Rachel Littlewood topped the NAF Five Star BE80 championships results at the Defender Bramham Horse Trials today – on the same day her ride, Fiancee, became a mother. Her filly by Blue Hors Viconte was born by embryo transfer this morning.
“Her foal wasn’t due until 12 June, but she came this morning while I was driving here – I think I’m going to call her Bramham,” said Rachel. “The foal and surrogate mummy are doing well and hopefully she’ll do as well as ‘Lottie’ has done.”
Rachel owns and runs Pickering Grange Equestrian in Leicestershire and has been on a sabbatical from working for HSBC since last July, taking the time to build a new arena. She has six horses and competes three of them at the moment.
“I’ve owned Fiancee since she was a four-year-old and it’s our second eventing season – we’ve never been to any sort of national championships so it’s amazing. I never thought we’d win in a million years,” said Rachel. “She’s an absolutely fab horse and I do a bit of everything with her. I really enjoy eventing because I love the cross-country.”
The pair were second after dressage, which Rachel said isn’t always their strong point, and stayed on that first-phase score of 29.9, despite a dicey moment at the big drop at the Joules Leap of Faith (fence 9ab).
“I can’t wait to see the video – she saw something and got startled and then sort of cat leapt from nowhere. I ended up halfway up her neck, but somehow I stayed on,” said Rachel.
BE80 championships results: teenager takes second
Beth Jones, 18, took second on Fantasy Chilli.
“I’ve had her three years and she had been in training, but never raced. The first week I had her she put me in hospital after she put me through the fence of our arena – I was very sore, but luckily nothing was broken,” said Beth.
“She was very rarely on all four feet – she was always on her back legs, always kicking out. It’s been very rewarding to retrain her to the point of being able to do a lovely dressage test and jump round this great, technical course.”
Beth works as a yard lead at the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy, a college where 16 to 25 year olds with learning disabilities learn through horses. She is currently doing British Horse Society exams and also has an ex-racehorse who she is aiming at Retraining of Racehorses showing classes.
“I just really enjoy producing youngsters and seeing the progress they make,” she said.
BE80 championships winner Rachel Littlewood with second-placed Beth Jones and third-placed Deborah Burrell, plus NAF’s Eloise Chugg-Martin and Bramham host Nick Lane Fox.
Deborah Burrell, 55, landed third with Imperial Tangle. The 55-year-old was recently diagnosed with cancer and delayed starting treatment to compete at Bramham.
“I said, ‘I don’t care what I’ve got – I’m not missing Bramham after I worked so hard last year to get here.’ I’ve had ‘Impy’ eight years and she’s my absolute life – my heart hurts, I love her so much,” said Deborah.
“Four years ago, my son was diagnosed with cancer and Impy got me through that and now she’s got to do it again. She really is my whole world.”
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