Second was Jemima Stratton, riding Jefke, while Tracey Crane and Big Eric took third place. Laura Durkan and Livvy won the British Eventing Kent & Masters BE100 title. Laura said:
“We’ve had Livvy for just shy of two years and have had a really difficult last year with her, so for her to come here and cope with the atmosphere has been amazing and winning is the icing on the cake – I’m really, really chuffed.”
It’s absolutely amazing [to ride at Blenheim] and very inspiring; I desperately want to bring her back here for the eight- and nine-year-old CIC3* in the future – that would be the dream!”
Henrietta Witts set an early target in the British Eventing Kent & Masters BE90 championship that couldn’t be matched on her bay mare Pontesford Sarah Maria. The Worcestershire-based rider admitted:
“It feels surreal. There’s no way to tell how quickly or slowly you’re going so I just went for a clear round and kept my fingers crossed!”
Both horse and rider have had to overcome physical problems. Pontesford Sarah Maria has been diagnosed with lymphoma and Henrietta has fibromyalgia, which causes pain in her joints. She said:
“We do JAS (British Eventing Jumping and Style) and show jumping, but we haven’t done any eventing. This has given me a taster of it.”
In Friday’s Pony Club arena eventing classes, sponsored by Dodson & Horrell, Oakley Hunt West won the BE100 section and the Wylye Valley Willberries topped the BE90. Rosie Warner from the Ludlow branch won the BE100 style award, while the equivalent in the BE90 class went to Alice Crooker (South Devon West).
The Dodson & Horrell Riding Clubs BE100 class on Thursday went to Stansted & District – Rother Valley’s Emma Horton won the style award. The Atherstone & District team took the BE90 class, while the style prize went to Kennet Vale’s Julia Harper.
The extremely busy Bladon Arenas, where the amateur classes at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials take place, are organised by Gail Ambrose and Paul Hayhurst and their team. We are delighted that Gail was presented with a British Eventing award for Services to the Sport during this year’s event.
Gail has been a British Eventing volunteer for 15 years, and has organised the volunteers and dressage judges at Purston Manor, Upton House and Swalcliffe but, as she says, Blenheim is her passion. She has been heavily involved in the evolution of the arena eventing classes at Blenheim and, as with all the many fantastic volunteers at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, the event considers itself extremely lucky to have her.
