Senior Inter Regionals 2018

The Senior Inter Regional event is always an affair not to be missed and the action this year didn’t disappoint (12 - 13 May 2018). A total of 31 teams descended upon the premier Bedfordshire venue Keysoe representing seven regions, each ready and raring to go!

Showstopping Southerners take the spoils

Victory in the team championship belonged to Sharon Walker’s Southern Verve Cliquot, who held on to their overnight lead to top the podium. Made up of Hannah Powel, Tanya Dahdi, Krystyna Monks and Rachel Collins the awesome foursome capitalised on their great first day results to increase their lead on day two resulting in a final total of 424.55.

It was a Southern lockout on the top two places of the podium as the Southern Bollinger team produced more fabulous results for the region to earn a total of 421.53. Nicola Harrison, Sara Malpass, Fields Wicker-Miurin and Helen Millichamp improved on their overnight position of third to nab the runner up spot. The Southern Taittinger team are not to go without recognition as the combined effort of Phillip Gover, Claire Ashley, Emma Roche and Sarah Mitchell gave their region yet another brilliant result of fourth place - only 0.24 points behind Jo Byrne’s Northern Vikings. The Vikings, consisting of Shirley Hart, Lesley Wheatley, Sian Lovatt and Alice Elliot, finished in a very deserved third place with 416.31 which marks an amazing debut top three finish for the Northern Region!

‘The teams were just amazing from the start, lots of new people came forward so we had a really healthy mix of older faces and new riders. The start went really well and ended with Southern teams lying first and third overnight and although very exciting a region hasn’t ever been in the lead overnight and gone onto to win so myself and team trainer Char Lassetter were trying really hard to keep focus,’ said proud RDO Sharon Walker, ‘the pressure of the team competitions on individuals is enormous as they want to do well for themselves but are desperate not to let their team mates down so despite all of our assurances to do their best and enjoy the time we went into day two with some tension!’

Fields Wicker Muirin, a member of runner up team Southern Bollinger, added, ‘Southern is such an amazing region to be involved in our riders, helpers, coaches and everyone are always supportive, always positive, always on the side of what is the right thing to do; sorting out problems at all hours of the day and night and focused above all on getting all of our individuals to work together and support each other as a team. This is what makes Southern so special – the team spirit, mutual supportiveness, equal desires to have fun, work hard, help others and do well.’

Southwesters 1 were the best of the rest taking fifth spot closely followed by two Eastern groups using creative Festival themed team names – Sundowner and Glastonbury – Wales Barry Island earned eighth place with Central Sauvignon and Northern Jorvik completing the top ten. Though not quite making a top ten spot commendations go to the North West Region, run by Lou Jones for their results and numerous individual placings.

Team Standings

1. Southern Verve Cliquot – H Powel, T Dahdi, K Monks, R Collins – 424.55
2. Southern Bollinger – N Harrison, S Malpass, F wicker-Miurin, H Millichamp – 421.53
3. Northern Vikings – S Hart, A Elliot, L Wheatley, S Lovatt – 416.31
4. Southern Taittinger – P Gover, C Ashley, E Roche, S Mitchell – 416.07
5. Southwesters 1 – N Harding, J Allies, K Kneen, B Mogridge – 410.25

Super scores and individual honours

Earning the highest overall score across the four individual Inter Regional titles was Southern Verve Cliquot rider Krystyna Monks with her own Favorit (Floriscount x Lauries Crusador). Krystyna and the 17hh black gelding made their mark on the competition on day one as they scored 72.22% to gain a two percent advantage over the field. A second day score of 75.67% sealed the deal and resulted in a win in the Novice section for the duo and a final percentage of 73.94%.

In the Elementary class, Phillip Gover and the Dutch bred Deutz emerged as Southern’s second Inter Regional Individual champions. Two consistent scores of 71.47% and 71.16% were enough to place them just in front of day one leaders Nicola Harrison and Lobk Van Het Urnenveld. Third place belonged to Hannah Powel with Sarah Powel’s Showmaker son Show Dance, their 70.90% completed an amazing top three takeover for team Southern.

The Central region notched up an individual victory in the Prelim section thanks to Samantha Rees and the beautiful British bred Holme Grove Lotus – a fifteen-year-old mare by Trakener stallion Holme Park Krug. The duo produced the most notable improvement of the four individual champions as they climbed from sixth place into the lead after a sublime performance in  Sunday’s Preliminary 19. Their combined scores of 70% and 73.22% propelled them to the top step of the podium which was completed by Helen Millichamp with Jalados Star (Southern Bollinger) and Elisa Standford-Roberts with Hywell Aptomos (Wales Barry Island).

In the Medium Championship, the highest level at the Inter Regionals, it was Emma Holmes with Karen Holmes’ Westhills Watermark to conquer the class and earn a super victory for Nothern Valhalla. Emma and the twelve-year-old British bred gelding by Longdean Westminster stormed to the top with an overall percentage of 70.47%. Claire Ashley (Southern Taittinger) and Trudie Knight (C No Limit) shared an overnight lead after both posting 71.32% in Saturday’s Medium 73; the pair were eventually split by just half a percent with Claire taking second place on board Kelly Russell’s Regal Hit leaving Sophie Mann’s Trudie and C No Limit in the final podium position.

Despite amazing performances from riders across all seven regions it was undoubtedly Southern’s weekend. Enthusing about their record breaking results RDO Sharon Walker concluded, ‘to not just win the team competition overall but finish second and fourth too is AMAZING! No region has ever achieved this or the one-two-three in the Elementary individual championships I am so so proud of every one of our team they tried so hard supported each other and cared so much Southern stood shoulder to hoof throughout the weekend.’

Individual Winners

Prelim Championship
Samantha Rees with Holme Grove Lotus, 71.61%
Novice Championship
Krystyna Monks with Favorit, 73.94%

Elementary Championship 
Phillip Gover with Deutz, 71.31%

Medium Championship Emma Holmes with Westhills Watermark, 70.47%