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Dengie Pony Club Winter League Championships

23rd April 2009

The annual Dengie Pony Club Winter League Show jumping and Dressage Championships were held at Warwickshire College, Moreton Morrell for the 13th consecutive year on the 4th and 5th April 2009. Since its inauguration in autumn 1995, Dengie has sponsored this national event that is run to enable Pony Club members a chance to experience a national, well-run competition to build upon their confidence and ability.

Dengie Nutritionist Claire Akers and Feed Advisor Vicky Simons attended the show to provide feeding advice to help get the competitors get the best out of their horses and ponies and also presented competitors with their free Dengie Measuring Bucket. With glorious weather and a superb new Dengie jump, the weekend was a great success for everyone involved and winner’s prizes included Thermatex Rugs, Horseware jackets and Feeding Vouchers which were presented by Senior Nutritionist Katie Williams and Claire Akers.

The Winter League Show Jumping Championships started with 85 pairs on the Saturday with 17 pairs managing to keep a clean sheet over the 1m course designed by Stephen Martin to go through to the jump off. Rachael Graham, 15, and her 13.2hh dun, Bailey (who also came second to a fellow Irish pair, Rachael Suffern and Abbagail Dream in the Warm Up class) were first to go and rode a very fast clear to claim the title.

Later on in the evening only four combinations jumped double clears in the Open Show Jumping Championships. 14-year-old Robyn Duns and her grey mare, Chellijana Z completed the tight-turning, jump-off course in the fastest time to take the top spot. The greatest achievement of the evening belongs to 9-year-old Patrick Beirne who took the prize for the highest placed rider under 12 years who was two years younger than any other competitor and has only been riding his pony for six months!.

In the Dengie Winter League Dressage Competition each Novice and Open class is split into two sections and the first two in each section go through to the Ride-Offs, where they ride the same test again, in the afternoon. Louise Benson with her smart chestnut gelding, Rockstar III beat Beatle Payne on VIP by less than 1% to win the Novice Class. Beatle also came second in this class last year and sent us a lovely e-mail to thank us and the Pony Club for our support. In the Open championship, Charity Graepel took the honours on Dublin, the only pony in the ride-off with a very good score of 73.22%. Emily Carmichael took second place on Joey with 70.96%.

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