Festival Focus - Kingswood Equestrian
Heading off to Staffordshire for the last Area Festival in 28 – 30 July, we welcomed riders from the Midlands to Kingswood Equestrian.
Petplan’s picks!
Lucy Mills, winner in the Prix St Georges and last years’ champion at the championships in the Advanced Medium Bronze onboard her own Saltarello Hit is over the moon to be heading back to Arena UK. Starting their partnership when she brought him as a four year old, “He was an extremely spooky and sharp youngster and the first few years weren’t very easy but thank goodness I stuck with him!” Now he’s older is takes everything in his stride Lucy says, “He tries very hard and now that he doesn’t find things too scary he has a very open mind to learning.”
They were working hard at home in the run up to the Area Festival, “I varied Cyrils work with schooling, hacking, cantering around the field and some pole work. Also had plenty of valuable lessons with my trainers Megan Rigg and Serena Pincus.” Putting it all together on the day their highlights were the trot work and flying changes, “I actually felt that our test at the areas didn’t go very well as I was struggling to get him to relax in the canter, but he got extremely good marks everywhere else and I was thrilled when I saw my score.”
Exceeding all expectation Lucy had for him, she’s looking forward to continuing their relationship together and making their way up the levels, “He is very clever and switched on now that I have the rideability, so I am looking forward to our future together!”
Young rider Sienna Galer and her fifteen year old mare Whalton Gladrags took home the highest placed U21 title in the Novice Silver. Coming together as a pair only eight months ago they have grown in such a short space of time, “I competed my first BD competition on her, and my first Area Festival and we are now moving up a level.” With a small mistake in the walk they were very excited to be competing at Kingswood.
“I was very nervous on the way to the competition but when I got there everyone was so nice and my nerves completely went away,” Sienna told us about the day. In the run up she rode her test every day for a week! They would now like to aim for the Regionals and move up to Medium level to compete at High Profiles and Premier Leagues.
On cloud nine Susan Kiernan after coming second the Elementary Silver with her gelding Just Me, it was also a bittersweet moment, “I lost both my parents this year so it started off on a low, they were our biggest support and my dad was my hero but I know they would be extremely proud.” They were leading until the very last horse who won by decimal points in the end, “I tasted that sash!” Sue told us.
The six year old was brought by Sue three years ago from Bosworth Sport Horses as a very green Dutch Warmblood. Known at home as Moses, they had the support of Sue’s husband who has helped them grow into the partnership they are today. “We have taken our time to turn him around as he was bred to show jump, and his muscles were upside down.” Having only competed in a few Elementary tests before they have been working towards Medium with her coach, Rui Campeao. The pair will be heading to the LeMieux National Championships too on a wild card in the Novice Silver, “It’s a dream come true to get him to Petplan Equine Area Festival Championship and National Championship in the same year, my parents would be extremely proud.”
With their eyes set on an Inter I by the end of the year after their second place in the Prix St Georges Bronze, Nicole Turner and her nine year old gelding J'Eton Hit LDS are a partnership to watch. Training together for the last four years, with Nicolas equestrian background of over 30 years, they have been working hard up the levels, “I was really pleased with my test we had some uncharacteristic mistakes, but we got the tempi’s which I was thrilled with, as he gets very hot about them.”
With competing always a favourite of Nicoles, it’s taken some time for J'Eton Hit LDS to do that same, “I enjoy the pressure and the atmosphere, it’s taken me years to learn to enjoy and ride in the ring how I do in the warm up but I think it’s key to find a reason to do it. I do it because I enjoy it.” Going on to say, “We went unaffiliated show jumping and had a canter in the field before the show! He tries so hard but I’ve worked out he ‘resets’ with low pressure work so I always do that before an outing.”
Kingswood Equestrian Winners
Petplan Equine Preliminary Bronze
Jessica Oldknow and Rhodbri William, 70.49 %
Petplan Equine Preliminary Silver
Holli Staton and Inferno X, 70.76 %
Petplan Equine Novice Bronze
Vicki Marie Beeston and Top Rock Billy Bunter, 66.39 %
Petplan Equine Novice Silver
Karen James and Tremarl After Dark, 70.14 %
Petplan Equine Elementary Bronze
Pip Frankish and Danieli, 71.67 %
Petplan Equine Elementary Silver
Pauline Anne Martin and Desiree, 68.87 %
Petplan Equine Medium Bronze
Josephine Dajczak and Hyperius, 68.24 %
Petplan Equine Medium Silver
Lizzie Hughes and Bright Said Fred, 66.72 %
Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Bronze
Emma Georgina Rarity and Benicios Bibi, 68.03 %
Petplan Equine Advanced Medium Silver
Melanie Jane Rowley and RFW Fatal Attraction, 66.45 %
Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Bronze
Lucy Mills and MSL Saltarello Hit, 67.25 %
Petplan Equine Prix St Georges Silver
Keryn Legg and Wolkenderry, 61.32 %
Petplan Equine Intermediate I Bronze
Lauren Kate Williamson and Timor, 59.66 %
Petplan Equine Intermediate I Silver
Angela Ellis-Dunn and Stall K S Roosentein, 58.68 %