BRITAIN’S SUCCESS AT WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN

British Dressage riders, competing at Copenhagen CDI, produced excellent results in both the Big Tour and Small Tour classes. Sandy Phillips (Berkshire) riding her own Fun, completed a high level Grand Prix test to score 66.92% and earn 3rd place. With 47 entries in the class, competition was strong. Going through to the Grand Prix Special, Sandy and Fun scored 65.67% to take 5th place, and close behind them were another British partnership, Jane Bredin (Wiltshire) and Cupido in 7th.

After a score of 62.92% in the Grand Prix, Fiona Bigwood (Kent) and Mrs Bigwood’s Habana went through to the Grand Prix Kur where they took 4th place on 67.47%. Peter Storr (Berkshire) continued his extraordinary consistent performances at international level claiming equal 3rd in the Prix St Georges with Mrs Mathiesen’s chestnut stallion Trapani on 65.19%. Having been stabled with mares, Trapani was a little tense in his test but went on to produce a polished performance in the Intermediaire I Kur to take 2 place with a score of 68.43%.

On his second ride, Mrs Mathiesen’s Freuden Tanzer, Peter scored 64.10% in the Intermediaire Ito take another 3rd place. Having been rather nervous in the Prix St Georges, Freuden Tanzer settled down to produce a more relaxed and pleasing test.

SAAB ‘GO FOR GOLD’ SUNDAY FOR BRITISH DRESSAGE PONY TEAM

Saab Great Britain Ltd have increased their already generous support of British Dressage by sponsoring the Pony Team for the 1999 European Championships at Stromsholm in Sweden from 22nd to 25th July 1999.

Six competitors will be attending the Saab ‘Go for Gold’ Sunday Pony Viewing Day at Addington in Buckinghamshire on Sunday, June 6th 1999 under the watchful eye of judges Diana Mason and Barry Marshall. vet Sven Kold and team trainer Ian Woodhead. Competitors taking part in the Viewing Day are: Sally Goodwin-Davis (Hants) on Mrs Harding’s Top Gun IV, Dionne Holding (Manchester) on her own Minkino, Sally Makin (West Yorks) on her own Nurejew. Emma McFadden (Mid Lothian) on her own Tribal Warrior, Victoria Molloy (Lancs) on her own Caesar and Hayley Watson (Glos) on her own Kenilwood Tolstoy. Emily Austin (Warks) on her own Virginia, Maria Eilberg (Worcs) on Mrs Eilberg’s Manitiu, Gemma Green (Jersey) on her mother’s Daphne II and Laura Bechtolsheimer (Glos) on her father’s Forester’s Gold.

Saab’s interest in being associated with winners is clear from their strong platform within dressage at the National Championships. Having already brought home bronze medals from both the 1997 and 1998 European Championships, the British Dressage Pony Team were obvious candidates for Saab’s winning support. even more so as Saab really is the greatest export of Sweden.

INTERNATIONAL SMALL TOUR SUCCESS FOR BRITISH DRESSAGE RIDERS

Following on from the British Dressage trials at Soley Farm Premier League Show over the Bank Holiday weekend, Britain sent teams of riders to Italy and Poland where wins were achieved in the Small Tour classes and high percentages in the Grand Prix.

Villanova D’Asti, Italy

Having shown strong performances at Soley Farm, Peter Storr from Berkshire had a successful Small Tour at Villanova D’Asti by claiming a first and two second placings. In the Prix St Georges, Peter rode Mrs Heintz’s Gambrinus to take second place with a score of 66.47% and then equal third place on Mrs Mathiesen’s Trapani with 66.42%.

Pammy Hutton continued this British success by taking 5th place on her own Amanti with a score of 66.23%. Peter went on to take second place with Trapani in the Intermediaire I with a score of 68.26% followed again by Pammy and Amanti in third place with 66.82%.

These two combinations went on to the Intermediaire I Kur where Peter and Trapani scored 71.44% to take first place ahead of Belgian rider Stefan Van Inglegen on Remy Martin in second place. Lizzie Murray (nee Loriston-Clarke) took third place with Mrs Loriston- Clarke’s Catherston Decipher on 70.83% and Pammy Hutton with her own Amanti in fourth place on 70.36%.

Pammy's tests in the Big Tour gave her and Mrs Hughes’ Rony, 6th place with a score of 63.28% in the Grand Prix and another 6th place in the Grand Prix Kur with 66.3 1%.

Jozefin, Poland

Even further from home, British riders were contesting both Big and Small tour classes at Jozefin in Poland. Nicky Barrett from Berkshire showed terrific form by taking first place in the Intermediaire I with her own Cerruti with a score of 67.69%.

Dr Bechtolsheimer and his own Wall Street took third place with 66.26%. Nicky and Cerruti then went on to take second place in the Intermediaire I Kur with a high score of 69.22%.

In the Big Tour, Kirsty Mepham and her own Dikkiloo earned their highest ever score of 68% in the Grand Prix and although scores were close they took 6th place. Jane Bredin and Mrs Cumine’s Cupido were close behind on 65.20% to take 9th place. Carrying on into the Grand Prix Kur, Kirsty and Dikkiloo earned yet another high score of 68.98% to take 7th place and Jane and Cupido 67.04% to take 11th place.

SYDNEY CDI - SMALL TOUR SUCCESS

British riders, Sonia Webster (Derbyshire) and Nicola Cooper (Somerset) enjoyed Small Tour success at Sydney CDI riding an attractive range of borrowed horses. In the Prix St Georges Derby, Sonia Webster rodc Aura Dell Alexander, a 15hh Morgan crossbreed Grand Prix horse to claim first place with a score of 64.42%. Nicola Cooper rode Dutch bred H.R.H. to take 8th place.

In the Teams Prix St Georges Derby, Nicola and Sonia finished in second place. This time riding Arabian bred Az Zahran, Sonia took 4th place in the Prix St Georges on a score of 64.03% with Nicola on Turandot, part warmblood/thoroughbred/appaloosa taking 6th place on 63.49%.

Continuing on these mounts, Sonia took 6th place in the Intermediaire I with a score of 61.33% and 7th place in the Intermediaire Freestyle with 60.94%. Nicola took 14th place in the Intermediaire 1.

Straight on arrival in the UK Nicola Cooper explained “We were really grateful for being invited out to Sydney for the opportunity, it was a great experience. We were rather thown in at the deep end, only being able to ride our horses for half an hour before the Derby and my horse was fairly inexperienced but there was a fantastic atmosphere and we were extremely well looked after. We stayed with Heath and Rozzi Ryan at the New South Wales Dressage Centre in Lochinvar and they really were great hosts and terrific fun.”