All that training is paying off with lots of success at the BRC Area 19 Qualifiers leading to smiles all round and enjoyable trips to out of county venues this summer.
We organise regular training sessions throughout the year which are always well supported by our members (including training days at Knightswood – more on these next blog)! This has really paid off this summer with many individuals competing in BRC Area 19 Qualifiers and their success has led to some enjoyable and memorable trips to venues right across the country.
The qualifying season began with Carina Kane and Flight, Andy Coad and Christian, and Grant Eden and Merlin heading to the Horse Trials Qualifier in June at Southcott. Carina and Andy had brilliant double clears and Grant was clear in the cross country phase with just one pesky pole in the showjumping!
This was closely followed by the Showjumping Qualifier in July at Colraine which saw our senior 70cm team of Andy, Grant, Helen McMillan and Ocean, and Celena Wolfe and Obaldy place 2nd with Andy placing 2nd individually. Then our 80cm team of Carina, Celena and Andy placed 3rd – an incredible performance from everyone!
On 26th July the Summer Dressage Qualifiers took place at Duchy College which once again saw two teams of four taking part! Our senior intermediate ‘Trotting Titans’ team secured 2nd place with Carina placing 5th individually, Helen 9th, Tracy 4th and Celena 2nd, and our mixed open team ‘The Bridle Brigade’ placed 6th overall, with Jane Lavington and Fergal and Sally Rowe and Georgie each placing 5th individually and Celena Wolfe 3rd. In their individual classes, Carina and her young horse Molly landed 1st place and Sally and Georgie came 5th.
Outstanding tests ridden by everyone!
Coming second meant The Trotting Titans secured a qualification to Lincoln for the BRC Nationals which subsequently got cancelled due to the impact of the extreme heat on the ground conditions. However, we then had an invite to compete at the South Wales & West of England Riding Club Championships at Hartpury in Gloucestershire which saw Carina and Molly, Tracy Wilson and Prince, Janet Elston and Legacy, and Sally and Georgie heading that way together.
They had the best time with the horses happily settling into their stables and reliving their youth by staying in the student halls of residence! The facilities at Hartpury were fabulous and everyone thoroughly enjoyed competing in the incredible outdoor arenas, riding some fantastic tests and doing the club proud. There was both dressage and showjumping on that weekend so there were hundreds of horses and competitors there, so plenty to watch in between our riders!
On 23rd August, the weekend before Hartpury, we had 7 members having a go at the Combined Training Qualifiers (dressage and showjumping) at Colraine and Becky joined everyone on the day, sharing more wisdom and boosting everyone’s confidence. Subsequently our novice ‘CVRC Gold’ team of Helen and Ocean (1st in their 60cm class), Tracy and Prince (3rd 60cm), Jane and Madi (1st 70cm) and Katie Thomas and Maverick (8th 70cm) came first, securing their qualification to the BRC national championships at Aston le Walls, and our open ‘CVRC Silver’ team of Carina and Flight (2nd in their 90cm class), Andy (8th 80cm) and Celena (3rd 80cm) placed 4th.
Riding two disciplines made the long journey to Aston seem a little more worthwhile so Carina and Flight (who had qualified as an individual), Jane and Madi, Helen and Ocean, and Tracy and Prince headed that way to compete in their respective classes on the 26th and 27th September. Katie and Maverick couldn’t go as she was returning to university that weekend, and at the last minute, Celina and Obaldy (who had also qualified as an individual), was also unable to join the party.
With no stabling on site at Aston, finding accommodation had been super tricky but Helen’s perseverance had eventually secured somewhere memorable to stay just 15 minutes from the venue. Carina and Tracy headed up on the Friday, with Carina competing as an individual in the prelim and 90cm class on the Saturday and wow, did they do well in both their dressage and jumping. If we found the dressage nationals at Hartpury a big event, this was off the scale with Combined Training and Combined Challenge (showjumping and cross country) taking place at the same time and almost 1000 horses and riders competing over the two days!
Carina was thrilled with Flight and meanwhile Prince spent the day at our accommodation as Tracy was committed to volunteering on behalf of the club for a couple of hours or so (handily in the CT showjumping arena)! Upon returning, they had to help park all the other lorries and trailers that were staying that night (19 horses in total), including Jane and Helen who had travelled up that day, just in time for fish and chips that evening!
Sunday was team day for our Camel Valley Crusaders.
Tracy and Prince competed in the morning in the prelim and 60cm class – she found a nice big field to warm up in and then after a nice dressage test, successfully got round the showjumping with just 8 faults (as she says herself, this was way out of her comfort zone, so she was thrilled)!
Helen and Jane were on really late in the day, so they and Carina helped Tracy and then got Prince back to the accommodation so she and Carina could head back to Cornwall as Carina had work commitments the next day.
Helen’s prelim dressage was unfortunately spoilt by a horse rearing in the adjoining arena and unsettling Ocean, but they flew around the 70cm showjumping with just 4 faults.
Jane’s novice dressage test with Madi saw her top the leaderboard and, with just 4 faults in the showjumping, she secured an impressive 4th place as an individual. Overall, our team came a creditable 28th out of 36 teams from right across the UK.
What an adventure and in fact, what a year for CVRC! Above all, our team spirit has shone through this summer and, with others inspired to have a go in future, we’ll carry on with the training and see where that takes us next.
