D&H Associated Championships 26: Day three

Day three of the D&H Associated Championships saw the stunning side saddle combinations, remarkable RoR’s and virtuous veteran horses (20+) light up Addington.

© Spidge Photography

Side Saddle

The magnificent side saddle combinations once again wowed spectators and judges alike, as the unique combinations showcased their true horsemanship and sophistication from prelim through to medium. Worcestershire’s Xanthe Banks showcased her 14-year-old skewbald gelding Smooth Criminal V (pictured) in the Preliminary 6 championships, where she took the overall title on a cracking score of 69.000% in front of judges Lindsay Gammonn (E) and Lotte Olsen (C). At just 15-years-old, Xanthe was the highest scoring side saddle rider, narrowly beating Bronze rider Bronte Thompson, who also finished on 69.000%, but was just two marks lower on the collectives.

Speaking to Xanthe about her journey with Smooth Criminal V, who is known as Frank to his friends, she told us that “we were delighted to find Frank last year, who came to us on loan. We haven’t had transport for much of the year, so getting out for training and qualifiers has been as a result of some very kind friends. I spent most of the year getting to know Frank and enjoying hacking”. Xanthe is an experienced side saddle rider who spent most of the summer introducing Frank to the experience, and subsequently qualified and competed him at the Side Saddle National Championships back in August. “After that, we decided we just about had time to get the qualifications in for the Associated Champs, so we borrowed a lorry from one of our former Quest team mates, and managed to get to two back-to-back shows at Allens Hill to get my qualifications in the side saddle.

“Frank has a very kind and willing personality and he has been learning to respond to the aids and understand the lack of right leg without offering travers! We now have our new lorry, so we were able to get ourselves to Associated Champs and test out the new wheels!”

Xanthe didn’t just compete in the side saddle section, as she also qualified for the CHAPS classes. “I chose to ride the CHAPS Novice test side saddle against the astride riders, and I was really pleased to nail the counter canter side saddle (which has been my nemesis!)”. The pair competed in both the CHAPS Preliminary 6 and Novice 5 Championships, where they finished 11th and 10th overall.

When asked what drew them to these championships, Xanthe told us that “Frank has only really done dressage before, so side saddle is a new venture for him. The Associated Championships combines my two passions – dressage and side saddle! He has the advantage of also being a coloured, so we could also do the CHAPS classes, and next year he will be eligible for veteran too so it’s brilliant for us! We were also able to meet up with our fellow side saddle competitors and support each other, there is a real community feel to these championships.”

Reflecting on her favourite part of the experience (aside from the excellent cake in the canteen!), Xanthe told that that she loved taking part in the mounted prize giving. “Frank was super excited and the sashes were beautiful. It all felt very special.”

Looking forward to their next adventures, Xanth told us that she is aiming to compete in the Petplan Area Festivals, but she hasn’t decided yet on which saddle - “We are now based at Corvedale Equestrian with Mark and Nick Lawson-Walters, which has been a recent move for us. Winter will be spent investing in training and getting the scores in for Petplans!”. They will also be aiming to do some more tests at Novice, and carry on with more showing. However, as time will be limited with her GCSE’s taking place next year, Xanthe’s Mum, Jackie, joked that she might even be allowed to take over the reins – albeit briefly!

In the Side Saddle Preliminary 6, Bronte Thomson won the Bronze section and finished second overall with 69.000% aboard Aredis Little Bem, and Eleanor Moore completed the top-three lineup with Violets Are Blue on a final score off 64.900%.

RoR

Turning our attention to the ex-racehorses, Keeley Nundy achieved some spectacular results with her 12-year-old gelding Sfumato. Keeley and Sfumato, who is affectionately known as Tomato in the stable, started their BD journey back in 2025, and have predominantly taken part in the Petplan Area Festivals and Quest over the last twelve months. This was the pair’s first time at the Associated Championships, and what a way to kick off their first Championships! Keeley and Tomato were crowned RoR Prelim and Novice champions, having taken the overall win in both classes on 72.600% and 70.000% respectively. This also made the pair the highest-scoring RoR combination, as well as winning the Silver and Bronze titles. In front of judges Carolyn Alston (E) and Mary Robins (C), the duo won the Prelim by a commanding two percent lead, and impressed judges Amanda Rawson (E) and Lotte Olsen (C)  in the very close Novice class to win by 0.250%. Keeley also competed in the Thoroughbred class the day before, where she finished sixth overall in the Novice 6 championships.

Reflecting on her incredible experience, Keeley told us that her highlights were “being in the main indoor arena at Addington, and allowing for my horse of a lifetime to strut his stuff like the showman he is. It was amazing being introduced by the commentator along with a blurb about each horse and pony made extra special with the retrained racehorses. My favourite part of the competition was letting “my showman” strut his stuff down the centreline after becoming overall champion of both the Prelim and the Novice RoR.

“My journey with Sfumato started when I visited Ollie Pears Racing to ride up the gallops with Vicky. My mum stayed back at the yard to meet all the horses and saw Tomato, a stunning black gelding with four white socks and a white blaze, he stood out like a sore thumb. Once we’d returned from the gallops mum asked if he’d ever be for sale, unfortunately we were told not and that he’d be going to his owners to retire. Fast forwards six months and we received a phone call saying that Tomato was up for rehoming, and to bring the lorry and if we liked him – from then on he was ours and the journey started there. It was never the smoothest sailing, and we often wondered what a 16-year-old girl had let herself in for when he couldn’t even trot a circle! We stuck at it and he is now the phenomenal horse he is today; he’s grown up and I’ve taught him lessons as much as he has taught me!”

When asked about what drew her to the Championships, Keeley told us that the “Associated championships had always been a goal as I knew many people who had visited before, it was a place to go be with like-minded people as ex racers are never the easiest as Tomato proved on the Thursday [in the Thoroughbred class]. The championships reminded me of the never-ending lesson of resilience and to just take each day as it comes and the ability to bounce back from a disappointing result on Thursday, to a day a girl could only dream of on the Friday.”

Looking forward to their future plans together, Keeley told us that she will now be looking to try a few Elementary tests. Before they do that, though, Keeley and Tomato will be heading to Arena UK for the Quest Championships in mid-November, where Keeley has qualified for the My Quest Novice U21 Championship, and will be a part of the MGS If You Know You Know team in the Open section.

Veteran Horses (20+)

Finally, the Veteran classes proved that age is just a number, with some of our ‘golden oldies’ strutting their stuff down the centre line from Intro through to Prix St Georges. One of these standout combinations was Louise Chamberlain and her 21-year-old former event horse, Edge of Night. Louise and Edge of Night, who is known as Lily to her friends, started their BD journey in 2025 once they retired from eventing. Louise, however, was not a stranger to BD, having previously competed up to Medium with her old mare, Amber Crystal. “We've owned Lily since she was a four-year-old, and she successfully evented up to two-star level. A couple of years ago, we made the decision to focus on dressage, and we've only recently stepped up to Medium level.”

The pair achieved two fabulous results, but their highlight being the Bronze and overall winners in the Veteran Horse (20+) Medium Championships with 66.016% in front of judges Emma Pewter (E) and Pam Bushell (C). In a hot class with 12 combinations, Louise and Lily strutted their way to the top step of the podium, with Lauren explaining that she was “delighted to produce a mistake-free Medium test and was genuinely surprised, but incredibly proud, to win overall.

“Lily certainly doesn't know she's 21 and still absolutely loves competing, so she was a little excited for our Elementary test! I've found the Associated Championships a fantastic opportunity to compete against similar types of horses, but it's also such a friendly competition, and we thoroughly enjoyed our lap of honour!”

Age is not stopping this pair from looking forward to their next goal, with Louise revealing that “I have some amazing music lined up for us to dance to next year. Our canter track is ‘Unstoppable’ by Sia, which I think sums Lily up perfectly!”

The runner-up in the Medium championship was fellow Bronze rider Elizabeth Griggs with her 22-year-old gelding Harri Coeswen, who scored 65.625%. Third place overall was earned by Julia Brightwell with her 22-year-old gelding E Equeals MC Squared, who won the Silver title on 65.157%.

Louise also competed in the Elementary championships, where she won the Bronze title and finished fifth overall on 67.167%.

Another one of the standout champions were the winners of the Elementary championships: 13-year-old Jemima Byam-Cook with Nicola Byam-Cook’s 21-year-old Welsh pony Twyford Salamander. This beautiful 14hh palomino gelding danced his way to win the Elementary Championship title on 70.584% in front of judges Jonathan Dunkley (E) and Keri Bates (C), also earning them the title of highest scoring veteran (20+) combination. Jemima has been riding Twyford Salamander, who is known as Solo at home, for the past six years since she was just seven years old. They started with Quest back in 2022, competing as part of a team and as individuals, and have been working their way up the levels since. This year, they have taken on the Area Festivals, where they finished second in the Medium Freestyle to Music Area Festival at Burrows Court. Speaking to Jemima about the highlights from her test, she told us that “We have been working on the medium canter transitions, going and coming back at the specific letter and we got 7.5s for them so we were really pleased and seems our work paid off.”

Looking at what drew this brilliant pair to the Championships, Jemima explained that “It is nice to compete with other horses like Solo, and we happened to park next to Solo’s half-brother! Also, my Aunt was in my class, so it was so nice to see her as we live far from each other. Another benefit is it is in the school holidays, so I don’t have to miss any matches or lessons.”

Jemima also went on to tell us about her highlights from the weekend, explaining how “We especially loved the prize giving and we all know Solo did too! The reels we got were amazing, and they made the whole memory so special. The cafe was good and I loved my cheesy chips before my test! But overall it was just so special to be there.”

It was an all-Silver top three, with Lauren Crowe finishing just behind Jemima in second place aboard Scout, who scored 69.334%. Clare Bosley finished in third with her own Tremeer on 68.167%. Caitlin Weir won the Gold section aboard Donatella IV with 67.833%, securing her fourth place overall, and Louise Chamberlain finished in fifth place overall on 67.167% to take the Bronze title with her own Edge of Night.

Jemima also competed Solo in the British Native Pony Elementary Championship, where she earned another sash by finishing in third place overall, but winning the Silver section on 68.907%, finishing off her fabulous weekend with a second mounted prizegiving. Looking forward to their future plans, Jemima explained that because Solo is now 21, their main plan is to just have fun together and see where they can go!

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 *

Side Saddle

D&H Side Saddle Preliminary 6

B – Bronte Thompson and Aredis Little Ben, 69.000% (colls. 82.5)

S – Xanthe Banks and Smooth Criminal V, 69.000% (colls. 84.5)*

D&H Side Saddle Novice 5

B – Katrina Ellis and Silverstor IV, 68.834%*

S – Elizabeth Rogers and Tynans Smokey Joe, 66.167%

D&H Side Saddle Elementary 5

B – Ellie Nelson and Countless Catita, 62.187%

S – Moya Payne and Iambic M, 62.969%*

D&H Side Saddle Medium 5

B – Harriet Mitchell and MIH Dunbeggan Freckles, 60.834%*

RoR

D&H RoR Bronze Introductory 3

Chloe Morgan and Immelmann, 68.750%*

D&H RoR Preliminary 6

B – Amanda Willis and Old Duke, 69.400%

S – Keeley Nundy and Sfumato, 72.600%*

G – Harriet Dickin and Custer of the West, 67.500%

D&H RoR Novice 5

B – Keeley Nundy and Sfumato, 70.000%*

S – Helen Jackson and Adams Park, 69.750%

G - Harriet Dickin and Custer of the West, 67.834%

D&H RoR Elementary 5

B – Ellie Markey and Foster’s Road, 69.922%

S – Helen Jackson and Adams Park, 67.657%*

D&H RoR Medium 5

B – Octavia Walters and King Vince, 63.584%

G – Gemma Haworth and Looney Les, 66.667%*

Veteran Horses (20+)

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Introductory 3 Bronze

Jenny Jones and Little Field Clover, 69.319%*

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Preliminary 4

B – Sophia Powis and Drakelands Lexus, 69.250%*

S – Hayley McGarr and Balia Boy, 68.000%

G – Laura Fowler Cherokee, 68.750%

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Novice 4

B – Camilla Buck and It’s Hollywood, 67.500%

S – Lindsay Stanford and Byronne K, 67.584%*

G – Harriet Dickin and Custer of the West, 67.292%

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Elementary 4

B – Louise Chamberlain and Edge of Night, 67.167%

S – Jemima Byam-Cook and Twyford Salamander, 70.584%*

G – Caitlin Weir and Donatella IV, 67.167%

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Medium 4

B – Lousie Chamberlain and Edge of Night, 66.016%*

S – Julia Brightwell and E Equals MC Squared, 65.157%

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) Advanced Medium 4

B – Emily Pryce and Rags to Riches, 66.711%

S – Louise Riley-Hunt and Warchild II, 61.250%

G – Sondra Rutter and Sirocco, 66.777%*

D&H Veteran Horse (20+) FEI Prix St Georges

B – Emily Pryce and Rags to Riches, 63.603%

S – Rafaella Bailey and Armagnac, 64.853%

G – Pippa Hutton and Romario EG, 65.294%*

FULL RESULTS