Line 'em up boys
The autumn colours are currently at their best on the Osberton Estate in Nottinghamshire in the UK Midlands. However, being autumn, you can never be too sure of what the weather will do next and there is always the chance of a downpour at this time of year during the four days of eventing competition at the Osberton International Horse Trials. Maybe one of the best ways to avoid the rain is to shelter in the Duck and Dive Tavern where Dukeries Brewerys are hosting a real ale festival with over 50 regional ales and ciders.
This event is very much about future eventing champions and started on Thursday morning with the ‘mums and bubs’ of the sport. The British Eventing Young Horse In-Hand Championships supported by Oakham Veterinary Hospital consisted of classes showcasing potential event horses from breeders around the UK including Broodmare Championship (won by the nine year old chestnut Priorspark Precious China, owned by Anne Stanley), Foal Championship (won by the colt foal Cornsay Pendragon owned by Helen Copeland), Yearling Championship (won by Katie Downie’s SHB (GB) registered Carnmellyn Kings Law), Two Year Old Championship (won by Helen Forster’s bay SHB (GB) gelding Just Gismo) and the Three Year Old Championship (won by Kathryn Parker’s bay colt Primitive Pluto ).
Thursday also saw the BEF (British Equestrian Federation) British Breeding Futurity Championships, sponsored by Baileys. The Futurity is principally run to identify talented young sport horses and ponies, for collecting data on British breeding so that British breeders can make use of that information for future breeding decisions and for providing feedback to participants on the suitability of the horse they have bred for its intended discipline and the market for which it has been bred.
The winners of these classes were;
Foals: Trewitten (owner: Vincent Jones)
Yearlings: Carnmellyn Kings Law (Owner: Katharine Downie)
Two Year Olds: Oakring Santino (Owner: Samantha York)
Three Year Olds: Treneman (Owner: Preci Spark Ltd)
The fences aren't small! Piggy French and Darcee II, 7th in the 5YO Championship
From the focus on the babies, attention moved to the horses now under saddle and just starting their competition careers in the 10th anniversary of the KBIS British Eventing Young Horse Championships. Qualifiers have taken place around the country for this year’s four and five year olds whilst the six and seven year old horses take part in international classes at CIC1* and CCI2* respectively.
On Friday Sophie Brise and the stallion Sea Admiral, bred by Helen Manns and owned by Helena Ashworth won the four year old championships while the British based Italian rider Vittoria Panizzon took second place on Sarah Bullen’s Super Cillious and third place to Aubane Boy ridden by Piggy French and owned by Jennifer Edmundson. Top riders always need to be looking ahead and finding future talent – what better way than competing these young horses in this type of class? Australians Stephen Way finished in 19th place on Hannah’s Way while Anna Mildner riding Shanna Dun An Oir Star Lite was sadly eliminated.
Carly Reid and Djakota EB (above) won the five year old championship on their dressage score of 26.5. Carly is in the fortunate position of both being owner and rider while the second placed horse Dantutano K, ridden by top British rider Ruth Edge, is interestingly owned by Anona Young who also bred Andrew Hoy’s former Badminton ride Mr Pracatan. Third place went to Zoe Wilkinson and Parkfield Quintessential who we recently saw winning the 2013 Burghley Young Horse champion five year old and was also the 2012 Burghley Four Year Old Champion. Australia’s Lucinda Fredericks has two talented youngsters by her super-star mare Headley Britannia and one of these, Little Britannia finished 25th in this class while another Australian, Brook Staples riding Glasker Sweet Clover finished in ninth place.
The Six and Seven Year Old CICYH 1* and 2* are still in progress, as are the CCI 1* and 2* classes. Kylie Roddy and What a Puzzle lead the CICYH 1*while the earlier mentioned Vittoria Pannizon is in second place riding Borough Free Flight. Free Flight is a half-sister to one of our favourite horses, Borough Pennyz, Vittoria’s Olympic horse that won the seven year old championships here in 2010.
In the CICYH 2* young rider Tom Howe is in the lead riding the Dutch bred Belco HRS, last year’s six year old winner – can he repeat his success here this year?
Sam and Favorit Z
In the CCI 2* it is good news for Australia with Sam Griffiths in second and fourth places on Angelo IV and Favorit Z while London 2012 Team GB member Nicola Wilson leads riding Ngong Hills. Sam is also in 15th place on Beaurepaire Nemo. The in-form New Zealand rider Jock Paget is in this class riding the eight year old Clifton Signature, a thoroughbred/warmblood cross which is unusual for a Clifton Horse, as Frances Stead explained when we spoke to her at Burghley. Clifton Signature holds the record for lowest Horse Trials score in New Zealand, winning on 12.5 penalties. Australian rider Warren Lamperd is currently in 67th place riding CatWalk II
Has Warren just spotted the beer tent?
In the CCI 1*Sophie How riding Bojangles HRS leads ahead of China’s Alex Hua Tian on Temujin and Sarah Bullimore in third. Sam Griffiths has two rides in this class; Rugan Josh (equal 13th) and Major Blizzard (equal 52nd). We’ll bring you more news as the Osberton International Horse Trials unfolds
