This year’s PC dressage championships saw in-form branches taking the top awards
The Scunthorpe and District branch were deserving winners of the team dressage finals, breaking the stranglehold imposed by the Chiddingfold in recent years.
Georgia Beckitt, 16, Gemma Harris, 18, Alex Postolowsky, 17, and Jenny Sutton, 20, scored a total of 1,020 marks between them, just six ahead of the second-placed team, the Bennachie.
This was the best ever result for both teams, the win coming as “a very pleasant surprise,” for Jenny Sutton, who has owned To The Manor Born for only a few months.
Alex Postolowsky, who crowned a marvellous week by winning her section of the eventing championships on Diplomatic Jack and came sixth individually in the dressage competition, said: “My ride-off test was so much better than my first one. I’m just so pleased with him – but I don’t think any of us expected this!”
Third was the team from the New Forest Hunt, three marks ahead of the Monmouthshire.
Individual honours were won by Joanne Little, representing the Braes of Derwent branch, whose extravagant-moving bay, Grantbourne Landslide, beat Sarah Jane Elmslie of the Garth South by a huge margin of 44 marks.
Third was Jo Greenaway from the Berkeley on Remember Red, followed in quick succession by Carly Reid, riding for the North Warwickshire, and Aly Rowell of the Monmouthshire Hunt branch.
Eleven-year-old Georgina Roberts, riding the experienced chesnut pony, Rowan, for the East Essex branch, emerged victorious from the junior ride-off, with Pippa Morrison of the Bennachie just two marks behind her in second spot.
Linda Whetstone, who judged at E, said: “The senior winner was a very nice horse – light and expressive, while the junior was delightful.”
Senior judge Nick Williams also commented that “the top end of the competitors were very competent, and more riders seem to know what they are about.”
Dressage to music, the newest competition at the championships, saw a triumph for 19-year-old Laura Durkan from the Lord Leconfield branch on Welton Diplomat, with Lucy Beckingham, who also took the under-15 section, second for the Barlow Hunt branch.
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Read the full report in this week’s Horse & Hound (29 August), while the Pony Club eventing championships report will be in the 5 September issue. Click here to subscribe and enjoy Horse & Hound delivered to your door every week. |
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