21st Aug 2007

Burghley Beckons Eventers

(Burghley Horse Trials)

Advanced event riders Clea Phillipps and Heidi Woodhead are currently making the last few preparations before travelling to the world famous, Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire. Running between 30th August and 2nd September, Burghley Horse Trials will see some of the world's leading international event riders, including William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Andrew Nicholson tackling one of the most technical cross country tracks on the advanced eventing circuit.

Former winner of the Blair Castle CCI***, Clea Phillipps and the bay gelding Lead the Way and Yorkshire based, Heidi Woodhead who recently won the Ballindenisk World Cup Qualifier with The Biz will both contend the coveted four star event which offers £50,000 to the winner.

Running alongside the four star three day event will be the finals of the Four and Five Year Old Burghley Young Event Horse Championships, designed to encourage event horse breeders to produce horses which are considered to be the best type in order to make future world class three day event horses. The competition consists of four phases; a short dressage test which requires each rider to demonstrate the horse’s gaits, these should be correct, elastic and regular, a show jumping course which tests jumping ability, athleticism, boldness and willingness, an examination of conformation and movement whereby marks are awarded for the physical ability to withstand the demands of the sport in terms of soundness, speed and stamina and a final phase in which the top ten finalists are judged for their suitability and potential, in looking for star quality and potential to become a world class event horse, each finalist is required to gallop.

Both Heidi Woodhead and Lucinda Ainley will be taking youngsters to compete in the five year old final. Primitive Logic who qualified with Heidi at Driffield and Sendeed, Lucinda's ex-racehorse who won the Thirlestane qualifier last weekend. “I am over the moon but quite surprised! Sendeed produced a lovely dressage test and I am delighted with his marks for conformation but I thought the show jumping phase asked too many technical questions and was marred by very deep going”, said Lucinda who has also recently qualified for the PAVO British Eventing Young Horse Championship.

Good Luck Clea, Heidi and Lucinda........

21st Aug 2007

Dazzling Dressage at Championships

(Blue Waters National Dressage Championships)

Dressage dreams may soon become a reality for several Sue Carson Saddles dressage riders as the Blue Waters National Dressage Championships approaches, Alice Beasley, Steph Croxford, Sharon Edwards, Caroline Saynor and Becky Whitcombe have all put in exceptional performances across the country at various Regional Championships to secure their tickets to the Finals.

Alice Beasley and the grey gelding Raffels made a fantastic return to dressage following Alice's broken pelvis last year where they stole the Stellar Wealth Prix St Georges at the North West Regional Chmpionships, whilst Becky Whitcombe and her mare Desiderata won two Intermediaire II classes in a row to qualify. Following their team success in the Nations Cup at Hickstead CDIO at the end of July, Steph Croxford and the exceptionally talented Mr President will contend the highlight of the programme, the Easibed Grand Prix .

Sue Carson Saddles would like to wish all riders every success at the forthcoming Championships.