Fantastic freestyles and personal bests; British youth shine bright at Hickstead CDI

The youth riders at Hickstead CDI (11 – 17 May) delivered a compelling showcase of emerging talent, featuring competitive and inspiring performances from start to finish in outstanding international debut appearances and dazzling freestyle displays.

Mette Dahl and Daytona Platinum | Spidge Photography

For Mette Dahl, Hickstead proved a showstopping event as she dominated the Young Rider competition with her two horses Daytona Platinum and Fidelio van het Bloemenhof. Aboard Fione Bigwood’s Daytona Platinum, the pair won the Team and Individual competition, scoring 69.804% and 72.794% respectively. Reflecting on their performance, Mette commented “I only started riding him in September last year but our partnership is growing and getting better with each ride. We have only done Vale View earlier this year, so I was really pleased with him and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season with him”.

Alongside Daytona Platinum, Mette also competed her long-time partner Fidelio van het Bloemenhof (Fidelio) where she finished third in both the Team and Individual competition on 68.775% and 67.010%. The pair competed at the 2025 Young Rider European Championships where the team finished fourth, and Mette was the highest-placed British rider in the Individual Competition, finishing tenth. “It was the first time he [Fidelio] had been out since Europeans last year, so he was certainly feeling very spritely! It’s a really good feeling that he’s still got so much energy and enthusiasm at this stage in his career”.

The Chart Stables International Dressage at Hickstead competition was a whole family success for the Bigwood-Dahl trio, with Mette winning in the CDIYR, Father Anders Dahl winning the Premier League LeMieux Grand Prix classes, and Mother Fiona Bigwood dominating in the CDI3* and Premier League KBIS Young Horse classes. When asked what Hickstead meant to her, Mette simply said “It was really special to be back competing at Hickstead. Because we are only based down the road, I have grown up watching my parents winning here over the years so for me to go there and win is really just a dream come true”.

On both days, Myles Graham riding Daniel Sherriff and Linsey Roberts’ Fred Astaire WD finished second behind Mette in the Young Rider Team and Individual Tests, scoring two consistent results of 69.314% and 69.804% respectively. On the third day, Myles finished third in the Freestyle competition with a final score of 66.450%. The Young Rider Freestyle was won by Flora Hayes and Alison Hayes’ Jamais Noubliez with 67.983% and Belgian rider Emma van Damme finshing second on Maykel with 67.725%.

The Children on Horses competition also showed exciting results, with Amelia Dovey making her international debut on Hannah Dovey’s Sheepcote Jackson. Amelia achieved a hattrick result, dominating in the field with scores of 73.232% in the Preliminary B, 74.075% in the Team Test, and 81.834% in the Individual Test. “The pair of them just grew in confidence each day” commented Amelia’s Mother, Hannah, “the first test Amelia was still really getting to know Jackson in the arena, the second day they grew in confidence, and by the third day they were just incredible together. Amelia had never ridden the Preliminary B or Individual Test before at a competition, but she went in there with complete confidence. The highlight had to be getting an 8.5 for one of the simple changes”. Amelia, who took over the ride on Jackson in early April, took to Instagram to say “I cannot put in to context how fortunate I am to ride these exceptional horses… the moment I turned around to see 81.834% below our names [on the scoreboard] I could not help but to think that I was the luckiest girl in the world”.

Amelia also competed on Leslie Forlee’s Boccelli 6, where she finished fifth in the Preliminary B test with 67.232% and third in the Team Test with 72.050%. “He’s feeling really well in himself at the moment” commented Hannah, “This all wouldn’t be possible though without our amazing trainer Katie Hardouin (née Bailey) who has been with us every step of the way, and our fabulous team at home who keep everything running while we are away.”

For the U25 riders, Lilah Gibbs shone, generating a hat-trick victory in the Intermediate II, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle. Aboard Sarah Millis’ Dude III, the duo scored 69.020%, 68.248% and 72.317%, “I was really pleased with how Hickstead went. There were some things that I would like to improve on and get them ironed out before our next show, but he was a really good boy” explained Lilah. “Dude tried so hard for me, as he always does. He gave me a really good feeling on the first day in the Inter II – it is just such a joy to ride him”.

Lilah made her competition debut on Dude back in 2021 and they have regularly featured on the international circuit since. The duo were a part of the Bronze medal winning U25 Team at the European Championships in 2025, and more recently made their CDI3* debut at Lier in February of this year: “these are potentially our last few competitions together so I’m just trying to really enjoy every moment we have together and we are looking forward to our next competition.”

The Pony tests saw riders go head-to-head, but it was Amelia Goodear riding Claire Goodear’s Furioso V.H. Enkershof who took the win in the Team Test with 70.000%, followed by Martha Jones and Jonathan Cawley’s Cognax IX in second place with 69.714%. Georgie Morgan finished third riding Claire Morgan’s Brouweshaven’s Jasper with 68.904%, however in the Individual test, it was Georgie who won with 70.901%. Following closely in second, Ella Fraser and her own and Rebecca Fraser’s Brouweshaven’s Viceroy scored 70.22% and Amelia Goodear finished third with 69.324%.

The Juniors posted three days of strong results, with Jessie Clarke winning the Team and Individual Test riding her own Doornroos II, scoring 71.717% and 71.863% respectively. In the Team Test, Orinana McNamara placed second aboard Andrea McNamara’s Active Solaris with 69.697% and Sofia Games finished third with Nathalie Wahlund’s Cerano Gold on 68.081%.

The individual test saw more success for Sofia Games, who came second with Cerano Gold with 69.608% and third with Katie Oliver Games’ Bovary JBM on 69.559%. Sofia then finished the competition on a high, winning the Freestyle on Cerano Gold with 73.517%. Jessie Clarke and Doornroos II placed second with 72.392%, followed by Ella-Grace Dovey  in third riding Hannah Dovey, Verity Jenner and Katie Hardouin’s Escomond with 72.292%.

Thanks go to the team at Aster Events, who organised the Chart Stables International Dressage at Hickstead, for delivering a superbly run event, and congratulations to all riders and connections for their hard work and excellent performances throughout the competition.

Results- Top three 

Thursday 14 May

U25 Intermediate II

1. Lilah Gibbs and Dude III, 69.020% (GBR)

2. Georgina Nicholls and Briarwood Notorious, 67.843% (GBR)

3. Lily Kelly and Vino 34, 63.627% (IRL)

Friday 15 May

Children on Horses Preliminary B

1. Amelia Dovey and Sheepcote Jackson, 73.232% (GBR)

2. Sebastian Houlston and Full Fusion BS, 72.786% (GBR)

3. Sophia Parry and Floran, 72.768% (GBR)

Pony Team Test

1. Amelia Goodear and Furioso V.H. Enkershof, 70.000% (GBR)

2. Martha Jones and Cognac IX, 69.714% (GBR)

3. Georgie Morgan and Brouwershaven's Jasper, 68.904% (GBR)

Junior Team Test

1. Jessie Clarke and Doornroos II, 71.717% (GBR)

2. Oriana Mcnamara and Active Solaris, 69.697% (GBR)

3. Sofia Games and Cerano Gold, 68.081% (GBR)

Young Riders Team Test

1. Mette Dahl and Daytona Platinum, 69.804% (GBR)

2. Myles Graham and Fred Astaire WD, 69.314% (GBR)

3. Mette Dahl and Fidelio van het Bloemenhof, 68.775% (GBR)

U25 Grand Prix

1. Lilah Gibbs and Dude III, 68.248% (GBR)

2. Georgina Nicholls and Briarwood Notorious, 67.393% (GBR)

3. Lily Kelly and Vino 34, 62.778% (IRL)

Saturday 16 May

Children on Horses Team Test

1. Amelia Dovey and Sheepcote Jackson, 74.075% (GBR)

2. Sebastian Houlston and Full Fusion BS, 73.875% (GBR)

3. Amelia Dovey and Boccelli 6, 72.050% (GBR)

Pony Individual Test

1. Georgie Morgan and Brouwershaven's Jasper, 70.901% (GBR)

2. Ella Fraser and Brouwershaven's Viceroy, 70.225% (GBR)

3. Amelia Goodear and Furioso V.H. Enkershof, 69.324% (GBR)

Junior Individual Test

1. Jessie Clarke and Doornroos II, 71.863% (GBR)

2. Sofia Games and Cerano Gold, 69.608% (GBR)

3. Sofia Games and Bovary JBM, 69.559% (GBR)

Young Riders Individual Test

1. Mette Dahl and Daytona Platinum, 72.794% (GBR)

2. Myles Graham and Fred Astaire WD, 69.804% (GBR)

3. Mette Dahl and Fidelio van het Bloemenhof, 67.010% (GBR)

U25 Grand Prix Freestyle

1. Lilah Gibbs and Dude III, 72.317% (GBR)

2. Georgina Nicholls and Briarwood Notorious, 68.592% (GBR)

Sunday 17 May

Children on Horses Individual Test

1. Amelia Dovey and Sheepcote Jackson, 81.834% (GBR)

2. Sebastian Houlston and Full Fusion BS, 78.093% (GBR)

3. Isabelle Stuart and Prince May The First, 72.491% (GBR)

Pony Freestyle

1. Amelia Goodear and Furioso V.H. Enkershof, 72.042% (GBR)

2. Georgie Morgan and Brouwershaven's Jasper, 71.875% (GBR)

3. Martha Jones and Cognac IX, 71.658% (GBR)

Junior Freestyle

1. Sofia Games and Cerano Gold, 73.517% (GBR)

2. Jessie Clarke and Doornroos II, 72.392% (GBR)

3. Ella-Grace Dovey and Escomond, 72.292% (GBR)

Young Riders Freestyle

1. Flora Hayes and Jamais Noubliez, 67.983% (GBR)

2. Emma van Damme and Maykel, 67.725% (BEL)

3. Myles Graham and Fred Astaire WD, 66.450% (GBR)

FULL RESULTS