It’s Winter Championship Season

Kate Kearns with Sportsman II

It’s Winter Championship time of year and over the coming weeks, riders from the area will be joining others from all over the country to compete for a coveted top 10 rosette or better still a sash.

One Championship already completed is the BE Arena Eventing Championships. Herefordshire rider Kate Kearns, from Weston under Penyard was 4th in the BE90 Championship with Sportsman II, aka Rocky, a 10 yr old skewbald gelding originally bought for husband Liam, vet at Three Counties Equine Hospital, to hunt and for Kate to hack and do flatwork. 3 ½ years on, Kate & Rocky are regularly successful in competition, while Liam is enjoying his hunting.

First season eventing last year, Kate and Rocky won their first event at 80cm and continued to do four 90cms events, with a 4th placing at Homme House, 5th at West Wilts, a double clear at Offchurch Bury and there then followed a little blip at Llanymynech where they got horribly lost on the xc!!!

Rocky was bought unseen from Joli Smith, who said she had the ideal horse for them. On first glance, when Kate went to collect Rocky, she wasn’t convinced, but Joli was right – he has been absolutely perfect for them and given them a lot of fun. Kate hadn’t planned on returning to jumping after a break of 30 years, but with help from Marie Ryan and encouragement from a group of great friends, they have had a blast.

Kate Kearns competing Sportsman II

The Championships were held in early March following ten qualifying competitions in January and February. The series is open to both BE members and non-members and run at BE80, BE90 and BE100 level. Competitors ride a round of show jumping immediately followed by cross country fences in an arena and finishing over a slightly higher joker fence.  Held at Aston Le Walls, it was a proper championship course with a huge range of questions across three all-weather arenas, including ditches, corners and a water complex.  Well done Kate!

Coming up soon is the KBIS Novice Winter Championships at Keysoe, Bedford where riders from our region are competing, so come back soon!