Festival Focus: Winter success

The Petplan Area Festival series continues to provide riders with the opportunity to showcase their partnerships and celebrate their achievements in the arena. From hard-earned top-ten finishes to long-awaited victories after challenging seasons, read about some of our wonderful winter participants.  

Issy Simons & AMS Cardello l Shelly G Photography  

Forest Edge Arena   

At Forest Edge Arena (13 – 15 February) Issy Simons and AMS Cardello had a top ten finish in the Preliminary Bronze, with a score of 66.59%. Issy spoke about why this was such a special achievement: “After a really off year for my horse, Cardi, I made the decision to give BD a real go after doing a few Team Quests here and there throughout the year.”  

After missing out on the Quest Championships due to Cardi picking up an injury, the duo managed to get back in the arena and earn the scores they needed to qualify for the Area Festivals.”To then come and get a top 10 after a run of awful luck, I couldn’t feel more proud,” Issy explained, before naming one of her highlights from the test being the canter transitions over the centre line, “we even scored a few 8’s for this movement.” 

Cardi loves all the attention in the dressage arena, “she knows she’s got the looks and the floaty paces. I think she also knows she’s very good at it as well which the same can’t be said for her show jumping record! I personally love how it’s yourself vs yourself every time, just wanting to go out and improve scores or certain movements.  It’s never really about the placing for me, more the percentage I score!”  

Issy started her dressage journey at a young age, she shared, “I was six-years-old, we used to live in Salem, Oregon and I was classically trained by one of the USA Olympic team dressage trainers over there. I did my first ever dressage competition at the age of four at my local riding school where my pony Grace and I won with a whopping 76%! Back then it meant nothing to me but now I realise how incredible that was!”  

The Area Festival series was the perfect pick for Issy and Cardi: “It’s so welcoming, friendly and supportive but above all that it’s fun, it’s so achievable to aim for as well. BD are helpful with helping you work out what section you should be in, and the sections are very fair with who you are up against.”  

Not only are the duo trying to qualify for the Summer Area Festivals but they also plan to go to riding club qualifiers, beach rides, fun rides and even have a go at some team chasing this year, “after two and a half years of really bad luck with injuries, fun is our number one aim for 2026!”  

Alice Huckstep & Tequila Sunrize II l Kevin Sparrow 

Bishop Burton College  

Alice Huckstep riding her own Tequila Sunrize II, competed in both the Preliminary Bronze and the Novice Bronze at the Bishop Burton College Winter Area Festival (23 – 15 January). The duo finished just outside the top then / ten? in both very competitive classes at only their second ever Area Festival.  

Alice shared what brought her back to compete in the series for the second time, “I love the series as it keeps me motivated all year round. Normally over the winter I find it hard to feel motivated with the weather and dark late nights after work, however getting the qualification and keep me motivated.”  

The great atmosphere helps the bigger shows feel less daunting whilst still feeling like a big fancy event, Alice told us: “It is such a special feeling riding down the centre line, the series allows riders who don’t compete at a high level to experience riding at a big event and makes all your hard work feel worth it.”  

“It can be hard to contain her sass,” Alice explained about her 16hh bay mare who can be a touch hot during the winter months, “but we did our best novice test to date, where we nailed every movement which I was very happy about.” The pair did two strong tests, despite having some excitable moments! 

Tequila, otherwise known as ‘T’ has been with Alice for five years: “She was my first horse off ponies and we just clicked instantly. She can be very opinionated at times, extremely sassy and hot headed but also so chilled, which is what I love about her.” After injuries for both Alice and T, their partnership has come back even stronger.  

Alice is aiming to qualify for the championships, whilst also aiming to have a go at the BD Regionals soon: “We have only just stepped up to novice and while our results and scores are good at both prelim and novice there is still so much more to come so we will keep working on that. I’m going to work towards the youth teams as well. If we can move up the levels, I’d be happy but as long as we are both enjoying ourselves, that is more important to me.”  

Natasha Lee & Don Dandy l Ali Marley Photography 

Alnwick Ford Equestrian   

Natahsa Lee and Don Dandy took the win at Alnwick Ford Winter Area Festival (14 – 15 February) in the Advanced Medium Bronze with winning mark of 65.66%. Natasha shared what it meant to her, “winning at any competition feels great, but winning at an Area Festival and receiving a sash feels amazing!”  

Natasha went into the Area Festival with low expectations following a challenging lead up and little preparing, this made the experience all the more special when the win went her way.  Some of the highlights were their flying changes Natasha told us, “We are both fairly new to Advanced Medium, but Dandy comes to life as soon as we start riding changes in the warm up. He loves them, they are his party trick!”  

Natasha loves the Area Festival series because of the opportunities it provides to qualify for a Championship event: “It feels like such an achievement working towards your qualifying scores, then riding with a chance of winning a ticket to the championships is even more exciting.”  

Away from dressage Natasha’s 12-year-old gelding loves hacking, “we don’t have an arena, so I always aim to use our hacks as his fitness work. This winter this was much harder with the snow, rain and ice! Over Christmas Dandy ended up having three weeks off!” Championship preparation for the pair will be plenty of hacking as well as weekly lessons.  

Natasha plans to work towards achieving her summer qualification scores and would like to try freestyle to music for the first time, concluding, “our long-term aim would be to attempt some Prix St Georges tests at the Area Festivals.”