An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Keysoe (3) - find out more here
Keysoe’s third and final British Eventing event of the year was blessed with scorching weather and some famous faces. Eventing is one of the only sports in which you can find amateurs and hobbyists competing against their professional heroes and Keysoe is a perfect example of this phenomenon, particularly with their range of BE80(T) level through to Intermediate classes.
Giovanni Ugolotti won the first section of the weekend in the Novice class on Kiltown Madison owned by Victoria Ledingham and 21 year old Max Warburton won section B on his own Beplus (watch their video above)
“I’m really excited about Beplus and his future. He’s about 18.1hh so a huge horse but finds everything so easy. He’s now won his last 2 events and never been out of the top 6. I think he’ll step up to intermediate now before his holiday.”
The Novice Section C was won on Think It Over, owned by Penny Roberts and ridden by Meghan Healy, who studied Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology at University College Dublin for five years, graduated and came back to England to do horses two days later.
“I was a working pupil with Tiny Clapham for a number of years. In 2017 she decided to take a step back from running the yard and concentrate more on training and mentoring riders and very generously gave me the opportunity to take on her existing business, Eventers International, producing and competing event horses.”
“Think It Over is a very new horse to me I have only had him about three weeks, he is owned by Penny Roberts who also bred him. I was very lucky that Tiny had done such a brilliant job producing him through the winter and I really have just hopped on and reaped the benefits of her hard work. He is such a fun horse to ride, oozes ability and is an out and out competitor.”
“Aslan is a horse I have produced and his attitude to work and training is unbelievable. He surprises me every time I compete him (in a good way!) and I don’t seem to be able to get to the bottom of his ability.”
“Springheeled is owned by Simon Grice who is a very longstanding loyal owner. He is a very tall horse standing at about 18hh originally bought for Simon to ride himself but I have been competing him whilst he has been busy working in the city. I know him really well now and he has taught me a lot about figuring out horses and finding a way to get the best out of every horse.”
“Weston Goodfella is also a new horse to me, he arrived with us here in early July and I’m still getting to know him but I think he is a super talent and is a very promising horse for the future. “
“It feels like we’ve been working hard for a while now and I was just so delighted to be able to deliver some good results for the owners and sponsors that have supported me and for all the team at home because they work so hard. Hopefully we can continue and build on this weekend coming into the autumn three-day-events”
Meghan claims to be a bit rubbish at all this “talk about myself on social media stuff” but we think she’s done a cracking job!
Stephanie Pepper and Garthfach On The Dot in the BE90
The Open Novice Section D was won by Gaspard Maksud on Zaragoza II, owned by Jane Young and Martin Thurlow.
“I'm a French event rider based in near Cranleigh, Surrey. I moved in the UK nearly 6 years ago and after working for Andrew Nicholson, Sam Griffiths and Fred Ford (local breeder) I set up on my own”
“Zaragoza (who won the Open Novice) is a very good six-year-old mare owned by Jane Young and Martin Thurlow. This year she did 6 novices (four wins, a 2nd place and a 4th place). She's a very consistent horse who always try to please”
“Cado Louvo (a seven-year-old, French bred) was third in the Intermediate. I've ridden this horse since he was a four-year-old and last winter I bought him from the breeder and created a syndicate (there are still a few shares available!) He gave me the most amazing feeling around the cross country on a tough enough track”
“Keysoe is an event I really like especially with the dressage and show jumping on the surface. The cross country is pretty much flat and sandy, which give the horses confidence and they also always make a huge effort to get the ground as perfect as possible. The new water is very exciting with the international coming next year. I will definitely be there!”
Pippa Funnell, who received a last-minute call-up to the British European Championship team during the weekend, won the Intermediate Section E on Billy Wonder, owned by Ruth McMullen, Jennifer Nolan and Tom O’Bryan won Section F on his own DHI Du Rouet.
Tom is an 18 year old aspiring event rider based at Dartley Farm. “This is my third season of eventing and my second on Merlin aka DHI du Rouet. I’ve been riding since I was 11 when I was bought my first pony. Merlin is my 11 year old event and dressage horse we bought him two years ago from my godmother who bought him as a five year old from Nick Gauntlet. This was our fourth Intermediate together and to win was a massive shock as all we wanted was a clear cross country”
“Merlin went well in the dressage producing a nice relaxed test with just a few mistakes. The show jumping was the best part of the day as we normally struggle with that phase the most and to have only one down on a course that was causing a lot of problems was to me a success especially as Merlin wasn’t on top form as he gets a bit lazy in the heat. The heat only got worse as it came to cross country, so it was by no means our best round nor our fastest but Merlin was amazing and tried his heart out to come home just over the optimum time which was very hard to get. Keysoe seems to be a place where both myself and Merlin find form as, earlier this year, we won the U25 BD Youth A squad championship there.”
Laurence Hunt and Imperium in the 5YO class (above) and Harri Green on Cuz in the Intermediate (below)
Chelsea Round won the Open Intermediate Section G on her own Fleetwood Mac V.
“I have produced Mac from a six year old dressage horse doing all the jumping work myself. I had gone to Keysoe after losing my brakes on Mac out on cross country at Hartpury, so I'd come to try a grackle. Keysoe was a lovely event and I didn't even know my score heading out to cross country. I only heard my score when they read out the results and we were amazed, having had so many big names in my section we didn't expect to come anywhere!”
Amy Hawley won the BE100 Open Section I on her own Broadstone Numero Uno B, and Louise Bradley won the BE100 Section H on My Cordello T, owned by Alison Garlick.
Louise is a BE Accredited Coach who runs a competition yard from her base in Bucks. “‘Cody’ is an eight-year-old who is having his second season eventing and quickly becoming a grassroots specialist! I have a team of young eventers who are moving through the grades well. We moved house and yard to be based at fantastic new facilities five days before this event, so I was glad everything made it back on to the lorry and the horses had settled well enough to concentrate!”
The Novice Section J was won by Jemima Upton on her own Hugotogo, Section M by Isabelle Hogarth on Shannondale Aston, owned by Victoria Hogarth, and the Under 18 Section was won by Lily Ryder on her own SRS Everest.
Andrew James had a busy weekend, with eight rides, winning two novice sections on Shannondale Warren, owned by Joe Wise, and In Like Flynn owned by Angela Tucker.
Naomi Lawrence won the 5YO class on her own Jaimy, who is now for sale with his qualification for Osberton and Imogen Murray won the 4YO class on Fiona Kashel’s Monbeg Heartbeat.
BE100 Section Amelia Walker won the BE100 Section P on Dassett Rock Star owned by Dassett Eventing, and Section Z1 on her own mare, Harbouring. Section Z2 was won by Emily McLane on her own Timeless Myth and the under 18 section was won by Finley Wyatt on Ruben S, owned by Alison Spence.
Michelle Lowe, a firefighter and the owner of “Theraplate Norfolk”, won Section Q on her own Vivendi Noble Cavalier.
“Val is one of the most amazing horses I’ve been lucky enough to own/ride! She’s only 15.1 but she makes up for that with attitude! Keysoe is a bit of a journey for us but I love the event so always try to support it! The surfaces are great and the XC is always fresh looking! The event was a bit of a blur as I was running a bit late due to attending a fire call the morning of the event. This meant I didn’t get long to warm up for the dressage nor a chance to walk the show jumping. Having said that, Val always gives me her all so I knew I could rely on her! As I was waiting to enter the show jumping, I realised Piggy French was standing beside me! I think it’s great that in our sport we get to compete against such talented riders. I was also followed around the cross country by Imogen Murray!”
“I was early to go in my section and although I took an early lead I knew there were people that could take it from me... it seemed like a long wait which came down to the last rider who was on the same dressage mark as me meaning the top spot would go to the one closest to the optimum time. Val is fairly speedy, and we’d finished nine seconds under the optimum time, so I was convinced it would be snatched from me at the last minute but my luck held and it wasn’t”
BE90 Section S Charlotte Pegrum won the BE90 Section S on Louisa Kenney’s Master Grey and Sophie Reason took Section T on her own Ballygriffin Buddy.
Ruth Hole won Section U on her own Easy VZ, having competed internationally at dressage since she was 12 through the grades of ponies, juniors, and young riders.
“I now work full time riding and training unbacked youngsters through to advanced horses in every discipline as well as many problem horses. Easy VZ is now my main horse and has recently got back from competing at Hickstead CDI in the Young Rider class, coming second and finishing as ‘Best Brit’. He is the coolest, most talented horse, who loves to do everything and is very good at it - proven by winning his first event back since competing dressage all season!
“The event went really well for me. He did a lovely sweet test followed by a rather exuberant show jumping where Easy realised he wasn’t just doing another boring dressage show, but was back eventing! So had minimal brakes but his jump has so much scope that he didn’t have much of a problem- he just made up too much distance in the double and had the second part down, but he was very pleased to be back. On the cross country he was awesome – he helped me out everywhere and loved it. You wouldn’t believe that just 18 months ago he had never properly jumped and never seen cross country fences before. The first time I took him cross country schooling he fell over every log on the ground and got his legs all in a tangle and just didn’t get it at all. We gave up and brought him home. Gradually tried again and again and one time he just got it! Came out as if he’s been doing it all his life and since then he just understands what it’s all about and is just a complete pleasure to ride.”
Kizzy Smith and St George’s Day, owned by Pip Palmer, won the BE90 Section V and Section W was taken by Philippa Cross on her own Diamond Indulgence. The two BE80(T) sections were won by Grace Gerry on Julia Reeves’ Illustrious Illusion and Alice Winter on Sonia Winter’s Ower Lad.
Keysoe always put so much effort into their event preparation, and with that in mind we are very much looking forward to their first ever international level competition next year.
Article by Jess Johnson
Lily Coates and Cors Grey Diamond in the BE80T
