North-east riders triumph at Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials
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North-east equestrians triumphed at the Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials three day event which were held in Perthshire.
In Thursday’s showing classes Barthol Chapel-based rider Sharon Hutcheon on former brood mare Dunedin Fenella (Nell) won the novice ridden highland pony class then went on to take novice champion and overall ridden champion and silver medal winner of the highland pony day.
The nine year old Dunedin prefix mare bred by Anne Mitchell of the Dunedin stud “felt and behaved like a star” according to her owner who was gifted Nell by her husband for her 40th birthday.
Sharon commented: “I really had no expectations other than getting into the ridden ring at Blair as she can be a bit sassy when ridden and is not your typical Highland.
"Blair is a very buzzy show and the biggest she’s attended to date.”
This Blair win comes on the back of the gold medal in hand championship win at the recent Highland breed show at Strathallan Castle.
Sharon added: “It’s hard sometimes juggling my two boys and my husband’s business from home and I don’t always manage to attend as much as I sometimes would like but these successes have made the struggles and the days and nights riding in the wettest Scottish days worth it.”
Local rider Laura Corsie also enjoyed success in the Highland classes with her mum Jackie’s 11 year old mare Orchid of Orcadia, taking the intermediate highland pony working hunter out of a strong class.
“It was a very tricky course” explained jackie, “We come to Blair every year and the working hunter courses always prove to be challenging.
"Orchid really loves her jumping and nothing fazes her.”
Fiona Menzies of Myreton Farm, Insch won novice hunter and reserve champion on her nine year old chestnut gelding Bowland Winner by Longdean Westminster.
“He rode like a Ferrari and the ride judge was very complimentary ” said Fiona who competes the gelding at medium unaffiliated dressage.
Shell-shocked Sam Winn – who stables her two horses at Knock Farm, Huntly, also enjoyed success with her Clydesdale Sam taking the In Hand Pre Veteran class, then Reserve Champion In Hand and later in the afternoon the Pre Veteran Ridden and the Overall Ridden Veteran.
Turning to eventing, holding their own in the CCI 1* Intro class which drew 147 entries and was a very technical and full-up course was Daviot rider Caitlin Padfield who achieved a sixth out of 60 starters on Carole Stewart’s 14.1hh purebred Connemara pony “Finnboo” Finnan Boy Blue.
By Castle Gizmo and bred in Scotland by the McBean family, this pocket rocket 14 year old gelding finished in their section on their dressage score of 34.6, 20 seconds inside the optimum time.
Even though Carole liveries and trains with Caitlin, this was the first time Caitlin had evented him so it was indeed a baptism of fire!
Caitlin explained:” Due to his size you have to really rev him up and y ride him in a positive manner to get the stride length.
"He held all the lines fantastically and is a credit to the work Carole has done with him over the years and made my life easier.
“It was a challenge as he is such a different type to what I usually ride.
"I probably felt quite a lot of pressure too as he is such a well-respected and talented pony and I just wanted to do him justice.
"Carole has asked me to do one or two more CCI1* with him.”
Jen Morris on JRP Kick on Casanova, a 10 year old 16.1hh gelding secured an eighth place win in Section F of the CCI1*which had 60 starters and only 45 completers.
Jen had a super dressage score of 29.4 and was the overnight leader, with four showjumping faults sat 11th and was well inside the optimum time of 5min 56 cross country on 5min 39, resulting in no cross-country time faults or jumping penalties.
This moved Jen into eighth position on which she commented:“The main thing is this is such a long time coming.
"I’ve had so many missed opportunities over the years and here I am, nearly 50, riding in the FEI at Blair.
"I’ve loved over the years helping everyone with their preparation including my son Luke at Blair but to be actually getting the chance at long last to do it myself is fantastic.
“Alfie felt very fit.
"I needed to be on the long rein before showjumping and cross country start.
"I bought him from David Lawson and have only had him since April.
"I just really like the horse – it works - me and him. My son Luke came home recently and said, mum, this is the horse you should have had a long time ago.”
The water complexes, angled fences, hilly terrain and heat all added to the challenges in all classes – from the British Eventing Scottish Grassroots Championships 90 and 100 classes through to the CCI4* long format.
Among the international riders and fresh back from the Tokyo Olympics were medallists Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend who both had numerous rides in the international classes.
Dorset-based Rosie Fry held her overnight lead in the CCI4*-L with her Aunt Di White-Hamilton’s home-bred 10-year-old True Blue Too I; Ros Canter took the win in the CC13* - L with her own and Alex Moody’s Izilot DHI.
Sarah Bullimore enjoyed a first place win in the CCI2*-L on Evita AP, a seven-year-old mare owned by Sarah’s husband Brett and the Seahorse Syndicate.
