The winter league at Tayside Dressage Group swung into action at Easter Rattray outside Blairgowrie recently.
The opening preliminary contest – judged by Anna Sieve to the prelim 4 test – was won by Liff-based Medical Rep Jacqui Murdoch and her dark bay five-year-old Touc Touch More.
Jacqui bought the gelding after watching him in the show ring as a foal at foot at Perth Show in 2008 from Irish Draught breeder Anne Webster, from Aberdeenshire.
As he matured, she sent him to event rider and BHSII instructor Jane Gilchrist, at Rait, to be broken, and has since been enjoying regular lessons with Diana Zadja.
“I was so pleased with how he went in the test,” explained Jacqui after achieving the highest score of the day – a commanding 74.09%.
“He had been a bit wired in the warm up, but he settled down as soon as we went into the arena.”
This year has been their first competitive year together – getting out to a few prelim level competitions as well as to cross country and showjumping events.
“It’s been great having him and enjoying his progression since he was a baby. I’m really pleased with how he has turned out,” she added.
The second of the prelim tests, judged by Isobel Ripley, included qualifiers for the Rhinns Point Series Final for 2014.
It was topped by Fife’s Jo Jack riding Elinor Steven’s versatile Highland Pony, Glenbanchor Somerled, was a former HOYS Private Driving Finalist just last year.
He finished eighth and highest native pony in Birmingham with Elinor, having also narrowly missed out on qualification as a ridden Highland too – taking second place with Jo in the qualifier at the Scottish Horse Show.
The prelim 14 win triggered what was to end a double of wins for Jo and ‘Bo’, as they also progressed to take the red rosette for the restricted Novice 24 class.
Bo, who breached the 70% barrier in both his wins, topped his prelim on an impressive 73.33%.
In the show ring, the eight-year-old gelding this year stood champion ridden open mountain and moorland and reserve in-hand M and M at Fife Show, was the reserve in-hand champion at the CSHPC’s Spring Show, came third in the HOYS qualifier at the Royal Highland and was ridden champion of champions at the CSHPC September Show at Strathallan.
He has now qualified for a hattrick of dressage finals this season, adding Rhinns Points to previous qualifications for the NPS finals and the Morris EC/TSF championships also.
Jo, who works alongside Elinor at the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, also collected a second placing in the earlier prelim class on another Highland pony, Kincardine Melody.
This six-year-old mare, sired by Kincardine Ben Macdhui, was bred by Audrey Baron out of Balmoral Iona.
Jo backed the mare at four, before she was turned to stud for the following year.
She was then rebacked this summer and won her first nursery novice and went reserve champion at the CSHPC show in September.
“She is very ‘forward’ and buzzy for a Highland Pony,” explained Jo.
The final competitor to breach the 70% barrier and take a win, this time in the Elementary section, was Easter Rattray’s own Jock McFarlane.
Recently crowed HorseScotland ‘Performer of the Year’ for his supreme accolades in the world of international carriage driving, he took first place – and 71.6% – with his 11-year-old Gelderlander, Wodka.
Having done a few grass roots driving events and realising he wanted to be competitive at that game, Jock bought Wodka, when he was rising four from Holland.
But not content with just the one top placing, Jock also stood second to himself in the elementary 44 with another of his carriage horses – Vladimir.
Vlad, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding, previously won the trophy for the highest placed TDG member at its annual affiliated and unaffiliated dressage show in May.
“He is actually a very easy horse to ride and he is a really nice horse to have around, but he is unfortunately a tad too small for me, “ said Jock of the 15.2hh gelding.
Results
Intro B: 1 Ailsa Appleton, Twinkletoes, 65.65; 2 Leanne Shephard, Ultra Special, 65.21; 3 Joyce Simpson, Del Boy, 64.78.
Prelim 4: 1 Jacqui Murdoch, Touc Touch More, 74.09; 2 Jo Jack, Kincardine Melody, 68.18; 3 Jennifer Adam, Hero, 65.9.
Prelim 14: 1 Jo Jack, Glenbanchor Somerled, 73.33; 2 Pam Walker, Cydneigh, 71.66; 3 Loretta Cruickshank, Indy, 66.25.
Novice 24 (rest): 1 Jo Jack, Glenbanchor Somerled, 70; 2 Loretta Cruickshank, Indy, 63.84.
Novice 24 (open): 1 Sally Murray, Lee, 63.46; 2 Lizzie Foote, Cheeko, 61.53; 3 Morag Russell, Rosco, 60.38.
Novice 30: 1 Courtney Steel, Zivolda, 69.61; 2 Lesley McNaughton-Wells, Rhinns Point Sendac, 61.92; 3 Gillian Clayton, Tallis, 54.23.
Elementary 44: 1 Jock McFarlane, Wodka, 71.6; 2 Jock McFarlane, Vlad, 68.8; 3 Anne Johnston, Bo, 68.4.
Medium 63: 1 Anne Johnston, Bo, 67.93; 2 Georgina Chalmers-Gray, Prince Lochnagar of Moulzie, 62.06; 3 Hannah Burns, Tugboat.