Scotland’s 2015 affiliated British Eventing season began with a bang at fledgling venue Dalkeith now widely regarded by riders as one of the “top venues” for north of the border competition.
With dressage arenas positioned against the stunning backdrop of the Duke of Bucchleuch’s Dalkeith Palace, the Central Scotland Horse Trials event returned for its second year to reveal cross country tracks which branched out into additional estate ground offering ample new permanent features.
Travelling to the event from her Kinross base, Badminton-bound international rider Louisa Milne Home reaped first and second placings with two young “stars of the future”. A winter spent British Showjumping to Newcomers level collecting wins at Morris and SNEC along the way paved the way for Harry DV to really impress on only his second outing of the year and his second competition at Novice level. He topped the Sunday novice section by adding just three seconds worth of time penalties from the cross country to a more than respectable dressage of 32.8.
“I bought Harry as a very green five-year-old from the Gatherums at Edenside,” explained Louisa. “But he’s been one that I’ve really taken my time to bring on.”
After “playing away” at BE100 level last season to grow the confidence of the Bonnie Prince Charlie-sired gelding, Louisa said her patience is now paying dividends.
“He really was quite a nervous chap, but showjumping him over the winter season which is what he loves has really given him the chance to come into himself.
“He felt so smart at Dalkeith,” she added.
Having had his first novice run around Burgham in March, where he finished in sixth place, Harry is off to a flying start for 2015.
“It’s so nice to have such a lovely event located so locally,” Louisa commented.
“Everything about it was lovely the setting and the courses. The tracks really ticked all the boxes, running between parks and through the wooded tracks.”
With Burgie next on the cards for Harry, Louisa hopes he will progress to contest a one-star international competition come the end of the spring.
Adding a second-place rosette to her prize haul was her seven-year-old BE100 runner Sir Oliver III. Ultimately denied the lead by a costly pole in the showjumping ring, they finished just three penalties behind Jane Reid and Greyford Boy.
“Oliver is such a lovely pony, but he really has a naughty streak and he likes to make me look foolish from time to time,” said Louisa.
“Thankfully, after a run at Burgham, he came out to Dalkeith and really meant business.”
As something of a late starter, Louisa said she thinks Oliver has now finally “turned a big corner”.
She said: “I think he’s going to be one to serious follow for the future.”
With the novice sections split over two days, the Saturday winners were found in Cooley Foundation for Sarah Hislop and for the open section in Kirsty Brewis’s ride Harbour Lights.
Meanwhile, in the under-18 section top scorer Turbo Toy recorded the best finishing score of the entire weekend to take a novice level win for Kelso young rider Lucinda Crawford. They added nothing to an 80% dressage score, to end on an unassailable 20 penalties, at their first time of trying at this level.
Their 2015 season is certainly shaping up to be one to keep an eye on, as they have already taken second placings at BE100 level from Oasby and Burgham and were winners at Breckenbough before they stepped up to Novice at Dalkeith.
Another talented young horse MGH Maccabee also recorded his first affiliated win for Cupar-based rider Lucy Harley.
Lucy is in her second year of study to become a PE teacher at Edinburgh University. She bought the rising six-year-old sired by Puissance from Lucy Wiegersma’s MGH Sports Horse yard, in Devon, a little over 12 months previously.
They forged a partnership together with a handful of early-season BE90 outings, before making the step to BE100 level at Floors Castle last season. This season they blew off their cobwebs with a “good grounding” at Eden Valley, where they took the day steadily in relation to wetter conditions.
“He’s a very cheeky character,” explained Lucy, “and he’s certainly not shy of having a large strop of buck if the mood takes him. Throughout the winter we have concentrated on trying to get him to develop more behind to improve his dressage marks, and he’s grown up hugely in the process,” she added.
After notching up a 25.5 dressage (74.5%), Lucy and Mac recorded a double clear from the jump phases at Dalkeith finishing with a showjump in-hand over the remainder of the BE100 section J field. Lucy, who credits her mother Karen for helping to keep Mac ‘ticking over’ whilst she is busy with her studies, said she benefits from lessons at home with James Oakden: “It has paid of hugely to keep him going with gymnastic and athletic work particularly grids as it really helps to sharpen his mind and keep him careful.
“He has come out so much stronger this year. Hopefully he will continue to fill out and develop,” she added.
Following their result, Lucy said she plans to step Mac up to Novice level competition at Richmond, in Yorkshire, but they have one more BE100 run in hand at Warwick Hall in the interim.
“He is a total machine across country and the course at Dalkeith really suited him,” said Lucy. “It was both inviting and well-built and it will be really exciting to see how the organisers develop the event in future years,” said Lucy.
equestrian@thecourier.co.ukResults
SATURDAY
BE80 A: 1 Kirstin Bamford, Geffory, 22.3,0,0,0=22.3; 2 Dawn Winer, Broadmeadows Fudge, 27,4,0,0=31; 3 Sarah Adam, Midsummer Skye, 31.8,0,0,0=31.8.
BE80 B: 1 Rachel Latchford, The Borrower, 25,0,0,0=25; 2 Charlotte Nevison, Borthwick Amber, 28,0,0,0=28; 3 Debra Rutherford, Skyes The Limit II, 30.5,0,0,0=30.5.
BE80 C: 1 Alison Page, Sporting Danillo, 29.8,0,0,0=29.8; 2 Marion Chretien, Crosstown Rock Dancer, 31.8,0,0,0=31.8; 3 Emma Haigh, Magic Dragon Two, 32,0,0,0=32.
BE90 D: 1 Gillian Bassett, Rainton Woodlander, 22,0,0,0=22; 2 Amanda Waugh, Fan Daby Angus, 28,0,0,0=28; 3 Carolyn Gospel, Primitive Declaration, 29,0,0,0=29.
BE90 E: 1 Tiffany Mactaggart, Highly Delighted, 26,0,0,0=26; 2 Sarah Finlayson, Baro Castlecoole, 28.8,0,0,0=28.8; 3 Mark Jackson, Charismatic Corner, 25.5,4,0,0=29.5.
ONu18 F: 1 Lucinda Crawford, Turbo Toy, 20,0,0,0=20; 2 Isabella Mackenzie, Romario II, 29.3,0,0,0=29.3; 3 Rosa Onslow, Limbo Kaiser, 33.5,0,0,0.4=33.9.
Open Novice G: 1 Kirsty Brewis, Harbour Lights, 23.8,0,0,0=23.8; 2 Catherine Watson, Stonehatch, 32,0,0,0=32; 3 Adam Gillespie, Activ Limited Edition, 32.3,0,0,0=32.3.
Novice: 1 Sarah Hislop, Cooley Foundation, 29.5,0,0,0=29.5; 2 Euan Hammersley, Dionysus N, 29.8,0,0,0=29.8; 3 Tiffany Mactaggart, Zeitgeist II M2S, 33.5,0,0,0=33.5.
SUNDAY
BE100 I: 1 Jane Reid, Greyford Boy, 29.3,0,0,0=29.3; 2 Louisa Milne Home, Sir Oliver III, 27.5,4,0,0.8=32.3; 3 Stephanie O’Neil, Ballbreaker SD, 25,4,0,3.6=32.6.
BE100 J: 1 Lucy Harley, MGH Maccabee, 25.5,0,0,0=25.5; 2 Alexandra Meikle, Damdeasy, 29.5,0,0,0=29.5; 3 Claudia Claydon, The Ginger King, 32.5,0,0,0=32.5.
BE100 K: 1 David Gatherer, Bendy Bob, 27,4,0,0=31; 2 Katie Pearson, Rockwood Joy, 31.5,0,0,0=31.5; 3 Freya Petrie, On N Away, 32,0,0,0=32.
BE100 L: 1 Daniel Scott, Something Special VIII, 33,4,0,0=37; 2 Jade Thompson, Balladeer Maestro, 34,4,0,0=38; 3 Jennifer Lange, Desdamona, 30.5,8,0,0=38.5.
BE100 Open M: 1 Louise McDonald, Dynamo, 30,5,0,0,0=30.5; 2 Morven Pringle, Harry OH, 32,0,0,0=32; 3 Caitlin Padfield, Chapel Down, 28,8,0,0=36.
BE100u18 N: 1 Katie Anderson, Cooldrumman Mist, 32.5,0,0,0=32.5; 2 Rachel Hamilton, Shannondale Somax, 33.5,0,0,2.0=35.5; 3 Sorrel Feather, Hooray Henry III, 36.5,0,0,0=36.5.
Novice O: 1 Louisa Milne Home, Harry DV, 32.8,0,0,1.2=34; 2 Fiona Malcolm, Glenvilla Mai, 30,0,0,4.0=34; 3 Jason Wood, The Causeway, 34.3,0,0,0=34.3.
BE90 P: 1 Douglas Crawford, Strike It Lucky, 33.3,0,0,0=33.3; 2 Kerri Dow, Dessie Island, 33.3,0,0,0=33.3; 3 Hester Garratt, Apolando, 37.5,0,0,0=37.5.
BE90 Q: 1 Joanne Moses, Greenburn Sunrise, 24.8,0,0,0=24.8; 2 Abby Taylor, Stroller, 29.8,0,0,0=29.8; 3 Frances Hislop, Justly Jules, 32,0,0,0=32.