D&H Associated Championships: Day two

Day two of the D&H Associated Championships saw our fantastic Forces riders, brilliant Baroque’s and thoroughly good Thoroughbreds showcase their dancing skills.

© Spidge Photography

Baroque

Growing from last-years popularity, the Baroque section showcased just shy of 80 pure, and part bred Baroque horses strutting their way down the centre line in a set of seriously hot classes. One of our highest scoring combinations from this super pool of talent was Gold rider Elli Darling (pictured) with her four-year-old stallion Volkert K (Auwert 514 x Wytse 462). This striking Fresian stallion took the Prelim 6 Championship by storm, winning the class overall on 72.300% in front of judges Jenny Ward (C) and Carol Brady (E). With a scoresheet filled with 7.5’s and 8.0’s, Elli told us that “My highlight from our test has to be his trot work, certainly didn't feel like I was sitting on a four-year-old! He showed so much talent for the higher levels”. Volkert K, who is known as Batman to his friends, was brought over from Holland earlier this year, where Ellie purchased him from Stal de Mersken, “He was bred by Coby Kruis, and had been in training for the stallion grading. He was one of only a few to reach the fourth round of licensing with the KFPS that year.”

Batman made his debut with Ellie at the end of May, where he finished third at the Beechwood Young Horse Qualifier with 8.08. Since then, the pair have gone on to compete primarily at prelim, reaching a high score of 73.80% at Forst Edge Arena in August. Just a week before the competition, the pair made their first attempt at novice, where they scored 70.17%. When asked about what drew her to the Associated Championships with Batman, Elli told us “He has qualified for the winter regionals and we thought the associated champs would be a good introduction to the bigger shows, in preparation for regionals next year.

“My favourite part of the competition was meeting so many wonderful Friesians and their owners. Everyone was super supportive and kind, and he had a lot of admirers.”

Looking forward to the future, Elli has hugely high hopes for Batman – “Our long-term plans are taking him all the way to Grand Prix, and I would love him to be the first Friesian to qualify for the young horse finals too. Short term we are just enjoying our training and loving this new journey!”

Fellow Gold rider Izzy Laurance finished just behind Elli in second place with her own Gatero Torreluna on 70.500%, and Bronze rider Kirsty Hornby completed the top-three lineup aboard her own Fiddle II, who scored 69.400% to win her section. Sitting in fourth place overall, Serena Flynn took the win for the Silver section on 68.400%.

Gracie Catling also followed up from her super success last year, claiming four titles with three horses across the Baroque championships. Aboard Gaynor Morris’ Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, Gracie took the Championship titles for the Prix St Georges and Advanced Medium, scoring 69.853% and 73.882% respectively. Turning the attention towards her other rides however, Gracie claimed the Novice 5 title with one of her newer riders, Nicola Crowther’s Gabber Snieskepper, where the pair topped the incredibly close class with 72.667%. In the Elementary 5, Gracie showcased another one of Gaynor Morris’ homebred progeny – Jeldau fan Fraithwen. Aboard the seven-year-old mare, Gracie scored 72.422% in another competitive field.

Forces

Essex-based Silver rider Beverley Lynn took the win in the D&H Forces Elementary 5 championship with her own eight-year-old British bred gelding, Crocket II. Beverley purchased the Quantensprung-sired gelding as a foal from his breeder Nicola Burton at the Westrow Stud in Warwickshire. Before his ridden life started, Nicola showcased him at the British Breeding Futurity in 2018, where he was the top scoring foal, and again as a two year old in 2020. Speaking about her journey with Crocket, Beverly explained that “His dam Eden is daughter of Jazz – he has been spirted and tricky to say the least! But in the last six months he really seems to have grown up”. At the Championships, the pair took the overall win in the Elementary 5 competition with 69.532%, making them the highest scoring combination for the Forces riders.

This was Beverley’s first experience of the Associated Championships, having competed at the Winter Regional Championships and Summer Petplan Area Festivals earlier in the year. Talking about her success, Beverley told us that “we owe our success to Nikki Barker who has given me the support, confidence and belief that as a 66-year-old amateur I am enough to do his talent justice!"

When asked about what drew her to the championships, “The Associate Champs give many riders the opportunity to experience the Championship atmosphere and experience that they could never dream of!” Alongside her ridden success, Beverley was also a part of the incredible army of writers and judges that make the entire Championships possible: “As a rider, judge and writer I have experienced and gained so much over the past five days that I could not achieve anywhere else! It’s been mega.”

Looking forward to the future with Crocket, Beverley told us that “We are now competing at Medium and plan to do Winter Regionals at Elementary, both in the straight and the music class, and aim for the Petplan Area Festivals at Medium. Hopefully we will get to Advanced Medium for the Summers but I am just loving the journey!”

Lesley Wheatley claimed the Elementary Gold title, while finishing second overall with her own Detroit GH on 68.360%, and fellow Silver rider Michaela Preston finished in third overall aboard her own Faside Supernatural on 67.600%. Ellie Brewer took the title of Bronze Champion, while finishing in a fantastic fourth place on 66.094%.

Thoroughbreds

Leicestershire-based Silver rider Helen Jackson showcased her 11-year-old gelding Adams Park in spectacular style, taking the Novice and Elementary titles with two stellar scores. Helen, who has owned Adam for the past six years, started the pair’s BD journey at the end of 2023 having taken part in an unaffiliated dressage league, “I registered him with BD after enjoying the league, and he showed that he was ready to start doing more dressage outings. We’ve enjoyed doing winter and summer regionals and area festivals and gradually working through the levels.”

In the Thoroughbred classes, Helen won the Novice and Elementary on 71.210% and 70.379% respectively in front of judges Lorraine Smith (E) and Anne-Marie Taylor (C). Reflecting on her highlights from her tests, Helen explained that “I was really pleased with how consistent he stays during his tests. Movement wise, I was really pleased with his give and retakes. We’ve worked really hard on those recently, as well as his halts as it’s such an easy way to throw away marks when there’s multiple halts in some of those tests.”

Recounting her time at the Championships, Helen told us that her favourite moment was “coming out of my tests and feeling Adam tried so hard for me. He found the atmosphere in the indoor a bit buzzy and found the outdoor quite spooky (he can be quite reactive anyway, he’s not the bravest!), so I loved that when we went up the centre line each time he put on his brave pants and really tried, he settled into the tests as we went and I’m over the moon with that more than anything, as they don’t have to try so hard for us!

“It’s been a long retraining journey with Adam, I got him a week after his last race six years ago. He’s not a very straightforward horse and has taken a long time to figure out what works for him, we do a lot of things ‘Adam’s way’, but it works to keep him happy and keeps the drama down. We started at a local dressage league a couple of years ago then joined him up with BD after enjoying the league and him showing he was ready to start doing more dressage outings. We’ve enjoyed doing winter and summer regionals and area festivals and gradually working through the levels.”

Helen has competed with BD for a number of years, having started her journey doing Team Quest in 2015. In 2018, Helen competed her then-12-year-old gelding Leverage in the Throughbred Associated Championships, where she won the Elementary Championships. Speaking about what bought her back to the Championships eight years later, Helen told us “I always remembered it always being a nice championship, and it’s great to be competing with all thoroughbred’s and then all ex-racers too. Sometimes the warmups can be daunting at normal competitions when you know you don’t get the same flashy movements that some other breeds can have more naturally, so it’s nice being in the same boat as others with what does or doesn’t come more naturally to our thoroughbreds. I’ve always found the other riders so supportive at the Associated Champs in previous years – and this year too. Everyone is so happy to be there enjoying their horses.”

Helen also went on to compete in Friday’s RoR Championships, where she picked up yet another Elementary title, scoring 69.922%. She also finished second overall in the Novice Championship, but won the Silver section overall. Looking forward to her future plans with Adam, Helen has qualified for the Winter Regionals at Novice and Elementary level and hopes to continue to work towards their Medium debut in their winter training.

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 *

Baroque

D&H Part Bred Baroque Preliminary 6

B – Lorraine Williams and Rembrant's Kirby, 67.100%

S – Lauren Heppelthwaite and Amazon, 69.200%*

G – Ellie Tomkinson and Nevado Safira, 66.800%

D&H Part Bred Baroque Novice 5

B – Anna Warnock and Mochaccino Surprise, 65.750%

S – Anya Durbidge and Currito, 67.250%*

D&H Part Bred Baroque Elementary 5

B – Anna Warnock and Mochaccino Surprise, 62.422%

S – Alys Matravers and Jannick, 68.516%*

D&H Part Bred Baroque Medium 5

B – Jacqui Lamming and Rollestone Kharma, 63.167%

S – Alys Matravers and Jannick, 69.000%*

D&H Part Bred Baroque Advanced Medium 5

B – Danielle Mead and Diamond X Diurno, 66.711%*

S – Nancy Rollings and Casi PP, 61.316%

D&H Part Bred Baroque FEI Prix St Georges

B – Poppy Field and Grovewood Tiara, 61.029%*

D&H Baroque Preliminary 6

B – Kirsty Hornby and Fiddle II, 69.400%

S – Serena Flynn and Zagal LXXX, 68.400%

G – Elli Darling and Volkert K, 72.300%*

D&H Baroque Novice 5

B – Tyler Simpson and Yinthe, 71.334%

S – Maria Carrasco and Hoel, 67.917%

G – Gracie Catling and Gabber Snieskepper, 72.667%*

D&H Baroque Elementary 5

B – Joanna Dunn and Limeno Arenas, 65.079%

S – Rebecca Burton and Otelo XXVIII, 66.563%

G – Gracie Catling and Jeldau fan Fraithwen, 72.422%*

D&H Baroque Medium 5

B – Emma Smith and Huelva Cruz, 68.667%

S – Danielle Mean and Campeon G 11, 64.167%

G – Jess Bennett and Verde Santo II, 70.417%*

D&H Baroque Advanced Medium 5

B – Johan Redelinghuys and Lago Illustrious, 66.84%

G – Gracie Catling and Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, 73.882%*

D&H Baroque FEI Prix St Georges

B – Shirley Foley and Turco Santaco, 65.515%

G – Gracie Catling and Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, 69.853%*

Forces

D&H Forces Bronze Introductory 3

Holly Chantler and Killasser Clover, 68.410%*

D&H Forces Preliminary 6

B – Helen Evans and Hazelcroft Elsa, 66.200%

S – Megan Guild and Kellina MFS, 68.400%*

D&H Forces Novice 5

B – Helen Winfield and Integer, 65.500%

S – Elizabeth Elliott and MFS Rhodium Star, 67.667%*

D&H Forces Elementary 5

B – Ellie Brewer and Spread De Message, 66.094%

S – Beverley Lynn and Crocket II, 69.532%*

G – Lesley Wheatley and Detroit GH, 68.360%

D&H Forces Medium 5

B – Elizabeth Griggs and Harri Coeswen, 66.084%

S – Erin George and Diamond Rombeartino, 66.750%

G – Lesley Wheatley and Detroit GH, 67.000%*

Thoroughbreds

D&H Thoroughbred Bronze Introductory 4

Caitriona Houston and Cheshire, 67.789%*

D&H Thoroughbred Preliminary 5

B – Amanda Willis and Old Duke, 70.239%*

S – Anna James and Villany, 67.143%

G – Kathryn Pickering and Wat A Tinker, 68.096%

D&H Thoroughbred Novice 6

B – Eloise Hirst and The Dugout, 66.371%

S – Helen Jackson and Adams Park, 71.210%*

G – Harriet Dickin and Custer of the West, 58.549%

D&H Thoroughbred Elementary 6

B – Janine Midgley and Shootingsta, 67.500%

S – Helen Jackson and Adams Park, 70.379%*

D&H Thoroughbred Medium 6

B – Peta Viner and Quick Dancer, 64.097%*

S – Laura Starling and Moonlighter, 62.987%

FULL RESULTS