Mick Pritchard CDI3* Grand Prix Special
The CDI3* Grand Prix Special had one horse in it being Scarlatti Mio VSR for Emma Flavelle-Watts, but what a test. I believe this horse to be very special; he’s young, it was only his second Grand Prix start yesterday, and I would imagine his first ever Special, so it was a delight to watch the freedom, balance, elasticity and adjustability that Emma has produced with this horse. It is quite outstanding. He’s a little timid and sometimes a little behind the contact, but outstanding in balance in self-carriage. A few marks were lost in the second canter pirouette; it was a little large. He was also a little stalling in one of the piaffes, when he came a little bit tight and behind the bit, but Emmett encouraged him through the test. It was very exciting. This horse has ‘international’ stamped all across him and Emma’s attitude and the harmony between he and her was exemplary. It’s exciting! A score of 69.808%, just a whisker off 70% with three judges having him over 70%. Just fantastic. He is by San Amour out of a Diamond O mare and is an outstandingly well-conformed, elegant, big black horse.
Catch up on the action
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Equestrian Life CDI-J Individual Test
The Juniors opened the day, and despite freezing cold, sleeting, windy, dark black skies, what a group of horses and riders! The winner, Millie Fletcher, scored 71.471% with the judge at B, Susie Hoevenaars, awarding a 76.471%, including some nines for flying changes and the stretching trot circle. This combination is truly a treat to watch in every way; the harmony between the horse and the rider is simply beautiful. An expressive trot, beautiful uphill flying changes, and not a mistake in the test in sight. It was fluent and easy to watch, and an absolute delight.
In second place with Tia Rose McKenzie riding Phenomenon. Their score of 67.745% saw a little discrepancy amongst the judges, but an overall great score. Phenomenon is a very expressive brown gelding with a very uphill neck. Perhaps a little lack of suppleness, but really beautiful changes, an expressive trot and as always very well ridden by Tia with a few little spooky moments up near the gateway, where there were some sandbags holding the fence down from blowing over in the wind! But she recovered really well from all of them, and it was a very, very well-deserved second place.
In third place was Rosemary Heagney riding Sancho RW with a 67.402%, just a pip behind. Also a really nice test; it just could be a little bit more uphill for this combination, but very accurate and well ridden, as were all the tests in this competition. The riding was very good. The positioning and preparation for all the movements were outstanding and Susie Hoevenaars had very, very positive comments about this Junior class!
Carol & Skipp Haynes CDI-Ch Team Test
Yet again the Children’s test was fantastic to watch it. It’s judged in two sections: a compulsory section with the C judges marking the test as a normal Novice test, and then two judges who sit at B together and they discuss the riders ability, harmony, position, and effectiveness. The winner actually scoring 87.75% for that section and a 70.6% for the technical (for a total of 79.175%), and it was Noble Dancer for Amelia Maree. This pony, owned by Annabel Shoobridge, literally dance his way around this test like he’d done it all his life. He certainly knows his job and he certainly put his best feet forward today. A cracking score and a cracking test. In second place was Abbey Restall on her own Urodel du Texier with 71.325%; an elegant horse and Abbey rode with a very serious attitude and a very nice position, gaining 76% for her riding and 66.4% for the technical. Olivia Roberts on the Welsh Cob Chapel House Gwilym, with plenty of chrome, was third. Not the world’s biggest mover, but a very accurate and well ridden and prepared test by Olivia Roberts for a total of 63.6%.
Horseland CDI-Y Individual Test
Talk about classy competition! There is no shortage either in the Young Rider class, with Jessica Dertell first on the beautiful liver chestnut stallion Kilimanjaro on 67.157%. A real disaster in the first canter pirouette, where Kilimanjaro decided he wasn’t going to have a bar of the pirouette and was going to leave the arena, but Jess certainly got him quickly back on track. Unfortunately, being a coefficient mark, that pirouette led to a huge drop in marks but still even with that drop, it was a great win. Beautiful trot work, and really fabulous flying changes that were very fluent, elastic over the ground, and totally constant with every change the same. It was a really, really international test other than pirouette.
Jess was also second with Daminia LP on 66.863%. Certainly not as impressive in the paces, but certainly impressive in the consistent and workmanlike way this mare went about the test. No mistakes to be seen anywhere. It was a really consistent test, and no mistakes is always a big help. In third place was Tia Rose McKenzie, who for a lot of the test was looking like she was going to win, and then unfortunately a similar fate in the canter pirouette where Franzisco RW was totally convinced it was three tempi changes! Nevertheless, he showed super trot work with expression in an uphill way. A beautiful horse and well ridden.
Pryde’s Easifeed CDI-P Individual Test
There was no shortage of talent in the Pony class, with Abby Weel and Reitland’s Obama scoring a narrow win on 68.694%. A very forward and fluent test with beautiful simple changes. The Pony test certainly is a test that shows many, many transitions: eight-metre circles, counter canter, serpentine and many simple changes. Obama certainly pulled off every single one with great balance and great correctness. It was a super test to watch. In second place was Tess Baker riding Hilkens No Kidding, very closely behind on 68.153%. A very lovely combination but perhaps not really over the back and truly through to the bridle at times, and it was a very close competition between Tess and Abby. Keeping everybody on their toes in third place was Zali Mills with Kazashi, a really cute little bay pony, scoring 63.874%, so also a good test from this combination. Lots of international quality without any doubt at all in this class.
Pauline Carnovale CDI-U25 Grand Prix
Amy Bachmann riding her own SWS Debutante (Dancier x Don Frederico) won the test on 64.231%. Madelon McDonald followed in second with F1 Soliloquy on 62.051%, and Dana Krause ridinf her own Taittinger VDS (Regardez Moi x Jive Magic) placed third, scoring 61.111%.
National test winners:
Boneo Park CPEDN Grand Prix B Test Grade IV: Dianne Barnes and BMS Krieger, 68.311%
Boneo Park CPEDN Grand Prix B Test Grade II: Joann Formosa and Ashquar Riley, 64.250%
Boneo Park Grand Prix CDN: Jackson Stern and Templeton Fursteniro, 61.884%
Pryde’s Easifeed Intermediate I CDN: Michelle Baker and Movie Star, 69.559%
Medium Champion: Jessica Dertell and Osaka
Medium Reserve Champion: Karen Blythe and MP Romancier
Novice Champion: Taleisha Snell and Antari (owned by the Plenty family)
Novice Reserve Champion: Jessica Dertell and Regal Floris Dance (owned by Sarah and Luke Wells-Smith)
Pony Novice Champion: Jessica Dertell riding Roseglen Crown Royale (owned by Gary and Cate Cunningham)
Pony Novice Reserve Champion: Tamara Campain riding Belmore Park Queen of Hearts
AOR Preliminary Champion: Natalie Waters and Freemans Lodge Daiya
AOR Preliminary Reserve Champion: Alexandra Diprose and White Diamond B
Young Rider Preliminary Champion: Jessica Dertell and Jalapeño M (Luke and Sarah Wells Smith)
Full results from the Boneo Park Winter CDI can be found via Equipe.
