Final countdown to Nationals: riders impress at Bury Farm High Profile

With the Summer Regional Championships complete and the LeMieux National Championships fast approaching, riders headed to Bury Farm High Profile Show (20 – 21 August) for one final outing. Across the levels, combinations delivered impressive performances, fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the season's biggest stage.

© SBM Photographic

Somerset based Ben James had a fantastic couple of days at the High Profile, taking the win aboard his own Clapton Banks Primadonna (Don Juan de Hus x Warkant) in the silver sections of the Advanced Medium 5, Advanced Medium Freestyle and Advanced Medium 6. The duo danced their way around the classes, with scores creeping up as they went along to finish on 66.320%, 67.420% and 67.010% respectively. The 14-year-old mare has had a busy season so far, most recently finishing third in the Advanced Medium Hartpury Regionals, which has subsequently earned them a Wildcard for the Nationals.

“Clapton banks Primadonna had a good show also gaining more qualifications towards Winter Regionals”, Ben explained, “the first class of the show for her was the advanced medium freestyle where she suddenly lit up when the canter music started; it’s great to feel her so happy and enjoying her work. Our plans for her will be to step up to PSG and strengthen her tempi changes heading towards winter.  We have had her four years now: she was a late starter, and 11 years old when we bought her. She had only been ridden briefly in her past home. I started at prelim and we have worked our way up to advanced medium, it’s been a great journey with her and one I don’t want to end! We hope to take some embryos at some point as I’d love another Diva! The other horses at the show were successful winning many beautiful rosettes.”

Commenting further on his experience at the show, Ben stated that “having been to Bury Farm in the past, I already know how friendly and accommodating they are there. Anne is just so great, she’s a lovely lady with a great sense of humour. It’s a good job as I forgot to enter a horse pestered Anna multiple times! We decided to take five horses to compete between the high profile and the national classes.” Ben competed aboard his own British bred Amiro Island (Amiro Z x Jumbo), where he finished second in the Advanced Medium 6 with 66.180%. Furthermore, Ben also competed aboard his own Camarilla-Calimero (Parilla x Flemmingh), where he finished second and third in the Intermediate I and II classes. “I have a few more horses at home that are ticking away quietly, I have a special young mare who is six now, she will be a horse for later on in the future and I’m very lucky to have just been bought a beautiful four-year-old from Newton Stud for myself to produce by a great friend, Maralyn Rogers. Her horse is called Soap and only having been with us a couple of weeks, but we can see huge potential. These horses bring us so much happiness and with the help of British Dressage allowing all of these great shows it’s such great education for our horses.”

Suffolk-based Nikki Barker also had a highly successful show, taking home wins across the Medium and Advanced Medium classes. Aboard her homebred gelding Danoa (Durable x Damocles), Nikki took the win in Thursday’s Medium 5 and Medium Freestyle Gold classes with 70.670% and 73.080% respectively. On the Friday, the pair also competed in the Medium 6 where they finished second on 67.990%. Furthermore, Nikki also campaigned her own and Zoe Kirkpatrick’s Lestingdale VS (Glamourdale x Sorento), where she won the Advanced Medium 5 and finished second in the Advanced Medium Freestyle to Music Gold classes. The 10-year-old stallion came away with 70.530% and 71.080%: “Both Danoa and Lestingdale had some fabulous moments; Danoa really excelled in the medium paces and Loki showed some fabulous lateral work. They are both off to the Nationals, so it was a super practise run for them. I love Bury farm as they are super helpful and always make a real effort dressing the arenas to give a ‘big show’ feeling. Hopefully we have ironed out some kinks and can be spectacular at nationals!”

“I bred Danoa, and he is the first of my homebreds coming through. He’s by Durable out of my old GP mare, Pasoa, so he is a really sentimental horse for me and I think has unbelievable talent for GP. Both parents competed internationally at GP so he’d be letting the side down if he didn’t follow suit! He will hopefully be PSG ready for next year. He’s rather tall and I’m rather short so we have been taking our time!

“Loki is by Glamourdale, so was channelling his World Champion Dad I think! I am hoping that he will come out at small tour this winter. He spent a couple of years not competing because of his owners’ other commitments so we are playing catch up! He’s black and bouncy and fancy so I’m super excited to see what we can achieve!”

Nikki also finished third in Friday’s Intermediate I Gold with Antonia Brown’s 13-year-old gelding Iwan (Charmeur x Sir Oldenberg), where they scored 66.030%.

There was tough competition in the Grand Prix, with a fantastic 17 entries. Ultimately, it was Ruby Hughes who took the win aboard Abigail Lyle and Fenella Quinn’s Farrell (Fabregas x Davingnon) with 70.580%. Tom Goode finished in a close second with Lady Caroline Rake’s Margot (Morricone x Totilas), who scored 70.150% in front of judges Alison Duck (E), Fiona Wilson (C) and Claire Deithrick (M). Becky Edwards completed the podium aboard her own Dita Von Teese (Dimaggio x Conteur) with a score of 69.130%.

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

Results – top three

Thursday 20 August

Medium 5 Gold

1. Nikki Barker and Danoa, 70.670% (coll. 86.50)

2. Melissa Richardson and Gravaard’s Sir Dundee, 70.670% (coll. 84.00)

3. Penny Smith and Leonid 2, 67.000%

Medium Freestyle to Music Gold

1. Nikki Barker and Danoa, 73.080%

2. Georgina Howard and O’Malley de Massa, 69.420%

3. Steffie Bryant and Nottinghill Turfhorst, 67.000%

Medium Freestyle to Music Silver

1. Louise Riley-Hunt and Warchild II, 67.080%

2. Coral Bloom and St Giles Fresco, 64.670%

3. Ellen Glover and Morricone’s Love MFS, 64.000%

Advanced Medium 5 Gold

1. Nikki Barker and Lestingdale VS, 70.530%

2. Sara-Jane Lanning and Charming Duke, 69.410%

3. Gorgina Howard and O’Malley de Massa, 66.120%

Advanced Medium 5 Silver

1. Ben James and Clapton Banks Primadonna, 66.320%

2. Stephanie Graves and Kamira FMA, 64.800%

Advanced Medium Freestyle to Music Gold

1. Alice Peternell and Newton D, 71.420%

2. Nikki Barker and Lestingdale VS, 71.080%

3. Sara-Jane Lanning and Charming Duke, 70.500%

Advanced Medium Freestyle to Music Silver

1. Ben James and Clapton Banks Primadonna, 67.420%

2. Ellie Roberts and Koning Albert, 67.000%

Prix St Georges Gold

1. Olivia Oakley and Nulli Secundus 11, 70.640%

2. Myles Graham and Fred Astaire WD, 70.150%

3. Nikki Barker and Iwan, 68.970%

Prix St Georges Silver

1. Hannah Macmillan and Brookeborough Lad, 67.160%

2. Rebecca Cowderoy and Nights Dream, 65.250%

3. Lucy Goodey and Vilan, 63.140%

Prix St Georges Freestyle to Music Gold

1. Olivia Oakley and Nulli Secundus 11, 69.330%

Prix St Georges Freestyle to Music Silver

1. Penny Smith and Rembrandt GSH

Intermediate I Gold

1. Sara-Jane Lanning and Breit Fantastic, 68.630%

2. Hannah Biggs and Dutch Harbour H, 67.750%

3. Ellie Roberts and Lyon HK, 66.570%

Intermediate I Silver

1. Hannah Macmillan and Brookeborough Lad, 68.040%

2. Laura Hill and Jobarde-E, 66.180%

3. Okke Almond-Krol and Happy Dream TC, 62.060%

Intermediate I Freestyle to Music Gold

1. Lindsay Hancock and Barachiel, 66.580%

Intermediate II Gold

1. Olivia Oakley and Full House, 70.200%

2. Davey Harvey and Diamond Blue, 68.780%

3. Becky Edwards and Laerke Stensvang, 68.720%

Intermediate II Silver

1. Claire Ballantyne and Dvorak, 64.800%

2. Sally Walker and Wilton Wood Blaze, 62.890%

3. Ben James and Camarilla-Calimero, 59.660%

Friday 21 August

Medium 6 Gold

1. Melissa Richardson and Gravgaard's Sir Dundee, 69.240%

2. Nikki Barker and Danoa, 67.990%

3. Penny Smith and Leonid 2, 67.780%

Medium 6 Silver

1. Freya Percival and Happy Vemma, 66.320%

2. Ellen Glover and Morricone's Love MFS, 66.040%

3. Rachel Thomas and Felicitas L, 64.170%

Advanced Medium 6 Gold

1. Sara-Jane Lanning and Charming Duke, 69.650%

2. Alice Peternell and Newton D, 68.400%

3. Eve Manning and Woodcroft Kenzo, 67.150%

Advanced Medium 6 Silver

1. Ben James and Clapton Banks Primadonna, 67.010%

2. Ben James and Amiro Island, 66.180%

3. Stephanie Graves and Kamira FMA, 63.060%

Prix St Georges Gold

1. Myles Graham and Fred Astaire WD, 71.370%

2. Louise Gallavan-Gelder and Fabergé TF, 69.460%

3. Louise Belly and Peaky Blinder, 69.220%

Prix St Georges Silver

1. Laura Hill and Jobarde-E, 67.990%

2. Rebecca Cowderoy and Nights Dream, 67.010%

3. Kim Zimich and Whenedig Vissen, 62.300%

Intermediate I Gold

1. Hannah Biggs and Dutch Harbour H, 68.480%

2. Jessica Wade and Maclaren II, 67.550%

3. Nikki Barker and Iwan, 66.030%

Intermediate I Silver

1. Claire Ballantyne and Dvorak, 67.210%

2. Ben James and Camarilla-Calimero, 61.230%

Grand Prix

1. Ruby Hughes and Farrell, 70.580%

2. Tom Goode and Margot, 70.150%

3. Becky Edwards and Dita Von Teese, 69.130%

PYO FEI

1. Daisy Bellamy and Doruto, 70.590%

2. Lily Crawley and Quimbaya 6, 68.690%

3. Lily Crawley and Damon’s Dan Farrington, 68.640%

FULL RESULTS