Winter Regional Championships: Alnwick Ford

Multiple wins were the theme at Alnwick Ford’s Winter Regional Championship (19 – 22 February 2026) as plenty of worthy combinations stepped up and collected their tickets to the NAF Five Star Winter Championships in April.  

Northumberland-based Sophie Isaacs (pictured) proved the show’s leading rider after claiming no fewer than four BD Winter Regional titles at Alnwick Ford with her own German-bred 10-year-old Donaigo Ace. The pair teamed up at Medium level on Wednesday to win the HorseLight Silver Championship with 68.380%, before going on to earn their highest score of the show in the SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Silver, with Andrea Smith, Andrew Bennie and Gwyneth Lewis rewarding a sublime 74.056%. The next day, a step up in level brought identical results; the strong form continued with win three in the Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Silver on a score of 68.102%, before the elegant duo completed their quad with 71.833% in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver. The 24-year-old rider also earned a runner up spot in the Prelim Gold with Ojemathika M earning 71.067%. 

Sophie is a BD Youth A Squad rider and has been a member of both the BD National Academy and the British Equestrian Young Professionals Programme. Her hard work and dedication truly paid off at this show, which Sophie took to Facebook to describe: “My word, the week that just kept giving! What an absolutely unbelievable few days we’ve had at the regionals, I feel a bit shell shocked. I am so immensely proud of both Hugo and Molly and feeling like my cup is very full. I’m so grateful for all the support and kind words. I have to say I feel like I worked harder than ever in the run up to ensure the horses were well prepared, happy, working well and peaked at the right time, but still never anticipated we’d come away with anything close to the results we got.” 

Team Hayler enjoyed a successful family outing, bringing home three titles from their time at the show. Bobby Hayler and Fiona James' stunning black stallion NoNo Secret secured the top spot by four percent in the HorseLight Medium Gold notching up a score of 71.111% in front of Andrew Bennie, Gwyneth Lewis and Andrea Smith. The pair then went on to win the SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold with 72.889%. Paul Hayler and Jo Ivimey’s Lusitano stallion Opus II HI showed a class ride in the Magic Prix St Georges Gold, riding to a winning score of 68.921%; the pair have represented Great Britain at three MCI European Championships. 

Richmond’s Melissa Chapman wasn’t out of the placings all week with five horses making it a busy but incredibly rewarding show. Her first win of the week came in Thursday’s Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Gold class where her own and Tracy Elliot’s Dream Boy-sired gelding TCE Godieta’s Mind Over Matter beat her stable mate Koning TCE to the top spot. Melissa earned another one-two in the HorseHage Prelim Gold class, this time is was Roxanne Tuohy’s jumping-bred Millfield Cassalina (Casall ASK x Contender) to impress the judges – earning 72.667% - whilst the Britsh-bred Filmstar 111 (Flammengold x T Movistar) earned 71.067% for second. Not to be left out, Melissa’s five-year-old TCE Royal VDH stepped up from fourth in the Prelim to earn the Prestige Novice Gold title on 70.430%.  

Another rider earning multiple wins was Jordan Kavanagh who made an impression with Beth Patmore’s Flashdance GH (Floris Prince x Lauries Crusador), securing three titles across the show. Their first win was rewarded after earning 68.065% in the Prestige Novice Silver; followed by a double at Elementary level where they claimed the Equi-Trek Silver title with 68.788% and the PDS Saddles Freestyle with an impressive 71.795%. Speaking on social media Jordan said, "Triple regional champion in one weekend! Still on cloud nine from Alnwick Ford Equestrian Winter Regionals — what a weekend! The boys brought home some incredible results. Few easier weeks for them now and then count down is on to the Winter Championships. My entire life goes into the horses as does everyone else’s who supports me and the horses making all this possible, I’ll never be able to thank you all enough for the support! Huge thanks to Martin Schleicher for all your training and patience when I cannot ride a simple change for the life of me."

Congratulations to all competitors who took part and those successful in securing their spot at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships in April. Thanks go to the team at Alnwick Ford for hosting a super Winter Regional event.   

Results  

Wednesday 18 February  

HorseLight Medium Gold 
1. Bobby Hayler and NoNo Secret, 71.111%  
2. Victoria Hamer and Minton, 67.824% 
3. Melissa Chapman and Diablo Dancer, 66.713% 

HorseLight Medium Silver 
1. Sophie Isaacs and Donaigo Ace, 68.380% 
2. Tracey Kibler and Furst Showgirl, 67.916% 
3. Sarah Oakden and Koriejannes W, 67.593% 

SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold 
1. Bobby Hayler and NoNo Secret, 72.889%  
2. Zoe Allen and Niro Frieda Gold, 71.278% 
3. Natalie Widdowson and Nelson van de Gathe, 67.667% 

SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Silver 
1. Sophie Isaacs and Donaigo Ace, 74.056% 
2. Emily Avery and KGB Sandro, 70.834% 
3. Sarah Oakden and Koriejannes W, 69.833% 

Thursday 19 February 

Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Gold 
1. Melissa Chapman and TCE Godieta’s Mind Over Matter, 68.796% 
2. Melissa Chapman and Koning TCE, 68.009% 

Black Country Saddles Advance Medium Silver 
1. Sophie Isaacs and Donaigo Ace, 68.102% 
2. Leanne Gray and OFS Pitch Black, 65.556%  
3. Aimee Aspinall and Lavanya MC, 62.593% 

Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver 
1. Sophie Isaacs and Donaigo Ace, 71.833% 
2. Emily Avery and KGB Sandro, 68.223% 
3. Jo-Anne Murray and Almwind, 65.945% 

Magic Prix St Georges Gold 
1. Paul Hayler and Opus II HI, 68.921% 

Magic Prix St Georges Silver 
1. Zoe Allen and Gadget W, 64.118%  
2. John Hill and Pollys Wish, 62.794% 

Friday 20 February  

HorseHage Preliminary Gold 
1. Melissa Chapman and Millfield Cassalina, 72.667% 
=2. Melissa Chapman and Filmstar 111, 71.067% 
=2. Sophie Isaacs and Ojemathika M, 71.067% 

Mollichaff Preliminary Silver 
1. Joanne Forster and Prince of Ithilien, 66.267% 
2. Isla Foley and Farandole, 64.200% 
3. Michael Robson and Ice, 63.467% 

Prestige Novice Gold 
1. Melissa Chapman and TCE Royal VDH, 70.430% 
2. Linda Faulks and Rampere Bonnie, 66.720% 
3. Lily Crisp and Godrics Cleopatra, 64.570% 

Saturday 21 February  

Prestige Novice Silver 
1. Jordan Kavanagh and Pirlo KS, 68.065% 
2. Martyn Johnson and Lislee Lance, 67.634% 
3. Oliver Lawery and Seiont Glesyn, 67.527% 

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold 
1. Linda Faulks and Rampere Bonnie, 68.889% 

Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver 
1. Joanna Loftus and Opus – D, 71.574%  
2. Oliver Lawery and Seiont Glesyn, 71.389%  
3. Jordan Kavanagh and Pirlo KS, 69.722% 

Equi-Trek Elementary Gold 
1. Zoe Allen and Niro Frieda Gold, 71.616% 
2. Melissa Chapman and Diablo Dancer, 69.647%  
3. Natalie Widdowson and Nelson van de Gathe, 68.081% 

Sunday 22 February  

Equi-Trek Elementary Silver 
1. Jordan Kavanagh and Flashdance GH, 68.788%  
2. Lauren Crowe and Scout, 67.727%  
3. Lauren Mennell and Bellameena, 66.414% 

PDS Saddles Elementary Fresstyle Gold 
1. Natalie Widdowson and Nelson van de Gathe, 69.615% 

PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver 
1. Jordan Kavanagh and Flashdance GH, 71.795% 
2. Lauren Crowe and Scout, 69.744% 
3. Rebecca Holloran and Dora the Explorer, 68.847% 

FULL RESULTS

Photo: Ali Marley Photography