Good luck to BRC Championship Competitors

The 2017 KBIS British Riding Club Novice Winter Championships take place this weekend at Keysoe in Bedfordshire. The Championships include Novice Winter Dressage for RC teams and individuals and a novice show jumping team event.

One local rider who has qualified is Worcestershire rider Lauren Painter, member of the Worcester and District Riding Club.  Lauren has qualified Barrister II for the individual Novice Dressage Championships at Keysoe and also for the Intermediate Championships at Bury Farm later in April. Lauren has owned Baz, a 16.3hh 15 year old gelding for 4 years; he was bred by Theresa Simkins.

At last years Riding Club Dressage Championships, Lauren and Baz not only won their arena, but also had the best score of the day!  Baz regularly competes at Allens Hill and other local venues and has achieved percentages up to 84%.

Lauren is very grateful to sponsors Empire coachbuilders, Laura Cohen Designs, Old Oak Equestrian and Botanica International. She is trained by, and based with, Gabriel Fea who also competes Baz and gets many good results. Groom Tom Cartmell is a big support too, always getting the horses looking amazing and has their best interests at heart. Lauren also says her non-horsey parents have been incredibly supportive. After the BRC Championships, Lauren will compete Baz at BE events and is aiming at an International 1*.

Gemma Webster has qualified Tullibards Bennysdelight, stable name Benny, for the British Dressage combined training champs at novice 34/100cm level having scored 82.8% in her qualifier. She has also qualified for the Riding Club Dressage Championships at intermediate level and intermediate show jump team. The Championships are at Bury Farm in April.

Gemma bought Benny in November after having him on loan for a year. He is a 16.3hh Warmblood x TB, 10 year old chestnut gelding, by Guidam. Gemma says: “He is a sensitive chap, very spooky, and his rider has to earn his trust, but once this has been earned he tries his heart out and can get upset with himself if he thinks he has done something wrong.  He was very tense in the dressage when I first got him, usually trying to canter the whole test, but now he has learnt to settle and I have started BD with him winning on many occasions and even competing my first affiliated Medium test on him. Looking to try and qualify for the Petplans at elementary and the regionals at novice level BD.”

During their first year together, Gemma and Benny won the Riding Club Festival of the Horse National Championships at 100cm level as part of the team for Hereford and District Riding Club and were 6th Individually at the Riding Club Horse trials three day national championships. In addition, at BE 100 level, they were 2nd at Llanymynech, 10th at Broadway and 12th at Somerford in the BE100 plus, before doing 2 novices at Upton house and Aston Le Walls.

One of their notable wins this year was at the new BD combined training qualifier held at Cricklands in Chepstow. Gemma and Benny won the Novice 34 and 100 cm class with a super dressage score of 82.8%. The Championships are to be held at Wellington Riding Centre in Hampshire in May.

They also won the Riding Club Area 15 Intermediate Winter Dressage Qualifier Novice 34 held at Kings in February with over 75% and will be travelling to the National Championships at Bury Farm in Buckinghamshire at the end of April to compete as an individual.  In addition they won the Intermediate Area 15 Show Jumping held at Moores farm as part of the riding club team so will also be competing in the show jumping at the same National Championships at Bury Farm.

Gemma trains with Helena Charlesworth on the flat and Karen Nicholas for jumping, as well as utilising other trainers that the Hereford and District Riding Club offer as part of the training made available to members.

Gemma says she owes a lot to her friend Louise Devlin for giving up her time to help out as unpaid groom at most of her events.

Good luck to both Lauren and Gemma at the Championships as well as to all other riders from the area who have also qualified.