The all-weather tracks at Inchcoonans Equestrian provide riders with the perfect opportunity to keep event fit in preparation for the coming season.
Incorporating showjumping and working hunter fences in their outdoor arena, and natural fences over gallops and woodland tracks, Inchcoonans has tailored its own format of competition Power X and Extreme Power X which have proved the perfect tonic for the more adventurous winter riders looking for something that little bit different.
Strong winds curbed the recent Extreme Power X, however, and competition was confined to the Inchcoonans main arena.
Taking a ‘home win’ from the opening classes, young Ethan Wivell borrowed his sister Elspeth’s pony Tiggy to top the leaderboard for the pre-nursery novice and nursery novice classes.
“We have hadTiggy since November, and Ethan and Elspeth have battles over who is going to ride her,” said his mother Carole.
“Tiggy is a super confidence-giving pony, so Ethan really enjoys riding her.”
When they aren’t competing over the Power X tracks they also do dressage and showjumping, so Ethan hopes to get the opportunity to compete more regularly this year.
Making the best of their first ever outing in this format of competition, Shonagh Lawson and her Highland pony Firefly II of Craigieloch took the novice win.
“We went to get experience over rustic type fences as I want to do worker hunter classes with her this year,” said Shonagh, who works as a chef at the Piperdam Golf & Leisure Resort.
Firefly was home-bred by the Lawsons out of Glensaugh Mayday Megan, a mare which the family originally bought from Thainstone Market, and she was sired by Oakley of Whitefield.
Shonagh added of the rising six-yearold: “We haven’t done too much in the way of ridden showing yet, but she was placed first in the nursery novice ridden class at the NESHPES Spring Show last April.”
Following that success they were also first of the novice entry at the Aberdeen Highland Pony Show, in August, and have increasingly taken to the dressage arena over the winter.
Leading the intermediate entry was Strathearn Riding Club regular Emma Wake and her “horse of a lifetime” Tropix.
“He is my pride and joy,” said Emma, who lives in Madderty but has her own “wee yard” in Methven.
She has owned the 10-year-old registered Welsh section D gelding for the last three years.
Over this time they have sampled a bit of everything.
“But my love is cross country,” said Emma, who has an HND in equine studies and has worked for the England family for the last six years. The partnership has progressed well together over rustic fences, taking placings in all five of the cross country contests they took part in during the 2014 season.
“We are now aiming towards our first three-foot cross country at Gleneagles in March. I also want to do more in the way of showing, particularly for mountain and moorland working hunters,” she added.
Taking the small open win was local rider Katie Ferrier, who runs the small trekking centre Happy Hackers Perthshire from her home at Luncarty. She won the class on board her own 10-year-old Welsh cross Irish Draught mare Ruby.
“I have owned her since she was just a two-year-old, and I broke her in myself,” said Katie.
“We started competing a couple of years ago,” she added. From this standing start, they progressed to compete in cross country competition just last year, finishing second on their debut outing at Craigie and winning only a short time later at Strathearn.
Katie, who admitted that schooling has proved both of their “weaker points”, said she mainly hacks out but does jump the “odd time”.
“I’m hoping to register for British Showjumping this year to continue momentum,” she added.
“I like the Power X competitions at Inchcoonans as it provides something just that little different.
“It is always that little bit more challenging than showjumping,” she added.
“Ruby seems to really enjoy it, too,” she said.
Results
Power X Novice: 1 Katrina Ramsay, Chatterbox. Intermediate: 1 Katrina Ramsay, Chatterbox; 2 Anna McDougall, Breeze; 3 Daisy Cross, Whimby. Small open: 1 Daisy Cross, Whimby; 2 Claire Johnstone, Flo; 3 Liz Fincher, Ivor. Open: 1 Liz Fincher, Ivor; 2 Daisy Cross, Ebony; 3 Daisy Cross, Whimby. Advanced: 1 Daisy Cross, Ebony; 2 Lucy Miller Todd, Logan; 3 Lisa Garret, Rusticana.
Extreme Power X Pre-nursery novice: 1 Ethan Wivell, Tiggy. Nursery novice: 1 Ethan Wivell, Tiggy Novice: 1 Shonagh Lawson, Firefly II of Craigieloch; 2 Ethan Wivell, Tiggy. Intermediate: 1 (equal) Emma Wake, Tropix and Bonnie Brown, Rosie; 3 Andi Bruce, Phoenix. Small open: 1 Katie Ferrier, Ruby; 2 Laura Powell, Jigsaw; 3 Fiona Mathieson, Fallon