We’re officially halfway through the 2022 LeMieux National Dressage Championships held at Somerford Park in Cheshire. If you couldn’t make it or missed any results, we round up the main news from the National Dressage Championships day two:
Becky Moody was the star of the action, winning two championships on the bounce. Her first title came in the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I gold with the ever-consistent Jagerbomb, who pipped Charlotte Dujardin and the Pidgley’s Hilus MHB, winner of the Fairfax Saddles prix st georges gold the previous day, into second.
While this win provided Becky with the thrill of all thrills, the rider — who suffered a partial pneumothorax ahead of the nationals and nearly didn’t make it — was not yet done on National Dressage Championships day two. She still had Jack Diamond in the Fairfax Saddles prix st georges freestyle.
With her medical timeout Becky didn’t get round to creating a new floorplan and music for the eight-year-old Electron/Diamond Hit gelding owned by Jo Cooper and David and Pat Webster, so she brought out her tried and tested Sherlock routine. It proved the right decision with the judges awarding her 78.30%, enough to secure her the overall prix st georges championship as well.
“I love the music and it was easy to show off his epic half passes using the old floor plan,” she said. “It was his second test of the day and I was expecting him to feel a bit tired but he lifted himself up. Like Jagerbomb he’s another with a heart of gold. How lucky am I to have two such horses?”
Wilson Stensvang and Jessie McConkey
Jessie McConkey has had a fantastic 2022, scoring a personal best at the Young Rider Europeans, securing two regionals and now winning the Fairfax Saddles inter I silver with with Wilson Stensvang. The Wilkens/Don Schufro gelding was eighth in the 2016 Young Horse World Championships as well as third at the Danish Young Horse Championships later that same year with Jessie buying him in 2020.
“He is from the same person, Klaus Munkedahl, as my Young Rider European ride Lady Gaga II,” said Jessie. “We were at Klaus’ yard looking for horses and he wasn’t really for sale but I walked into his box and he was chilling out with a droopy lip. When I rode him he was this absolute powerhouse with a mega canter. He was so level headed out there today and just took me round. We just had one small mistake on the first centre line when he popped in a couple of one tempis; they weren’t planned but felt amazing!”
Caroline Hunt and her own mare Fancy That took the Equitop elementary silver championship. Read about the chestnut mare, who definitely goes against the stereotype.
Team Hughes’ groom Angharad Harries and Jack Brown, a former vaulting horse, captured the BETTALIFE novice gold honours.
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National Dressage Championships day one round-up: Annabella Pidgley and Gio score highest mark of their partnership
‘He needed another job’: former vaulting horse, who stands at 19hh, takes national novice gold glory
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