Lesley Peyton-Gilbert and her 12 year old ride, the stallion Woodcroft Garuda K, dominated at small tour level over four days of Premier League competition, Wellington Riding, 6 – 9 June.
The Northamptonshire based senior international rider took first place in both the Prix St Georges and the PSG Freestyle classes with scores of 70.66% and 75.38% respectively.
Fellow winners at small tour level included Lucy Straker, Gareth Hughes and Willow Kemp.
Gareth Hughes took the top spot in the Inter I riding Judy Firmston-Williams’ Aramis T on a score of 71.67%. The pair competed together at small tour internationally just under two weeks ago during Compiegne CDI3* and produced a solid test, posting third place in the PSG.
Gareth has had the ride only a year, taking over from Anna Ross-Davies around November 2012, and has spent time building up a solid relationship with the sometimes strong minded 11 year old chestnut mare.
He said; “This has been my first year competing her, so we’ve really spent the last 12 months building up our partnership. She’s a real quality athlete with lots of presence and potential but she’s still fairly green so we’re taking it slowly and growing her confidence. She’s a really strong character and so it’s all about getting her to fight your corner – everything has to be done in a certain way, and if you do it like that everything is fine!
“I would say that this has been her best test so far, the plan now is to continue at small tour this year and then consolidate the work over the winter with a view to big tour next year.”
At big tour level Alice Oppenheimer and Jacky Stolper took the only two titles available – Alice in the Grand Prix with her 10 year old Dimaggio gelding Headmore Delegate and Jacky in the Inter II with her 11 year old Diamond Hit gelding, Der Schufro.
Lara Griffith, 24 year old stable jockey for Laura Tomlinson, won in the Advanced Medium riding Dr Bechtolsheimer’s 17hh Oldenburger gelding Kristjan. She also took second place in Sunday’s PSG riding another of ‘Dr B’s’ horses, the 11 year old gelding Rubin Al Asad (stable name Rufus).
Speaking about the show, Lara (picutred) said “We had a great time. This was only the second time out at Advanced Medium for Kristjan and I, and the changes can still be a bit hit and miss. But he’s extremely trainable and his lateral work is spot on, it was probably the highlight of our test. The plan with him is for me to take him up to Grand Prix in the fullness of time.”
“Rufus is a mix between Goofy the dog and a Ferrari! He’s so loveable but he can be really hot and is still quite competition green. Sometimes he can go into his own world but he really stayed with me in this test and it actually started to feel like we were pros. I was so pleased. We had a couple of mistakes but we posted a lot of nines – I think he’s a really promising prospect.”
The opportunity to work for one of the most respected families in dressage has obviously had a huge impact on Lara, originally from Oxfordshire, and she certainly seems to emulate the humble and down to earth attitude synonymous with the Bechtolsheimers.
“Working for Laura and Dr B is hard to describe in words, it’s pretty amazing. Every day I remind myself of how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. They are both so kind and generous – to people and horses. Dr B is usually around and when he is, he helps both Laura and I out with our training every day.
“They’ve given me so many opportunites, and I appreciate the trust that they’ve put in me.”
Apart from Kristjan and ‘Rufus’, Lara will this year also compete Laura’s old Grand Prix ride Andretti H – an 18 year old Hanoverian gelding who won the National Championship title two years running in 2010 and 2011.
In the international youth tests, Phoebe Peters took two of the three classes; the Junior Team Test with her new 16hh ride Delfiano (owned by Laetitia Van De Wyck), and the Pony Team Test with her mother Tracy’s SL Lucci. Fellow winners in the youth tests included Jessica Gale and Sarah Thomas.
In the young horse classes, winners were; Alice Oppenheimer, Daisy Coakley, Michael Bates, Sam Rahmatalla, Paul Hayler, Tom Goode, Hannah Biggs and Sadie Smith.
Thursday 6 June
Class 1: 5yo National British Young Horse YHN5 2004 Q
1st Alice Oppenheimer and Tantoni White Mischief - 79.60%
2nd Amy Francis and Fables First Magnum - 75.40%
3rd Daniel Watson and Butterfly IV - 74.60%
Class 2: 6yo National British Young Horse YHE6 2004 Q
1st Daisy Coakley and Cleopatra II - 80.60%
2nd Sadie Smith and Keystone Dynamite - 80.40%
3rd Hannah Biggs and Don Caledonia - 77.20%
Class 3: FEI Prix St Georges 2009 SQ
1st Lucy Straker and Farramir - 70.22%
2nd Sara-Jane Lanning and Try Me Once - 67.98%
3rd Hayley Watson-Greaves and WG Don Wimero - 67.81%
Class 4: FEI Intermediate I 2009 SQ
1st Gareth Hughes and Aramis T - 71.67%
2nd Willow Kemp and Dragon Heard - 71.05%
3rd Nicola Gillespie Crolla and Fearless - 70.22%
Friday 7 June
Class 5: Potential International Dressage Horse 4YO Q
1st Michael Bates and Duberry – 7.86
2nd Carol Wagstaff and Premier Into The Black – 7.72
3rd Melissa Beer and Flo Rider – 7.54
Class 6: Potential International Dressage 5YO Q
1st Sam Rahmatalla and Seagry Sanay – 7.24
2nd Sarah Williams and Amo – 7.20
3rd James White and WFD Hotstuff – 7.06
Class 7A: 5yo FEI Int. British Young Horse 2009 Q
1st Paul Hayler and Lonswelt - 76.20%
2nd Alice Oppenheimer and Tantoni White Mischief - 64.60%
Class 7B: FEI Dressage Test Final 5yo
1st Tom Goode and Dior III - 78.80%
2nd Daniel Watson and Butterfly IV - 78.00%
3rd Sam Rahmatalla and Seagry Sanay - 76.00%
Class 8A: 6yo FEI Int. British Young Horse 2009 Q
1st Hannah Biggs and Don Caledonia - 81.18%
2nd Ami McLean and Premier Royal Mint - 74.80%
3rd Rebecca Cowderoy and Celicia - 74.40%
Class 8B: FEI Dressage Test Final 6yo
1st Sadie Smith and Keystone Dynamite - 75.60%
2nd Rebecca Cowderoy and Celicia - 74.20%
Class 9: Advanced Medium 98 2002 SQ
1st Lara Griffith and Kristjan - 70.53%
2nd Hannah Biggs and Half Moon Revelation - 70.53%
3rd Karen Shepherd and Mister Mole - 66.32%
Class 10: FEI Prix St Georges 2009 SQ
1st Lesley Peyton-Gilbert and Woodcroft Garuda K - 70.66%
2nd Matt Hicks and Exalibur - 69.78%
3rd Lucy Fallen and Nurejev - 69.69%
Class 11: FEI Intermediate II 2009 SQ
1st Jacky Stolper and Der Schufro - 69.08%
2nd Hayley Watson-Greaves and WG Rubins Nite - 67.24%
3rd Rebecca Hughes and Rubini Royale - 65.22%
Saturday 8 June
Class 12: Advanced Medium 98 2002 SQ
1st Matt Frost and AMD Don Rosso II - 74.74%
2nd Lisa Hopkins and Coole Contender - 73.95%
3rd Daniel Greenwood and GF Deville - 72.63%
Class 13: Freestyle to Music Advanced
1st Nicola Buchanan and Zidyllic-S - 75.67%
2nd Becky Edwards and Ufano II - 74.00%
3rd Matt Hicks and Sheepcote Walnut - 73.83%
Class 14: FEI Grand Prix 2009 SQ
1st Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore Delegate - 69.65%
2nd Lizzie Murray and Catherston Springsteen - 67.06%
3rd Henrietta Cheetham and Danen Konig - 64.47%
Class 15: Freestyle to Music PYO: Pony, Jnr, Young Rider
1st Jessica Gale and Umbro S - 70.54%
2nd Angus Corrie-Deane and Grayswood Orlando - 69.17%
3rd Becky Edwards and Ufano II - 68.92%
Class 17: Freestyle to Music FEI Prix St Georges
1st Lesley Peyton-Gilbert and Woodcroft Garuda K - 75.38%
2nd Peter Storr and Sirius Black - 73.50%
3rd Maria Griffin and Kassio - 69.67%
Sunday 9 June
Class 18: FEI Junior Team Test 2009
1st Phoebe Peters and Delfiano - 69.73%
2nd Jessica Gale and Umbro S - 68.72%
3rd Becky Edwards and Ufano II - 66.82%
Class 19: FEI Young Rider Team Test
1st Sarah Thomas and Marinetty TFS - 64.08%
2nd Charlotte Drakeley and Ronaldo - 62.76%
Class 20: FEI Pony Team Test 2012
1st Phoebe Peters and SL Lucci - 75.71%
2nd Erin Williams and Dynasty - 71.99%
3rd Bethany-Rose Horobin and Gigolo Horobin - 70.58%
Class 21: FEI Prix St Georges 2009 SQ
1st Willow Kemp and Dragon Heart - 72.46%
2nd Lara Griffith and Rubin Al Asad - 71.01%
3rd Matt Frost and AMD Don Rosso - 70.70%
For full results see here.
Image: Nicola Elliott Photography