Hartpury trio secure finals berth

A trio of Hartpury students, including Herefordshire dressage rider Lucy Pincus, produced impressive performances at recent regional dressage qualifiers to secure a place at the Winter Finals, which are being held on home ground.

Lucy Pincus, Joshua Hill and Katie Owens each secured qualification with a strong showing and all three will now be hoping to build on their efforts when the college hosts the Winter Finals in April.

Pincus played a starring role in recent qualifiers at Addington and Myerscough Equestrian Centres, with three first place finishes in the Advanced Medium, Novice, and Elementary Music Open classes. She also achieved second place finishes in the Elementary and Advanced Medium Open classes.

She is currently a student on the Equine Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) provided by British Dressage and British Eventing and run exclusively at Hartpury.  
The apprenticeship puts talented young riders based all over the country on the right path to succeed at the very highest level. Apprentices and their horses benefit from the support of mentors who have played a starring role in the equestrian world – as competitors and coaches.

Fellow AASE student Hill collected a first place in the Elementary Music class and a second place in the Novice Music Open class at Addington, as well as placing at the Merrist Wood regional qualifier.

Owens, one of Hartpury’s Equine Academy riders, secured second place in the Elementary Open class at Myerscough College.

There was further good news with five students being selected for international representation at the prestigious Addington Manor International Dressage Show.

Pincus has been called up by GBR Young Riders, where she will be joined by fellow AASE student Heidi Fellows, and Jessica Blackmore, another AASE student, has been called up to represent Australia Young Riders at the event.

Hartpury Equine Academy riders, Emma Corbett and Francesca Bradley, will also be representing GBR Young Riders, with the former competing in the Under-25s Grand Prix.

Nick Burton, Hartpury’s Equine Academy Director, said: “Lucy, Joshua and Katie produced excellent results at the Regionals and we’ll be following their progress closely at the Winter Finals.

“These results and international selections are reflective of the high calibre and strength of the riders that we have in the Equine Academy and on the Equine AASE programme.”