View News Story

Winning Dressage Diva and Champs 2013 report - Date posted 22/08/2013

What a weekend! My nervous are in shreds! Congratulations to Chloe Jackson who won her section of individuals in the Open Dressage competition having made use of the ticket that Katie Bettison gave up to go to Equifest where I understand she also had numerous successes. Well Done Katie.

It has been a year long project for Chloe, as having qualified after a magnificent test at the Areas last year, the horse Epic or Homer as we call him, nodded his way round the arena at the Championships and she was no where when all the other entrants from Area 12 enjoyed great successes. Homer had the winter off and in cold January, Chloe got him back in to start his walk work, trying to fit it in around her own working day and evening classes. Throughout the summer she planned her competitions to get in plenty of practice and some days we wondered if the judges were looking at the same horse as we were busily admiring on the sidelines. However, her day at the Championships finally arrived and the combination came out and performed what I emailed Sarah to say "was a beautiful test" and for once the judges (both of them) agreed and James and I could not believe the score boards when we went to look, Chloe had the best mark 68% but we had to wait for the last 3 scores to come in which for some reason seemed to take a very long hour for Chloe to be confirmed in first place and therefore a place in the Ride off. The top two from the 6 arenas ride the test again. With the excitement and nervous, in hindsight, we probably brought Homer out too early and his test was not his best and they finished 6th out of the 12 with only 4% marks separating the top 8 and there were FIVE judges! Chloe looked like Churchill the nodding dog saluting them all at the beginning and end of her test!
Sadly Chloe was not able to stand on the podium but did get a lovely leather headcollar. However, we were still thrilled.
Honor Murison was also there on Saturday doing her day before dressage test,