Tayside Dressage Group wrapped up its 2014/15 winter session during a recent league competition, hosted indoors at Easter Rattray.
Qualified BHSAI Anne Johnston breached 73% to top both the medium and advanced medium competitions with Rufus, her 18-year-old Hanoverian cross Danish gelding by Grannusberg.
Rufus (Affinity Grandeberg) previously competed to Prix St George and Intermediate 1 level, but has not affiliated for the last few years.
“I’ve had Rufus since he was just 10 months old,” explained Anne. “He went well in both tests. He felt soft and light.”
Conceding she is a “little fussy” about the surface she rides Rufus on, following an old tendon injury, Anne added: “He likes the surface at Easter Rattray and so do I.
“Rufus has always been particularly good at his changes, finding them easy right up to one-time tempis so we picked up good scores there.
“These local competitions are great fun and don’t put us under any pressure. I just wish we were both a little younger!” she added.
Over the years, Anne and Rufus have contested the National Championships and competed at Hickstead.
“We used to train with Jill Grant and then Paul Hayler, but recently we have had a help from Matt Burnett as he travels to Easter Rattray.”
Taking a double of novice wins was 17-year-old Jordan Headspeath and her Highland pony Burnside Seamus. This 11-year-old, by Clandon Moriarti and out of Goldie of Whitefield, has been in the family for the last five years.
During this time, he has forged a successful career in the showing, counting the ridden championship at Kirriemuir and Braco shows and a reserve working hunter title at Blair Castle among his many breed wins. Jordan and Seamus were also recently crowned the winners of the Highland Pony Society junior performance award for the second year running finishing in fifth position overall for Scotland.
“This was our first outing of the year, so it was a big surprise to win,” said Jordan, who is currently in her last year at Webster’s High School.
“During our first test Seamus was slightly distracted he was too busy looking at himself in the arena mirrors!
“Our second test went much better. He was much more focused and was easier and softer to ride.”
Another strong winning score was recorded by retired police officer Shonagh Robb with Platinum Crackers. They topped the Prelim 13 test on a mark of 72.71% and were also second in the Novice 27. Now 16-years-young, Crackers an Irish Sports Horse by Huntingfield Rebel out of Ballymore Princess has been with Shonagh for almost two years.
“I bought him through my regular trainer Louisa Milne Home, as he had been kept at livery with her by his previous owners. Louisa thought we’d make a good match and so far she’s been proved correct!” Shonagh said.
As recently joined members of the Dressage Group, this was only their second outing with Tayside. “I was absolutely delighted to win.”
Looking forwards, they are now gearing towards the 2015 event season with hunter trials runs planned through the Fife Hunt and Fife Riding Club, in preparation for their first affiliated outing of the year to Dalkeith.
“Cracker’s main job is the very special task of ‘looking after his mum’ as an event horse. We completed three BE90 events last year finishing double clear at each, so this season we hope to move up to BE100 level.”
Having recently achieved selection for the BYRDs squad, 12-year-old Mearns academy pupil Zoe Florence took two class wins with her native cross Hirstmund Merlot.
This seven-year-old yellow dun Highland cross, bred by Sarah Hird and purchased by the Florences from Anna Roberts, was only backed late in 2013.
Zoe said: “Finn was really good considering that he isn’t a push button pony and that was his first attempt at a novice test. He can be quite stubborn.”
This season, the partnership, which trains with Iona Campbell and Shelagh Steven, has won at Brechin Castle and Pathhead and were second in the Angus Pony Club winter league.
equestrian@thecourier.co.uk Results Intro B: 1 Hannah Burns, Goose, 69.79; 2 Lucinda Riddell, Beechnut, 62.39; 3 Sylvia Ormiston, Archie, 62.39. Prelim 12 (rest): 1 Zoe Florence, Hirstmund Merlot, 72; 2 Jacquie Muirhead, Fallon, 64.8; 3 Sylvia Ormiston, Beechnut, 64.2. Prelim 12 (open): 1 Abbie Clark, Beau, 72.2; 2 Sandra Ashworth, Clash, 65; 3 Lucinda Riddell, Archie, 64.6. Prelim 13: 1 Shonagh Robb, Platinum Crackers, 72.71; 2 Abbie Clark, Beau, 70.21; 3 Shonagh Robb, Tonto, 68.75. Novice 27 (rest): 1 Zoe Florence, Hirstmund Merlot, 63.04. Novice 27 (open): 1 Jordan Headspeath, Burnside Seamus, 64.46; 2 Shonagh Robb, Platinum Crackers, 57.86; 3 Shonagh Robb, Tonto, 56.61. Novice 34: 1 Jordan Headspeath, Burnside Seamus, 65.42; 2 Lizzie Foote, Cheeko, 62.29; 3 Rachel Thomson, Bally, 61.25. Elementary 42: 1 Fiona Forbes, Weartic, 67.19; 2 Lizzie Foote, Cheeko, 63.91. Elementary 49: 1 Anne Johnston, Bo, 66; 2 Lizzie Foote, Cheeko, 63.67; 3 Fiona Forbes, Weartic, 62.67. Medium 71: 1 Anne Johnston, Rufus, 73.87. Advanced Medium: 1 Anne Johnston, Rufus, 73.67.