Celebrating their 40th anniversary in style, Wellington Riding played host to the fifth Premier League competition of the 2014 season (5 – 8 Jun). The sun may have been beaming but it was the Thurman-Baker sisters who shone through claiming both young rider and junior titles.
Riding her own 12-year-old German gelding, Highcliffe Apollo (pictured), Samantha stormed to victory in the young rider team test, topping the leader board with a strong score of 68.95%. After the Hampshire-based show, the duo discovered that, due to their run of good form, they had secured a place in the young rider team for the European Championships in Arezzo, Italy – a massive achievement for the pair.
Speaking from her Facebook, Samantha declared “Apollo gave me a really good ride at Wellington Premier League, winning on 68.9% in the young rider team test.” She added “so thrilled to be selected for the Young Rider European Championships on Apollo! This will be my fourth Europeans on my third different horse.”
Younger sister, 16-year-old Joanna, also discovered she had secured a place in the junior reserve team with her own 13-year-old Sandro Hit gelding, San Piko, after they roasted the opposition in the junior team test, breaking the 70% barrier with their mark of 70.14% and taking the top spot.
In the grand prix, it was trainer Rhett Bird who nested at the top of the pecking order. Riding his wife, Jilly, and Diana Richardson’s 14-year-old Donnerhall gelding, Donzello, the duo soared to victory with their score of 69.67% - a personal best for the pair, securing their ticket to September’s LeMieux National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh, Warks.
The highest score of the weekend went to 29-year-old Ben St John-James and his own 13-year-old German gelding, Wellington, in the advanced medium freestyle. Helping to provide the tunes for Wellington’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Ben and the aptly-named Wellington danced their way to the top with their score of 73% - 3% above second place’s John Chubb and his own Rubin Royal gelding, Ruby Rubin.
Just missing out on achieving the accolade of highest score of the weekend was Hayley Watson-Greaves, whose whopping score of 72.28% in the inter II with her ride, her own ten year old gelding WG Rubins Nite, earned her first place and qualification through to the TopSpec inter II championship at the Nationals
24-year-old international rider, Alice Oppenheimer also had a successful weekend, claiming wins in both the PSG and inter I classes – and subsequently qualifications through to the Fairfax PSG and Saracen Horse Feeds inter I championships at the Nationals – with her mum’s ten year old chestnut mare, Headmore Boadicia, with scores of 71.45% and 70.66% respectively. Showing her versatility, Alice partnered her second ride of the weekend, Joanne Graham’s six year old Hanoverian mare, Headmore Wimoweh, and took the six year old national British young dressage horse title with their 8.74 mark.
Photograph courtesy of Samantha’s Facebook
For a full list of results, click here.
Class 1: 5 year old National British Young Dressage Horse
Sarah Williams with Diesel V, 8.76
Class 2: 6 year old National British Young Dressage Horse
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Wimoweh, 8.74
Class 3: FEI PSG (2009)
Richard Barrett with Walid 4, 70.70%
Class 4: FEI Inter I (2009)
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Boadicia, 70.66%
Class 5: Shearwater 4 year old Potential International Dressage Horse
Bryony Goodwin with Hawtins Sandori, 43.1
Class 6: Shearwater 5 year old Potential International Dressage Horse
Andrew Gould with Hawkins Sofia, 43.8
Class 7: 5 year old International Young Dressage Horse
Sadie Smith with River Rise Escala, 8.26
Class 8: 6 year old International Young Dressage Horse
Sarah Williams with Amo II, 8.04
Class 9: Advanced Medium (2002)
Bryony Goodwin with Hawtins Floriana, 71.18%
Class 10: FEI PSG (2009)
Sara Gallop with Summerhouse Zelham, 69.91%
Class 11: BD Inter II (2014)
Hayley Watson-Greaves with WG Rubins Nite, 72.28%
Class 12: Advanced Medium (2002)
Charlie Sawyer with Zandiego, 71.05%
Class 13: Advanced Medium Freestyle (2012)
Ben St John-James with Wellington, 73.00%
Class 14: FEI Grand Prix (2014)
Rhett Bird with Donzelo, 69.67%
Class 15: PYO Freestyle
Clare Hole with Rembrandt DDH, 72.16%
Class 16: PSG Freestyle (2009)
Gemma Maddocks with El Paso Van Overis, 72.17%
Class 17: FEI Young Rider Team test (2009)
Samantha Thurman-Baker with Highcliffe Apollo, 68.95%
Class 18: FEI Junior Team test (2009)
Joanna Thurman-Baker with San Piko, 70.14%
Class 19: FEI Pony Team test (2012)
Alexandra Hellings with Der Kleine Lord, 71.47%
Class 20: FEI PSG (2009)
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Boadicia, 71.45%