UK Riders’ Ride & Relax® Challenge a National Success
After a year of qualifying rounds at over 60 equestrian centres around the UK, more than 300 unaffiliated amateur competitors arrived in Warwickshire to compete at the UK Riders’ Ride & Relax® Challenge National Finals 2006. Counties far and wide were represented at the final, boasting competitors from as far afield as Kent and Cumbria.
Held between September 1 - 3, the event was a prestigious showcase for the talents of junior and senior riders in show jumping, dressage and team classes. After a fantastic weekend of friendly competition, the champions were crowned and awarded wonderful prizes courtesy of main event sponsor Allen & Page and its well-loved feed Ride & Relax®, alongside Net-tex and Equine Affairs who generously contributed over 150 prizes and were all there to support the riders.
Now is the perfect time to get involved in the 2007 competition. Read the results, get inspired, and use the information at the end to take your place in the next UK Riders’ Ride & Relax® Challenge.
RESULTS
Junior Dressage Friday September 1
Shining star of the day was 15-year-old Chloe Little from Willbeard Equestrian Centre in Somerset, riding her home produced show horse Croft Limited Edition. Not satisfied with taking home victory in the Prelim 1 and N30 classes, Chloe also triumphed in the pairs’ class, together with Beth Bexon and her horse Crackerjack Aurora from Lincolnshire. “We’ve always fed Croft Limited Edition on Allen & Page horse feed and its obviously doing the trick, because he was fantastic at the finals,” grinned Chloe.
Novice pairing Chloe Beresford and her horse Chester from Nottinghamshire, who hope to affiliate soon on the strength of their first-time competition performance, scooped the Prelim 14 class with a terrific score of 72.30 per cent.
Show Jumping
Saturday September 2
Juniors
Ebony Cossey from Heazle Arena in Somerset won the 0.70 Restricted Novice class on her speedy horse Fable, pipping her nearest rivals by nearly six seconds. Fellow Heazle Arena qualifier, 15-year-old Rory Brake and his horse, Heazle’s Old Nick, jumped to victory in the 0.80 Novice Class. Last year’s winner of the 0.90 Intermediate class, 13-year-old Cumbrian Sally Lyons, returned to success-fully defend her title, riding Snapdragon. Lincolnshire rider Katie Bembridge, achieving the only junior double clear of the day on horse Samara, took the 1.0 Open.
Seniors
Yorkshire competitor Sally McNaughton took the restricted novice class riding her horse Joop, while Laura Scott and Mercury Firefly of Heazle Arena, Somerset, secured the novice class. Rosanna Martlew riding Phoebe triumphed in the intermediate class, while South Wales rider Michelle Lloyd on winning horse, Another Beauty, claimed the senior open.
The day ended with the popular team baton relay show jumping event, in which the tenacious team the Red Arrows achieved victory.
Senior Dressage Sunday September 3
Sammy Jeans impressed the judges to take victory in the Preliminary 1 class, riding Mrs D.A Lowe’s lovely stallion Creden Frivolus Heir. The multi-tasking stallion combines dressage, showing and his stud duties in Oxfordshire, where it is reported that his favourite treat is Sunny Delight – next to Allen & Page’s Ride & Relax® feed, of course!
Cumbrian duo Denise Richardson and Simone won the Prelim 14 class, while Warwickshire natives Georgina Miller and magnificent horse Marco Polo took the N30 Final title, to keep a UK Riders Ride & Relax® Challenge accolade within the county.
Team pairing Ryme & Reason, consisting of Sue Oakley and David Batten, both from Leigh Equestrian Centre in Dorset, won the senior pair event.
Stepping up for next year’s Challenge
As this year’s challenge closes, organisers, sponsors and competitors are already looking ahead to 2007, where champions can defend their titles, riders can aim to improve on their placings and fresh talent can join the fray and train for success next September.
The UK Rider’s Challenge is an annual series of competitions, designed to appeal to the everyday, unaffiliated rider. Anyone can enter the qualifying rounds, and there is no need to join UK Chasers & Riders first. You don’t even have to own your own horse!
“We were delighted to sponsor the Challenge,” said Ben Page, Allen & Page’s Managing Director. “UK Riders is a very important organisation, which has the interests of horse owners and riders very much at heart, and this challenge was an ideal way to afford the many dedicated local riders across the country the opportunity to compete in a national event. The weekend was a roaring success and it was heartening to see such talent at work.”
Qualifiers for the UK Riders Challenge 2007, again sponsored by Allen & Page, are taking place all across the country now. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact 01925 450049 or go to www.ukchasers.com
