Festival Focus - Moreton Equestrian
Our final Petplan Winter Area Festival of 2024 has come to an end. Competitors travelled to Moreton Equestrian Centre where our final 14 winter winners were crowned, at another showcase event.
Petplan’s picks!
Festival first timers Brooke Howells and Starborn Two Step placed in both the Prelim Bronze and Novice Bronze, both incredibly competitive classes! Brooke told us how it felt to finish within the top ten at her first Area Festival, “I was truly over the moon to find out when they announced the top ten for both my classes that we had placed. Placing 6th in the Prelim Bronze with 68.19%, and being the 2nd highest U21 rider.” The combination also placed 10th in the Novice Bronze with a score of 66.33%, another large class of 32 competitors and again being the 2nd highest placed U21 rider.
Setting of for Moreton Equestrian on the Sunday, Brooke knew that it was going to be a busy competition, “this was the last qualifier for the NAF 5 Star Winter Championships to be held at Addington in April, this meant the classes were huge and lots of people had travelled a long way to attend! Sunday was a big day for Twoie and I.”
The weather tried but failed to dampen the Area Festival atmosphere Brooke tells us, “despite getting absolutely soaked we met some lovely people and everyone involved was so encouraging from the judges to the stewards.” While warming up she explains, “I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t a bit nervous in the warm up, because I was and the rain was relentless, but we had such lovely support and Twoie seemed to be excited to be at a party!”
© Dorset Photo Event
Reflecting on the highlights of their test Brooke spoke about how she began to relax as she rode down the centre line, “the rain was very heavy and the wind was quite bad too, but I loved listening to the announcer introducing us and Twoie knew his job and listened to me attentively. He understandably was a little tense to begin with, like I was, but he really did me proud.”
Brooke told us about her journey with the Twoie, “being able to compete in this series has definitely been a highlight for us and feel proud of how far our partnership has come over the last two years.” She describes the 16hh grey as her “constant” and enjoys every minute competing with him. Their dressage journey started at unaffiliated, working their way through the levels and then began their BD journey last June, “next we are training some Elementary moves and thinking of maybe even trying some freestyle to music, but most of all we are excited to try and qualify for the Summer Area Festivals now.” Brooke also added, “we wish everyone who qualified for Addington in April the best of luck.”
Alison Jenden has had a partnership with Totil Diamond Jubliee since the very beginning, she tells us, “Lizzie has been on the yard I work at (Woodinton Training Centre) since she was weaned and I’ve ridden, trained and competed her from the start.” The combination won the Intermediate I Bronze at Moreton Equestrian, with a score of 66.67%.
Speaking about their journey together Alison tells us the 12-year-old mare, “was owned by an elderly gentleman, Norman Pike, who unfortunately passed away last year after we won the Prix St Georges Freestyle to Music at Moreton’s 2023 Summer Area Festival. We were then unable to compete at the championships partly because we were unsure as to what Noman’s sons had planned for her.” Fortunately, Alison and Lizzie’s journey did not end there, “I hatched a plan with some very good friends to try to be able to buy her for myself, as I was fairly sure that they didn’t share their father’s passion for horses and dressage. Thankfully it all worked out and I became her proud owner last November.”
The atmosphere on the day was great, Alison explains how, “Moreton has always been one of my favourite competition venues because of the lovely team that runs the shows there and the super arenas and surfaces.” The combination had a mistake free Prix St Georges test but Alison explains, “I knew it wasn’t our best effort at this level so I was happy to still be placed with a pretty good score” finishing in 5th place. However, she was left feeling really pleased following their Intermediate I test, “she’d only done the Intermediate I three times before Moreton, but she does seem to like it better than the Prix St Georges. I think maybe so do I though!” Another mistake free test left them at the top of the scoreboard at the end of the day, Alison said, “the only thing I wasn’t brave enough to try and do in the test was making the pirouettes smaller but hopefully by the time we go to Addington we’ll be more confident in those.”
In preparation for the Area Festival the pair had regular training with Claire Moir and Emily Ormerod who Alison explains, “have both really helped me with the step up to riding the higher level tests with more polish and gaining those all important extra marks wherever we can!” Alison also tells us she is lucky enough to be only ten minutes away from Kirsty Chabert’s yard, which is home to Aquastride equine water treadmill. “Lizzie has had weekly visits to the treadmill and that has really helped in building up her strength for the higher-level work.” Not forgetting to mention her wonderful physio Sorcha who with her regular indiba treatments helps to keep the British Hanoverian feeling good.
Taking home the rosette and “all important sash” was one of the highlights of Alison’s day, and she is looking ahead to the Summer Area Festivals, “we are already part qualified for the summer straight classes so now we are looking to gain our freestyle to music qualifications too.” Also looking to progress further up the levels to Intermediate II.
Hannah Bown and Buckland Bonnie Lad (pictured above) won the Novice Silver with an impressive score of 70.69%, Hannah tells us she was, “thrilled with his tests at Moreton” explaining that what the New Forest pony (known as Rodney to his friends) may lack in natural ability he makes up for by having the most wonderful attitude to his work.
The 10-year-old gelding was bred by Diana Van Heinnik at the Buckland Stud, Hannah spoke about how their partnership came to be, “I brought him straight from the field as an 8-year-old, he had had a fashionable period of furlough after being backed as a 4-year-old.” The 14.2hh has proved to be a brilliant all-rounder, “he is exceeding all our expectations between the white boards, but he is a true all-rounder and we have great fun hacking and doing sponsored rides with our friends!”
Hannah tells us about preparation for the event, while also working a full-time job as a Diagnostic Radiographer for the NHS, “the winter is always a challenging time to prepare for a qualifying show, this winter especially, shoes and muddy fields has been an endless challenge. However, the rest has done him good and he has come back stronger and really enjoying his work.”
The combination showcased their talent in front of the judges, Hannah explains how the dark bay was, “obedient and remained supple and focused on me throughout both tests, I didn’t think I could have asked him for anymore at this stage of his training.” One of the highlights being their medium work, “having short front legs has meant that his medium paces have been hard to find however, he felt more confident to try on the weekend and the judges rewarded that.”
Despite a very early start they managed to dodge the rain showers that were present over the course of the competition, Hannah explains that, “the team put on a great show.” One of the things she enjoys most about competing in the Area Festival series is, “it is so lovely to compete against like-minded people, who were out having fun with their horses and are so supportive of one another.”
Looking towards what is next for them both, “we will continue to have fun whilst training up the levels and enjoying every bit of our journey together, wherever that may take us.”
Moreton Equestrian Winners
Petplan Winter Preliminary Bronze
Sophie Miller & Brookwood Arctic Sparkle, 70.00%
Petplan Winter Preliminary Silver
Alison Steele & Trenerth Thomas Gew, 70.69%
Petplan Winter Novice Bronze
Sophie Miller & Brookswood Arctic Sparkle, 68.68%
Petplan Winter Novice Silver
Hannah Victoria Bown & Buckland Bonnie Lad, 70.42%
Petplan Winter Elementary Bronze
Sian Axten & MSJ Gabriella, 70.00%
Petplan Winter Elementary Silver
Alysia Matravers & Vorvashill Vertigo, 70.49%
Petplan Winter Medium Bronze
Penelope Smith & Rembrandt GSH, 70.46%
Petplan Winter Medium Silver
Poppy Burner & Cillnabradden Evo, 70.15%
Petplan Winter Advanced Medium Bronze
Poppy Burner & Cillnabradden Evo, 67.18%
Petplan Winter Advanced Medium Silver
India John & Grayswood Orlando, 67.61%
Petplan Winter Prix St Georges Bronze
India John & Grayswood Orlando, 67.01%
Petplan Winter Prix St Georges Silver
Jess Davies & Jodan, 69.31%
Petplan Winter Intermediate I Bronze
Alison Jendon & Totil Diamond Jubilee, 66.67%
Petplan Winter Intermediate I Silver
Jess Davies & Jodan, 68.14%