An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
The Cotswold Cup Championships at Cirencester Park Unaffiliated 2022
Cirencester Park hosted Unaffiliated competitions from 23rd – 25th September including The Cotswold Cup Final for Senior and Junior combinations that had qualified throughout the 2022 Series
Find out more about the Senior Champions here
In this article, Anna Bruce caught up with the Junior Champions to find out more about their experiences, special ponies and team supporters
100cm 2DE Junior Championship
Just six combinations came forward for the 100cm 2DE Junior Championship but, with the top four all finishing on their dressage score, it was the 13-year-old Sasha Kurz riding Holiday Chase who topped the order.
“He’s a very special pony” admits Sasha’s Mum, Louisa.
Bitten by the eventing bug from a very early age as part of the Whaddon Chase Pony Club, Sasha was then fortunate enough to lease Holiday Chase – a veteran of the British Pony Team squad – and the 18-year-old veteran is now in the family’s ownership.
“He’s not going anywhere”, says Louisa, who says Sasha looks after him before heading to school at Thornton College where she has an Equestrian Scholarship, and then rides after school. That said, younger brother, Leo, also has designs on taking over the ride but Louisa laughs that “Sasha is determined not to grow any taller!”
Despite Holiday Chase’s experience and prowess, it is the dressage phase that has proved the most tricky for the pair
“This was Sasha’s first experience of riding in a long arena so to then lead that phase was particularly pleasing” says Louise “Coping with all the times for all the phases was certainly a challenge but, even though this was only their third 100cm course together, they found the time easy to get.”
While conscious of managing this older pony – who has a stream of former riders who like to keep an eye and even came up to hug him at the event – Louisa says that “We’re loving the opportunity to do the Cotswold Cup events as it’s meant he’s been able to still have a career and teach another rider.”
90cm2DE Junior Championship
An agonising wait was needed to confirm who would emerge victorious in the 90cm 2DE Junior Championship as both the dressage leader, Isla Connolly riding DPUK Dun Surprise and Rosie Moreton riding Ballyrush Harry, completed on 30.4 penalties.
However, it was the ‘Dressage Ponies UK’ produced Dun Surprise who took the top spoils by virtue of finishing closer to the optimum time.
But the second place for Rosie Moreton was still more than a consolation prize for having started the season in flying form, including coming fifth in a 2DE representing her school, Princethorpe College and also notable results with Warwickshire Pony Club, only for Rosie to miss out on the Pony Club Championships thanks to a concussion injury (that was not horse-related!)
“I was so excited to get out on Phase A which was a beautiful ride around the polo pitches” says 13-year-old Rosie
“Harry is a speedy pony and loved the steeplechase. Then straight out onto phase C where Harry found it very hard to walk as he was so pumped from the steeplechase. Before I knew it, I was in the D box which was exciting but terrifying.
“But I was out on the cross-country course jumping Fence Five, when I heard the commentator say ‘Can Ballyrush Harry do what it takes to take first place’ and I realised I was lying in joint first place! Harry is fast but can be spooky so I was riding as precisely as I could as I did not want a silly stop. I took the long route at the water as I knew we would be up on time, Harry was giving me everything he had got and I came over the finish line inside the time.
“I was delighted, but then the commentator said that the person in front of me was on the same score but came in three seconds closer to the optimum time, so they had won. It was disappointing, but I was so thrilled to come second and couldn’t believe it.”
Ballyrush Harry has more than a few followers in the family “I started riding Harry this season, but he is not new to the family. He has three generations of our family riding him starting with my Nanny (Grandmother), Char Hutsby, who bought him nine years ago as a hunter and now my mother hunts him as he is quite a forward and sparky horse who loves to jump!”
Rosie clearly loved the whole experience including stabling away and the prizes, saying “I was ecstatic to be sleeping in the lorry with my mother and Nanny”, adding, “Harry is really easy to look after but he was filthy so the Fairy Liquid got a lot of use.”
“I’m extremely excited about the day’s training prize with a professional eventer and I would also like to thank my trainer Colina Pickles who helped me walk the cross-country and explain how to ride the tricky combinations.”
“My immediate future plans would be to come back to the Cotswold Champs and win, and qualify for the BE Badminton Grassroots” says Rosie, adding “This wonderful experience has really ignited my love for eventing and I would like to set my sights on 4 Star Eventing and beyond!”
80cm 2DE Junior Championship
Such was the strength of the 80cm 2DE Junior Championship that eight of the top ten completed on their dressage score.
Dressage leader, Annabel Ridgway dropped to fourth with time penalties on the cross-country, enabling Polly McHardy and Brandon Bulawayo to run away with the top spoils.
12-year-old Polly and her Irish Sports Pony known as Zebedee have been a partnership for two years and this year her mother Hannah says, “They are having the time of their lives!”.
Hannah explains, “Highlights include qualifying for, and placing fifth in a class of 230, the Hickstead arena eventing; experiencing their first residential Pony Club camp; placing in their first pony racing event at Wincanton Racecourse, and winning the 80cm Hannah Francis ODE in their first season eventing together!”
For the Championships, tackling a 2DE for the first time meant learning a test in a long arena and understanding the times but Hannah says, “I’m finding she needs my help less and less as her confidence grows.”
On a sporting roll, Polly and Zebedee also won the Area Eventing Championships at Bicton as part of the Avon Vale Pony Club just two weeks previously to the Cotswold Cup Championships and, after completing her Cotswold Cup phases each day Polly went to a swimming championships to compete there - finishing the weekend with three County qualifying times!
Her next outing with Zebedee is to represent Dauntsey’s School in an NSEA competition and for the years ahead Polly has her sights set on the BE Youth Championships in the future.
Hannah says, “She’s been wearing her personalised, Salute Equestrian Number Bib all year so she’ll be sure to wear it wherever she goes!”
Article by Anna Bruce
