| Even by his
exemplary standards, the National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh proved extremely
fruitful for Carl, where he won every major competition that he contested. Not content
with this, Carl also trained Claire Morrison to win the championship in both the
Restricted and Open Sections in the BETB and Cox Medium Championships. |
 Harmony and balance. Carl Hester and Legal Democrat swept the board
|
From Christchurch in Dorset, Claire has had a tremendously successful season so far and it
is evident that Carl is one of those relatively rare people, who not only excel at
something, but are able and willing to pass on their knowledge and expertise to others. In
the Restricted Section Claire gained a score of 67.39% on Mr & Mrs Mathieson's Puchini
to lead the way ahead of Kate Attlee on her own Westwell Jem with a score of 65.59% to
take Reserve Champion. In third was Charlotte Edmonds on her mother's Broomford Locarno -
Charlotte was amember of the British Junior Team which recently won a bronze medal at the
1998 European Championships. In the Open Section, Claire, this time riding Mrs C Billet's
Rubekk, gained a fantastic score of 71.26% to take the Championship. |

Daniel Sherriff on the Russian bred Bayford
Hall Boris
|
But back to Carl... on Friday he won the Prix St Georges for the second year running.
Riding Maxwell this year, he achieved a score of 72.14%. Consistency was a byword at these
Championships and this not only applied to Carl, but to other riders regularly placed.
Lizzie Lorriston-Clarke this time was second on Catherstone Humbug and Charlotte Edmonds
did extremely well in this company to finish third on Torque o'the Devil.
On to Saturday and the Sculpture to Wear
Intermediaire I Championship and who should the winner bed... well, yes, it was Carl and
Maxwell once more, but Hannah Esberger on Fernando just denied Lizzie Lorriston-Clarke and
Catherston Humbug of second place by a mere 0.05%. |
| Admittedly there was another
winner on the rostrum after the Intermediaire II Championship but then Carl wasn't
entered! Not that this should detract from Daniel Sherriff's victory on Bayford Hall Boris
with a score of 64.05% who produced an even and consistent test to just pip Emma Bowles on
her lovely big Irish bred grey Just Benson.. |

'Just Benson' & Emma Bowles - 2nd in
the Intermediare II
|
 Champion potential Dressage Horse 'Von Velten' ridden by Susanne
Aromando
|
A little earlier Von Velten was
ajudged the Champion Potential Dressage Horse. A five year old, he was ridden by Susanne
Aromando and Reserve Champion was the winner of the four year old section, GMC Matisse,
ridden by Graham Capple. These classes are an excellent idea and prove that there are some
very nice young horses around with really good paces. Let's hope that more and more will
actually be bred and produced in this country. It was interesting to note that quite a few
of the horses competing in the Dressage classes were Irish bred, and not imported
warmbloods... In the evening Carl Hester resumed his winning ways on Legal Democrat in the
Grand Prix Kur (see previous article). There is no reason why we cannot produce quality
horses, suitable for all disciplines here either. |

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