Dengie Nationals Report
High scores and sunshine at the National Dressage Championships
Congratulations to Spencer Wilton and Dolendo, 2007 Blue Waters National Dressage Champions. Spencer beat talented young rider Maria Eilberg and popular amateur rider Steph Croxford to take the title, bringing four days of wonderful dressage to a climax.
Over 300 horses came to the Championships at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, and every level was represented from preliminary to Grand Prix. Great Britain’s World Championship winning Paralympic riders were also present to compete in the Para Dressage Championships. Dengie’s own sponsored rider Hannah Esberger Shepherd was among the competitors, back in the saddle after the birth of her baby and riding two of her youngsters in the prestigious young horse classes on Sunday morning.
Although her own Grand Prix horse Noblesse is off work at the moment Hannah was still thrilled to be there. “I love the Nationals,” she declared. “I have a great support team behind me and they all want me to do really well, and they get really excited about coming here. My clients and owners come too and we all have a great time – it’s like a party! It’s great to meet up with everyone else again too – it’s the pinnacle of the year.”
The Nationals, which usually herald the start of autumn, were bathed in sunshine. International rider and trainer Emma Hindle entertained the crowds on Saturday and Sunday with a Dressage Masterclass, and there was a display by the Spanish Classical rider Peter Maddison-Greenwell ‘El Caballo de Espana’.
The competition was the usual mixture of amateur and professional riders, as well as a scattering of event riders including top rider Ruth Edge and novice eventer Daniel Henson. Ruth, who has had considerable success in ‘pure’ dressage, was placed in the Elementary and Medium Open on her eventer Paper Tiger and the Novice Open on her ‘dressage’ horse Shadowfax. Locally based Daniel won the Elementary Restricted Championship on his stunning grey gelding Land Vision.
Part time policewoman Lesley Tysoe won the Novice Restricted Championship on her own horse DHI Aqua Majestic, and air stewardess Deborah Childs won the Medium Restricted Championship on her and her husband’s Berrifield Spetter, an impressive 17.2hh eight-year-old gelding by Olympic Champion Anky Van Grunsven’s stallion Krack C .
All the way down from Scotland, Jo Barry and Lady Hope’s Vivaldi had a fantastic championships, winning the Elementary Open Championship and the Potential International Dressage Horse Supreme Championship. Olympic rider Carl Hester was also in good form – he won the Advanced Medium Championship on Sarah Tyler-Evans’ Movistar and his own horse Valegro was Reserve Potential International Dressage Horse Champion.
There were some really high scoring classes. In the Novice Open the top five all scored 71% or more and Carl Hester’s pupil Charlotte Dujardin won with a massive 73.93% on Carl’s very promising youngster Valegro. Charlotte and Valegro also won the Shearwater Supreme Young Horse Championship, to complete a very exciting National Championships for them.
Former National Champion Peter Storr scored 72.54% with Cocofino to win the Medium Open, an event in which the top four all scored more than 71%. In the Intermediare 1 Freestyle Championship the top seven all scored more than 70%, but it was Judy Harvey and Richard Heley’s Fitzcerraldo who won the class with an impressive 75.75%.
Sunday morning featured the hugely popular young horse classes, where there is the opportunity to see some of the top riders on what may turn out to be future stars. Over 40 horses had qualified for these championships and the top ten from each section went through to the final, which was won by Jo Barry and Vivaldi.
Hannah Esberger Shepherd was riding Jo Hobson’s mare Dolce Vita and Barry Truelove’s Vanita in the five-year-old section but neither made it through to the final. “I was disappointed, I felt they both deserved to be in the top ten,” said Hannah afterwards. “They are both absolutely fabulous youngsters. Dolce Vita came 11th so I was really pleased with her, and Vinny (Vanita) is a lovely horse; he showed his paces well but he was a bit spooky, but that’s young horse classes for you.”
But Hannah still enjoyed herself along with baby Molly and the team, and is looking forward to next year. “With Nobby and the youngsters I’ve got some lovely horses on the yard at the moment so I am really excited about next year -I can’t wait!”
