LeMieux Quest Championships 25: My Quest Open

The 2025 LeMieux Quest National Championships kicked off on Friday 14 November under stormy skies, with two days of competition leading to worthy My Quest Open Champions crowned from three hotly contested classes at Introductory to Novice level.   

My Quest Open Introductory 

Winner: Sue Pudney and Salute IV, 68.485% 

The first champions of 2025 were Sue Pudney and Salute IV who excellently took the win in the My Quest Open Introductory with a score of 68.485%. As a partnership of only one year and in their first year of competition, Sue and the gorgeous grey shone through the rain on the day.  

Sue spoke to us about how it felt to have won: “It’s very exciting, it’s his first time at a championship. I bought him to hack around with my friends nearly a year ago today as just a newly broken 4-year-old. He was bought for a bit of hacking and riding club. We started Quest as an education, hopefully he’ll go on to looking after the grandchildren, so it’s my last hurrah as I’m sixty-four.” Sue goes on to describe the talented young horse saying, “an absolute superstar, nothing seems to phase him, he’s been so good today, we were just coming as a learning process for him, so I’m absolutely thrilled.”  

The Quest series has offered Sue the opportunity to introduce Salute to the dressage arena in a relaxed and fun environment, she told us: “Quest has been absolutely amazing for him, everybody is so friendly and so helpful, it just helps you on that journey. I’m someone who’s always done Pony Club and a little bit of unaffiliated eventing and always found dressage very scary. To start with Quest, it means you’re not under pressure, for instance, today we have driven down from North Yorkshire and I didn’t plait him up knowing if we got stuck in traffic, nobody would mind because we don’t have to do that. It really takes the pressure off and allows me to relax. I’ve also found the training and everything else from BD and the support from the BD office have been so helpful with all my silly questions. Little did I think to ask whether I’d need to be mounted for a prize giving as I didn’t think I’d be here!” 

Since Sue has owned the 16.2hh gelding they have explored a range of disciplines as well as hacking she explained, “he’s just started jumping but he felt a very unbalanced, so I thought we’d do dressage and have a go at that first. He’s doing really well so we’re now going to start a little bit of jumping. A little bit of British Dressage and Combined Training will be enough for me.”  

Speaking about his personality at home Sue shared, “he's such a lovely kind horse, he’s lovely to deal with, anybody can feed him, catch him, he’s just a nice person, he seems to accept everything. He’s never been anywhere to hear a tannoy so that was all new and he’s not bothered and that was the first time he’d heard music in an arena too for the prize giving!”  

Before the end of the year the duo have also qualified for the London International Horse Show, Sue told us, “In preparation for the Semi-Finals, I took him to a local show, where he qualified as a Performance Horse so that’s his next outing, to become a show horse! I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse get so far so quickly, so it’s given the confidence to have a go and certainly at my age, to inspire everybody to have a go themselves so I keep telling everyone to have a go at dressage and Quest, it helps you with everything else.”  

Justine Ward and McCartney’s Valintino were our runners up with a score of 68.106% and rounding out the top three were Charlie Harper and Quantocks Best Kept Secret, who received 68.03% from the judges.  

My Quest Open Preliminary  

Winner: Katy Weller & Cool Eliza, 69.855% 

Katy Weller and her lovely chestnut mare Cool Eliza topped the class in the My Quest Open Preliminary with a great score of 69.85% from the three judges in arena one, Donn Collins (E), John Robinson (C) and Sue Staines (M).  

When describing her test Katy shared, “she was such a good horse, I am so proud!” A bit overwhelmed with joy, Katy described winning as 'a bit strange' not having any expectations coming into the championships, “but it has been such a good feeling” enjoying the lap of honour.  

Katy has been riding Eliza for four years, working hard to “slowly reduce the ginger ‘mareness’ behaviour” the duo have had a long journey, but their hard work has paid off. This is only their first year doing Quest Katy tells us, “It is such a nice thing to work towards, and we are defiantly going to carry on, we have the bug for it now.”  

Despite having a spicier personality Katy told us more about her mare: “Eliza will do anything for food, give her food and she loves you. When it comes to her work if she is in the mood, she will do it and if she isn’t she will let you know!” 

Katy had many supporters with her: “We have her owner here, Chloe Knowles, as well as the rest of our team. There is a nice group of us with the four of us here and there is another four coming up Saturday.” Katy told us she enjoys competing in both the My Quest and the Team Quest competitions, “they are both really good fun and it's amazing that all of my team also support me whilst I’m doing My Quest.”  

Sarah Hall riding KGV Camiro finished in second place with a close score of 69.42% and in third place was Janine Wright with La Loca scoring 69.438% to round out a very competitive top three!  

My Quest Open Novice 

Winner: Lisa Crabtree & Bowland Silver Laughton, 70.067%  

In the final prize giving of the day, the My Quest Open Novice Champion crown was secured by Lisa Crabtree and Bowland Silver Laughton. The duo won the class with the highest score of the day, an impressive 70.067%.  

Lisa reflecting on her test told us: “I think seemed to go well, I think we’ve established he probably goes better in the rain to be honest, he was pretty good considering the conditions. There were a few bits that could have been better, but it went well. I was not expecting this though, not at all.” 

The duo have a strong partnership, Lisa having owned Harry, as he is known at home, for nine years. Lisa shared how she was feeling after the prize giving, “It feels unbelievable to have won, I’ve worked so hard with him, he has been hard work. I got him when he was rising three, he’s twelve now, I backed him, first time I’d ever backed a horse.” The pair first started in the showing ring Lisa explained, “he really didn’t like that, so we gave that up! He loves his jumping, we can get away with Working Hunter because it keeps his interest, loves eventing and now he’s just started to come really good in the dressage. It’s been a long slog but I’m pleased with his progress.”  

Lisa is another first time My Quest Championships competitor, having competed in the series two years ago, but qualifying for Team Quest. This year it’s the duos first time in both My Quest and Team Quest, showing how far they have come, "I'm just absolutely made up that two years down the line, he’s really come into his own so I’m very pleased.”  

Harry, enjoyed the limelight when being interviewed, “he’s full of personality” Lisa told us, “he’s very chilled at home, never misbehaves, he’s so easy to manage, easy to do everything with. But we get out and his personality starts to come out then and he can be a bit of a quirky boy.”  

Lisa has to balance work life with looking after and exercising Harry she shared, “I work as a custodial manager in a prison, so hard graft, quite intense a lot of the time. But it allows me to do what I want to do. He also has someone who loans him and does him when I’m on the late shifts so that’s good and she loves him to bits too.” The duo is now looking forward to stepping up to Elementary as well as carrying on with the Working Hunter classes and showjumping.  

Sarah Bott riding Clovers Reward were our second-place combination, with a score of 69.733% followed by Louise Lennon and Willow XX in third place with 69.467%.  

Photos © Kevin Sparrow Photography