Rachel Wright and Volantis, AFC100 winners
An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Firle Place Area Festival 2022 - order or view videos here
Firle Place, on the rolling south coastline of West Sussex, played host to the first Area Festival Championship at 80, 90 and 100 level last weekend
Qualification for the Championship is achieved by double clears or finishing in the top 20% of an event at the same level and riders then head to an Area Festival of their choice to contest a Championship dressage test held in an International (20m x 60m) arena judged by two dressage judges, a Championship show jumping track and a more challenging cross-country track.
With few partnerships taking up the mantel, thankfully the qualification deadline for further Area Festival Championships has been extended ahead of July’s Glamis event in Scotland, the Frickley Park event in South Yorkshire in August and the Chillington Hall event in Staffordshire in September.
However, what the Area Festival Championship sections lacked in quantity was certainly made up for by quality and the Dodson & Horrell supported event at Firle had a real Championship flavour to it. Not only were the Area Festivals a feature but there were also National Qualifiers for the BE80, 90 and 100 Championships at Badminton and Bramham in 2023
Alongside these eventing competitions was the Country Fair with numerous tradestands and entertainments, encouraging spectators to flock to Firle for a day out
BE90 Section J winners Julie Offen and Elysium jumping in the idyllic Firle Place parklands
Rachel Wright comfortably claimed the AFC100 crown aboard the 17hh, seven-year-old, Irish-bred gelding, Volantis.
The pair added just 2.8 cross-country time penalties to their dressage score to win on 36.6 penalties, well ahead of Simon Leadbetter and Casino Royale 007 on 43.6 and Nicola Lomax and Primitive Diplomat on 45 penalties.
Rachel, who runs a busy riding school in Kent, has owned Volantis for under a year but is rocking up the grades and has aims of competing at Novice level and the Chilham 1*.
“Training has been tricky as I also run a charity, JC Inspiring People Through Horses, which works with horses for education and therapy but luckily Volantis doesn’t need much persuading to gallop and jump!” she admits
On hearing that a rider had been eliminated over the tannoy whilst on course, Rachel assumed it was her, took the foot off the gas and subsequently picked up her time penalties.
“I was really cross with myself, but luck was on my side to win even with the time penalties” Rachel said and indeed she had produced the fastest round of her section. Only six combinations finished with four of them enjoying clear cross-country jumping rounds, after a skinny water complex caused problems.
Third-placed Nicola Lomax was thrilled to jump safely around the course and particularly the water complex
“I gained my Grassroots regional ticket in 2019 but when I eventually was able to use it at Firle last year, I fell off at the water” adding “I needed to put this course to bed.”
Her six-year long partnership with Primitive Diplomat has not been without its ups and downs – the mare suffered a fracture to her back leg in 2017 and Nicola says, “I’m over the moon to have got my mare this far.”
The closely contested AFC 100 Open Section title went to Lydia Heywood and Tullaher Lottie who in finishing on their dressage score of 32.1 penalties eked just ahead of dressage leader, Archie Humfrey and his new ride, Hokus Pokus. A pole down in the show jumping nudged them from 28.4 penalties to finish on 32.4 penalties just behind Lydia.
No stranger to success, Hokus Pokus won this very section under BEU18 South East Regional coach, Justin Clubley last year.
“I’m in no hurry with Hokus Pokus as we are still getting to know one another but he is certainly exciting for the future” Archie says and, as he is still eligible for the U18 Regional teams, they could find themselves having more coaching from Justin!
AFC90 Open Section winners - Lisa Clarke-Spence and Heavens Too Far
In the AFC90 Open section, Lisa Clarke-Spence and Heavens Too Far took the title on their leading dressage score of 28.5 penalties – with all four combinations coming forward in this section posting sub-30 dressage scores.
Fifteen combinations came forward for the AFC90 with Rusty proving anything but for owner/rider Lucy Pearce and the partnership netted the £135.23 prize money adding just one show jumping time penalty to their dressage score of 28.9 penalties.
In the AFC80 Championship, finishing on a dressage score proved someone elusive – Liz Brennan-Jesson’s result netting her victory with Tullanna Tommy on 28.5 penalties and the same feat pulled Anne Rowson and Poultar Chieftan up from last place after the dressage phase to seventh.
“My goal is to aim for a score of below 40 penalties in the dressage because although I bought ‘Chief’ to just get me going at the age of 46, having not ridden for 30 years, I can’t even put in to words the fun we’ve had together” explains Anne
Dressage may be something the pair have found “Nigh on impossible to crack” she admits, adding “But I know he’ll always be a superstar once the jumping phases have started.”
This was essential at Firle Place – the show jumping arena is placed in front of the stunning house and surrounded by tradestands and spectators.
Just two combinations completed on their dressage scores in the AFC 80 Open Championship too – the winner, Jo Mair, and runner-up, Dinah Smith with both show jumping and cross-country faults proving influential.
Jo says that “It was amazing to jump in front of the house and the crowds cheered after every round making it feel very special, and also on the cross-country it was great to have so many people watching and cheering everybody on.”
Dinah nearly came unstuck however as “Culmore JJ took the most enormous leap at Fence 7, and I nearly fell off at Fence 8 which was almost related to Fence 7.”
Across the sections, the courses needed careful riding and Camilla Kruger acted as both a Rider Representative and offered a course walk for the BE90 U18 section.
Camilla says “It was a good, educational course for horses and riders wanting to go to a Championship or move up to the next level and there was great use of the natural terrain. It prompted riders to look where they were going and maintain a strong upright body and the undulations added to the technicality.”
AFC 80 Open Championship winners - Jo Mair and Kilbrien Chris
A bit of a baptism of fire for Holly Broad and Talent Van’t Gellutt Z therefore, given this was the combination’s second ever One Day Event.
Contesting in BE90 Section I, Holly says “I show jumped quite seriously on ponies and young riders and have produced young show jumpers since but I took Talent Van’t Gellutt Z to Jane Stocker to help improve with my flatwork as, at 17hh, he’s such a big horse and then I couldn’t believe how much better he was and with Jane’s support and positive advice we’ve taken to eventing!”
Posting a phenomenal 22.3 penalties in the dressage phase and adding just 2.8 time penalties led to Holly taking the top spot, some 5.9 penalties ahead of Rachael Lloyd and Ballygarris Bay Shadow.
Working on their flatwork also paid off for NQ BE100 Section C winner, Katherine Stewart, who led from the off with a score of 26.3 penalties aboard Delightful Mr Clover.
“From buying Delightful Mr Clover as a three-year-old he has been the easiest horse but I felt quite rusty in the dressage so I’ve been working on that a lot with Cindy Llewellyn” says Katherine
Katherine Stewart and Delightful Mr Clover - NQ BE100 Section C winners
Her six-year long partnership with Delightful Mr Clover pales in comparison however to the Balysz family’s connection with Gold Digger 2.
Bought eleven years ago, Gold Digger 2 has been ridden by Eleanor Balysz, Ben Balysz and now Tilly Balysz, and his career includes contesting Pony Trials and Novice eventing.
“We had a very short season last year as Gold Digger 2 had arthritis but at 21 this year he’s come back better than ever” says Tilly, who took the BE90 Open U18 section
They added just 0.8 time penalties to their dressage score of 27.5 penalties so “I have now entered a BE100 for him and I’d love to do a Novice on him towards the end of the season.”
Julie Offen has less of a focus on the future ahead than still reeling from her victory in the BE90 Section J aboard her mare, Elysium.
Julie says “This season we would’ve been third at Munstead but for a quick 180 degree turn at fence four as Elysium has an aversion to logs, then we picked up a second placing at South of England. Then at Chilham we would have been third again but the batty old thing on top (me!) missed out a fence in the show jumping and we were technically eliminated”
“I nearly fell over backwards when I was told we’d won at Firle!”
Julie credits, not only her much-loved mare, but also her friend, Naomi Henderson, who gave her a ‘kick up the backside’ and the pair now travel to events together or in convoy.
Julie says, “I should’ve given up years ago but I’m so enjoying eventing again, it makes your heart swell with pride when you and your horse come through those cross-country finish flags.”
Other riders to be able to swell with pride at their success from Firle include, Claire Da Re, Alice Mayne, Helen Millichamp, Lucy Butcher, Isabella Stagg, Ella Lawton-Smith and Sam Jennings – all taking victories at the Dodson & Horrell supported Firle Place Horse Trials, ably run by Bede Events.
Article by Anna Bruce
Julie Offen and Elysium - BE90 Section J winners
