News
Winter Regional Championships: Arena UK
- Written By: British Dressage
- Published: Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:40
Emotional wins made Arena UK’s Winter Regional one to remember as riders took to the podium after delivering top performances through the levels at the Lincolnshire venue (28 January – 1 February 2026).
Pictured: Lara Edwards and Only Star VZ (ATG Photography)
Lincolnshire-based Lara Edwards made it a show to remember in her home county, securing three titles with Only Star VZ alongside a plethora of placings with several other stable stars. Starting the title haul on Friday, Lara rode to success in the PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold, earning 73.398% in front of Sue Staines, Claire Ballantyne and Cherry Elvin. The strong form continued into Saturday where the duo made the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold title their own with 73.333%; before concluding the week on the top of the podium with 70.699% in Sunday’s Prestige Novice Gold class.
Business owner Lara has taken the time to rebuild her string of rides and patience has paid off for finding motivation, balancing horses with family and kind training with her coach Rhett Bird.
“I was over the moon,” Lara said, “this really reignited the flame for wanting to go out, compete and do the best for the horses. Star – I don’t know what to say – she is a star. I bought her in the middle of last year, I was trying to find one to produce and then sell on. But I’m not very good at the selling... I fell in love with her! She was a little weak when she came over from Holland, she’s sharp but in a way that I like.
“I’d say she’s quite an introvert, but this year I’ve really felt like she’s let me in. She reminds me so much of Felix [Jazzed Up]. She has a really good engine, she really wants to do it – often we don’t need so much movement from her, she’s like riding a trampoline! I’m really excited for her future, every day she comes out and wants to work, whether it’s hacking, jumping, pole work.”
“I love the process of training them from babies through the levels,” said Lara – who is the sole person putting in the work with her horses, “Jess my yard manager is super, she made it a really enjoyable show. I’ve got a very small group of people around me, but it’s the best team. I have to mention the team work, my close friends and the team at home, they’ve helped me step onto a new path.”
“I know mum and dad will be so proud up there, it’s so hard, they would’ve been the first people I would’ve called when I got the results,” Lara reflected on her parents, who sadly both passed away in the last two years but were her biggest supporters and inspiration, at home and at shows. The Lincolnshire lady is now cheered on by her two young daughters, firmly her number-one superfans.
South-Yorkshire rider Katie Owens described her dual wins as ‘really special', overcoming adversity to claim the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver title with the British-bred Furstenline CJS on 69.889% and the Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Silver with Gamblethorpe graduate Quattro II earning 68.658%. “I spent three months in hospital with a type of Guillian Barre Syndrome which had started causing nerve damage and paralysis in my left side, eyes and nerves in my heart,” Katie explained, “I wasn’t able to work for four months in the end and when I was discharged, the hospital were offering for me to have modifications to my home and carers come to help me which was a scary time but I declined all the help and was so determined to get back to riding.
“I had owners that had stood by me while I was in hospital and Bella’s (Furstenline) owner waited all that time to send her to me for training; I had produced her from the age of four to six when she was sold, and I didn’t want to let them or the horses down.”
Speaking about her winning rides, she continued: “Both of the horses are truly special - I’ve been riding Ron (Quattro) since he was three years old and he was the first horse I rode when I was trying to get going again, he had also had four months off but I trusted him completely and I’m so grateful to him for taking care of me and giving me confidence when I was so weak. I used to fall down getting off him because my legs would give way! Bella who was mostly out of work all year, arrived at the beginning of November with me and has achieved more than I’d ever have dreamed of in less than three months. I’m still finding it hard sometimes to manage I feel unwell and weak quite often , I get tired in the test and have to do shorter warm ups but these two are truly my team mates and carried me through and cover for me when I’ve run out of energy and make mistakes. I owe everything to them and everyone who has supported me through the illness including my coach Gareth Hughes.”
Faye Heppelwaithe was another standout in the Silver classes, riding Linda Heppelwaithe's Governor-sired Kattleya van de Westen to two wins at Elementary level. In the Equi-Trek Elementary Silver, judges Sue Staines, Andrea Smith and Lotte Olsen rewarded the combination a winning mark of 68.939%; before the pair went on to musical success in the PDS Saddles Elementary Silver class winning their second title on 71.346%.
Buckinghamshire’s Gracie Catling is rarely out of the placings at the Winter Regionals and secured another title with the talented Friesian mare Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune; the pair achieved a huge score of 75% in the SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold class.
Other high scores came from the HorseHage Prelim Gold, where Patsy Bartram rode the six-year-old British-bred DA Louis (Danone I x Sporcken) to 73.533%; whilst Nikki Barker notched up 72.778% in the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold with Danoa – a tall bay gelding with special heritage, sired by Nikki’s Grand Prix stallion Durable and out of her top class mare Pasoa.
The NAF Small Tour qualifiers saw four different riders take the titles. Judy Harvey and her faithful long-term dancing partner SP Bento claimed the Magic Prix St Georges title with a plus 70% score; whilst the Silver section belonged to Young Rider combination Madison Eagle and Royalty. Judy also claimed second in the Superflex Intermediate I Gold class, which was won by eventing and dressage rider Holly Woodhead with Suzy Dawe’s Extra II on a strong score. Of 69.020%. The Superflex Intermediate I Silver title went the way of Georgina Day after an accomplished performance on board Mandy Day’s Waverley Night Music (Negro x Special D) earned 68.088%.
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 Arena UK for hosting a great Winter Regional event.
Results
Wedneday 28 January
HorseLight Medium Gold
1. Daniel Sherriff and Nothing Compares 2U, 69.954%
2. Holly Woodhead and MSJ Bachelor, 69.583%
3. Nikki Barker and Lestingdale VS, 69.074%
HorseLight Medium Silver
1. Samantha Jimmison and Lilling Hall Moment in Time, 70%
2. Craig Messenger and Niko Aster, 69.213%
3. Bethany Edginton and Nelson HD, 69.028%
SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Gracie Catling and Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, 75%
2. Sophie Wells and Ontario LC, 73.945%
3. Lara Edwards and Beaumont Franziska, 71%
SPILLERS Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Bethany Edginton and Nelson HD, 69.778%
2. Jane Boothroyd and Private Dancer V, 69.556%
3. Freya Percival and Happy Vemma, 68.445%
Thursday 29 January
Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Gold
1. Emma Jablonski and Multivision, 69.444%
2. Gracie Catling and Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, 69.028%
3. Sara-Jane Lanning and Charming Duke, 68.750%
Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium Silver
1. Katie Owens and Quattro II, 68.658%
2. Heidi Hutchinson and Florida of Westoak, 68.333%
3. Laura Woodcock and Lightning Texel W, 67.500%
Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Gold
1. Gracie Catling and Fraithwens Wytske fan ter Lune, 71.334%
2. Danielle Hardwick and Love Actually Wins MFS, 70.945%
3. Ellie Roberts and Lyon HK, 70.889%
Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Silver
1. Katie Owens and Furstenline CJS, 69.889%
2. Tracy Fall and Dressage Adventures San Lorenzo, 69.778%
3. Heidi Hutchinson and Florida of Westoak, 69.612%
Superflex Intermediate I Gold
1. Holly Woodhead and Extra II, 69.020%
2. Judy Harvey and SP Bento, 68.480%
3. Sara-Jane Lanning and Breit Fantastic, 65.245%
Superflex Intermediate I Silver
1. Georgina Day and Waverley Night Music, 68.088%
2. Lucy Mills and MSL Saltarello Hit, 67.010%
3. Nicole Turner and J’Eton Hit LDS, 66.079%
Friday 30 January
Magic Prix St Georges Gold
1. Judy Harvey and SP Bento, 70.098%
2. Louise Gallavan-Gelder and Fabergé TF, 69.853%
3. Amy Woodhead and MSJ Viva Dannebrog, 68.333%
Magic Prix St Georges Silver
1. Madison Eagle and Royalty, 66.471%
2. Lucy Mills and MSL Saltarello Hit, 64.902%
3. Laura Hill and Jobarde-E, 64.608%
Equi-Trek Elementary Silver
1. Faye Heppelthwaite and Kattleya van de Westen, 68.939%
2. Amy-lauren Fillingham and Lincoln LDS, 67.172%
3. Imogen Swann and Lefiesta, 67.121%
PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Gold
1. Lara Edwards and Only Star VZ, 73.398%
2. Nikki Barker and Danoa, 72.949%
3. Paul Hayler and Oliver XV, 70.192%
PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle Silver
1. Faye Heppelthwaite and Kattleya van de Westen, 71.346%
2. Amy-lauren Fillingham and Lincoln LDS, 69.680%
3. Lucy Wilson and Fairytale IV, 69.552%
Saturday 31 January
Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
1. Nikki Barker and Danoa, 72.778%
2. Paul Hayler and Oliver XV, 70.758%
3. Nikki Barker and Lestingdale VS, 70.505%
Prestige Novice Silver
1. Isabel White and Deoso I, 71.022%
2. Isabel White and Quatango, 70.914%
3. Rebecca Page and Valento V, 69.624%
Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold
1. Lara Edwards and Only Star VZ, 73.333%
2. Patsy Bartram and DA Louis, 71.852%
3. Lara Edwards and Phoenix x, 71.390%
Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Silver
1. Alyson Parker and Leandro Vl, 70.741%
2. Nicola Thornton and Faberge, 70.649%
3. Julia Wilkinson and Chadwells Zukunftsstar, 68.889%
Sunday 1 February
Prestige Novice Gold
1. Lara Edwards and Only Star VZ, 70.699%
2. Rebecca Hughes and Sweet Serenity PJ, 70.538%
3. Antonia Brown and SJL Poseidon, 70.322%
HorseHage Preliminary Gold
1. Patsy Bartram and DA Louis, 73.533%
2. Alex Chick and Rock Angel, 72.933%
3. Imogen Swann and SJL Zebedee, 72.600%
Mollichaff Preliminary Silver
1. Isabel White and Sir Quattrohall, 70.600%
2. Julia Wilkinson and Chadwells Felino CS, 69.667%
3. Ashlene Bagshaw and Dream-Maker, 69.333%
