A project pony bought for £650 shows her talents, while
two more Welsh section Ds claim tickets to Hartpury
KATE SANDERSON was one of
several riders at the Area Festival
to book their first qualifying ticket
to the championships.
She led two classes with
plus-70% with Welsh section D
ponies — the prelim silver with
Cefncoch Crusader and the novice
bronze with Hillgarth Rachelian.
Having spent some time
eventing, last year Kate competed
at the native pony dressage
championships and decided to
aim for the Area Festival.
“I’ve always enjoyed flatwork
and my ponies were always up
there after the dressage phase in
eventing. I lost my way in eventing
this year and my trainer suggested
we aim for this,” explained
Kate, a pet portrait artist.
The six-year-old Hillgarth
Rachelian, known as Elle, was
purchased as a four-year-old
project for £650 while Cefncoch
Crusader was of work. However,
after two BE80(T) wins at the
mare’s first two British Eventing
(BE) competitions, Kate decided
to keep her. Despite her being
sound, Kate felt there was
something not right and, just
before Christmas, Elle underwent
an operation to remove a bone
fragment in her fetlock.
“She’s come back feeling strong
and her trot has got bigger and
more powerful,” added Kate.
The 17-year-old Cefncoch
Crusader is also an able event
pony, having qualified for
the Badminton grassroots
championships in 2014, but
shortly afterwards sufered a
tendon injury and had two years
of rehabilitation, before a tear in
the hind tendon sheath resulted in
another year of.
“I got him as a five-year-old
when I was 12. He’s brilliant at his
job, but can be spooky and I need
to be on my guard out hacking
and at competitions,” added
Kate. “I’d never believed I could
qualify so it’s amazing both ponies
did — I couldn’t have asked any
more of them.”
‘GET ON WITH IT’
VIVIENNE WILSON was
delighted to lead the prelim
bronze with Mountain Heather.
“The test was outdoors and I
felt she was a little tense because it
was squelchy, but I could hear my
trainer, Erik McKechnie-Guire, in
my ear telling me to get on with it,”
said Vivienne.
“I lost my good horse and
spent two years looking for an
all-rounder gelding. Sandra
Low-Mitchell said she had found
me the perfect horse who ticked
all the boxes, but was a mare.
It’s taken us a while to get a
partnership but she’s a sweet girl.
Erik comes to my riding club every
month and we’ve been working on
keeping her forward, supple and
relaxed,” added Vivienne.
Despite missing a few days’
work due to storms prior to the
competition, plus her recent
wedding, junior doctor Harriet
Shaw-Tan topped the novice
silver with Isabel II and is looking
forward to taking her mother and
sister to her first Area Festival
championships at Hartpury.
“I’m so excited to qualify. ‘Belle’
was on her toes beforehand, but
in the test she was very good. She’s
trainable with a good head,” said
Harriet of the Apache five-year-
old mare, who was purchased a
year ago from Holland.
In contrast, paramedic Nicky
Heale secured a sixth return visit
to Hartpury with the 11-year-
old Welsh section D Retanach
Request, after heading the bronze
prix st georges (PSG).
“It was a strong class, but he
felt mature and settled. He was
10th at the nationals and it shows
how much he’s come into himself,”
said Nicky, who is aiming for an
inter II before Christmas.
Medium bronze winner
Jade Whitelaw booked a fifth
trip to Hartpury and her third
championship ticket with
Dauphin III.
“Recently, Jennifer Johnston-
Harman has been helping me
improve his half-pass, which paid
of today, and his straightness,
allowing him to take more weight
behind and be lighter in front,”
said Jade.
Training at grand prix proved
beneficial for Sue Grice and Chao
Lingshan, who claimed the inter
I bronze.
“We’ve only just stepped up
to inter I so I was delighted and
we also gained a personal best
score at PSG. This summer I’ve
been working at grand prix and
he’s really strengthened up and
enjoys the challenge. Next year
I’m hoping to move up to inter II,”
explained Sue, who has recently
achieved a UKCC3 dressage-
specific coaching qualification.
Another rider recently married
was the elementary silver winner
Chloe Milne (née Peat) and
Cremmdalla Crem.
“We had a little mistake
between C and H just in front of
the judges and cantered early,
but she was on top form. She
hasn’t been out since August
when she won the freestyle
challenge at Sheepgate’s under-25
championships,” said Chloe.
Following on from their double
at the Scottish championships,
Shona Leckie, 16, landed a brace of
wins at advanced medium bronze
and the medium under-21 with
Apart, while sister Catrina claimed
the inter II with Adventure.
Reigning prelim silver winter
champion Carla Milne led the
novice under-21 qualifier with Hey
Good Looking GK.
“We have a strong relationship
now and are learning to rely on
each other,” said Carla.