70.900%, and Katie-Jay Minier (silver) completed the top three with her gelding Tank, who scored 69.300%. Caitlin Grantham was the Bronze champion aboard her piebald gelding Rodney, scoring 64.900% to finish seventh overall.

British Native Pony

From the superb pick of British Native Ponies that competed this year, two of the championship classes had to be split into A and B sections to accommodate the sheer volume of pony power on display. Not only that, but the British Native Pony Preliminary Championship (A) was joint won by two individuals on a magnificent score of 73.100%. One of these individuals was Faye Heppelthwaite with Anne Bradley’s homebred stallion Orlando Golden Gun. Known as James at home, this six-year-old Welsh Section A stands at just 13.2hh, and only made his BD debut back in June. “I’ve accompanied James for six months now,” Faye explained, “He had previously been lightly produced as a show pony, so I have been spending lots of time teaching him the basics of dressage. He’s a clever pony and enjoys learning new things.”

Reflecting on their fabulous score from judges Julia Catling (E) and Rachel Crook (C), Faye remarked that she was, “Especially pleased with his trot work and the canter transitions. We’ve been working on the consistency, and it was great to feel it paying off in competition!”

Faye, who joint-runs a training and livery yard in Middlesex, explained that she was drawn to the Associated Championships because, “Being a Welsh Section B, I felt it gave James a good opportunity to shine. The show had a fantastic championship feel with a great atmosphere. I, of course, love that every winner gets a prize giving!”

The second half of this joint victory was earned by Vikki Pengilly with her own Cynheidrefawr Markus. The five-year-old Welsh Section D, who is owned by Vikki, had only been to three shows prior to the championships, where he has consistently achieved scores of 70%. “I was so pleased with him,” Vikki exclaimed, “Markus is only five-years-old, and this was his fourth ever show so I really wasn’t expecting him to do so well. Especially when I saw how many people were entered, I just thought ‘well, it will be a good experience!’” With 33 starters in the A section alone, this year saw some incredible British bred talent on the centre stage.

Vikki, who is based in South Wales, professionally produces Welsh cobs alongside her dressage horses. “We buy them from their breeder, Kay Randell who is in West Wales. She breeds a really sporty palomino Welshie, and we pick them as foals, back and produce them. We decided to keep Markus to produce on a bit further and take out competing, and I thought that the Associated Championships would be perfect for a young pony to give him that Championship experience. Ultimately, he will be sold sadly, but I just want to keep him on a bit longer and produce him a bit further.”

Alongside Markus, Vikki also trains and competes his brother, Cynheidrefawr Isaac, who made his debut on the Premier League circuit at advanced medium last year, “I didn’t really expect him to go this far, he’s really special.”

Talking about her overall experience of the championships, Vikki told us that “It was really brilliant – it was so well organised and well run. It was lovely to see so many happy horses as you walked down the isles in the stables, and just seeing people enjoying spending time with their horses. We were also able to see a few ponies that we have backed and sold on, so that was really special to see them out competing and doing so well.”

Third place in this class was earned by Silver champion Sam McEwan, who scored 70.900% aboard her six-year-old gelding Coppathorne Lebron, and the Bronze championship title was taken by Laura Taylor, who achieved fifth place overall on a highly competitive score of 69.500% with Pendollfawr Hefina.

Another standout result was achieved by 17-year-old Grace Smith aboard her 13-year-old Connemara gelding Matty Menlo. Grace, who rides as a silver rider, won the Medium purebred British Native Pony Championship overall on a fantastic 70.334%. Grace and Matty have had a busy year so far, hacking kicked off the season competing at the Bishop Burton and Alnwick Ford Equestrian Area Festivals, before moving on to the Myerscough High Profile and the Area Festival Championships at Addington in April. Over the summer months, they also competed at North & East Youth Championship Show, Northallerton Summer Regionals, Port Royal Area Festival and Northallerton Area Festivals, qualifying them to compete at the Area Festival Championships at Arena UK. “I have had Matty for four years now,” Grace told us, “Over the years we have been chipping away through the levels, as when I brought Matty the only bit of dressage he had done was out eventing! Equally, me and Matty love going eventing alongside the dressage, and we have had an incredible season winning plenty of titles including at the Festival of Youth Championships earlier on in the year!”

Speaking about the highlights from her medium test, Grace explained that, “On the whole, it was the best work we have put together into a test before – Matty was really in tune, and it was really appreciated by the judges! I have competed at the Associated Championships for the last three years, and I think it’s great for horses like Matty as I have found that at the higher levels you are always against horses bred purely for the job and have big movement – something the Connie’s don’t have! However, to go the Associated championships I always feel that he’s competing against his own ‘people’ within the native classes!” 

Grace also echoed the many people’s comments about the supportive nature of the Championships, adding that, “My favourite part was, and always will be, the atmosphere and the friendly people! It makes the whole experience a much nicer place!”

Looking forward to their goals for 2027, Grace is aiming to make her debut in her tailcoat, but not before Matty has had his very well earned holiday!

The top three was made up of our section winners, as the Gold Championship winner Tina Atkins finished second overall with Nutschullyng Master Darcy on 68.917%, and Brone Championship winner Anya Hitt finished third overall aboard Cnoc An Noinin Clover on 67.084%.

Thanks go to the organisers and team at Addington Equestrian for delivering a superbly run event, and congratulations to all riders and connections for their hard work and excellent performances throughout the competition.

Results – winners from each section, with the overall winner from each class marked with *

Traditional Gypsy Cob

D&H Part Bred Traditional Gypsy Cob Bronze Introductory 3

B – Katrina Williams and Ballyneety Black Bird, 69.773%*

D&H Part Bred Traditional Gypsy Cob Preliminary 6

B – Sue Knight and Eleanor’s Ahh Bisto, 71.000%*

S – Debbie Boylan-White and Westfirle Marbled Murrelet, 67.900%

D&H Part Bred Traditional Gypsy Cob Novice 5

B – Katrina Ellis and Silverstor IV, 70.084%

S – Rosie Hamilton and Roy II, 71.334%*

D&H Part Bred Traditional Gypsy Cob Elementary 5

B – Kirsty Scott and Noel’s Last Indian, 63.985%

S – Christine Hughes and Bailey Boy, 64.219%*

D&H Part Bred Traditional Gypsy Cob Medium 5

B – Kirsty Scott and Noel’s Last Indian, 59.500%*

D&H Traditional Gypsy Cob Bronze Introductory 3

B – Ellie Rush and Laceys Blueberry, 69.205%*

D&H Traditional Gypsy Cob Preliminary 6

B – Caitlin Grantham and Rodney IX, 64.900%

S – Catherine Trustram and Sherlocks Razzling Royale, 70.900%

G – Naomi Aguilar and Chynas Top Deck, 73.500%*

D&H Traditional Gypsy Cob Novice 5

B – Sarah Edmunds and I Should Coco IV, 68.667%*

S – Emma Lomas and My Last Rolo, 66.500%

D&H Traditional Gypsy Cob Elementary 5

B – Natalie Brougham and Abbotswood Avatar, 64.766%*

D&H Traditional Gypsy Cob Medium 5

S – Karen Barette and McCartneys Balios, 62.584%*

British Native Pony

D&H British Native Pony Bronze Introductory 3

B – Emma Curwood and Degla Autumn Rose, 63.750%*

D&H British Native Pony Preliminary 6a

B – Laura Taylor and Pendollfawr Hefina, 69.500%

S – Sam McEwan and Coppathorne Lebron, 70.900%

G – Faye Heppelthwaite and Orlando Golden Gun, 73.100%*

D&H British Native Pony Preliminary 6b

B – Shannon Close and Taffechan Top Gun, 67.600%

S – Sue Cottrell and Ilar Ruby Rose, 69.500%

G – Stephanie Graves and Relled the Show Must Go On, 69.700%*

D&H British Native Pony Novice 5a

B – Laura Taylor and Pendollfawr Hefina, 68.667%*

S – Danielle Annable and Penstrumbly Maid Me Smile, 68.417% (colls. 84.0)

G – Danielle Balsdon and Menai The Combrade, 68.417% (colls. 84.5)

D&H British Native Pony Novice 5b

B – Georgie Courage and Hillgarth High Kingdom, 72.500%

S – Lola Rega and Llynhelyg Gambler, 74.250%*

G – Stephanie Graves and Relled the Show Must Go On, 71.834%

D&H British Native Pony Elementary 5

B – Jessica Allen and Hendrewen Deserts Lady, 69.141%

S – Jemima Byam-Cook and Twyford Salamander, 68.907%

G – Tina Atkins and Nutschullyng Master Darcy, 70.156%*

D&H British Native Pony Medium 5

B – Anya Hitt and Cnoc An Noinin Clover, 67.084%

S – Grace Smith and Matty Menlo, 70.334%*

G – Tina Atkins and Nutschullyng Master Darcy, 68.917%

D&H British Native Pony Advanced Medium 5

B – Hannah Bown and Buckland Bonnie Lad, 64.605%*

D&H British Native Pony FEI Prix St Georges

B – Heidi Reed and ILAR Vincent, 59.927%

S – Gillian Brown and Goruchel PeterPan, 60.809%*

FULL RESULTS