Rebecca Swain and Bon Jovi Do a Hattrick on Young Rider Debut at 2019 CDI Keysoe

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2019 CDI Keysoe

For 18-year Rebecca Swain her international dressage show debut at the 2019 CDI Keysoe couldn't have gone any better. Aboard Bon Jovi she achieved a hattrick in the young riders division, commanding a field of eleven riders.

The Surrey based Swain saddled the 13-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Bon Jovi (by UB40 x Krack C) and achieved scores of 68.72%, 69.21% and 72.16% respectively to win the Team-Individual-Freestyle hat-trick.

"Bon Jovi felt super, really with me on my aids in all of my tests," Rebecca told Eurodressage. "We did mess up our changes a few times but that was my error. over the winter we have been looking a lot of suppleness and this has made a massive difference to his way of going. on the last day, I thought he might feel quite tired but I think the music lit him up and he felt very reactive."

Swain was shocked to have swept the board at Keysoe.

"Keysoe CDI was my first international so I had no expectations and it came as a complete shock that we won all three tests," she confessed. "I really didn’t expect it, especially after watching some super tests from other young riders."

The partnership of two years is going from strength to strength and in recent months has had some notable Small Tour successes, including a 72.85% Prix St Georges victory at the national Keysoe High Profile show last December. Swain trains with Nicky Barrett.

"Besides suppleness, we have been working on his rhythm as he has so many gears and improving the quality of our movements," said Rebecca about her current training focus.

Bon Jovi is a Dutch warmblood who was originally named Bamor. He made his international show debut under Diederik van Silfhout in April 2015 when he did his first ever CDI in Nieuw en St. Joosland. Van Silfhout presented the horse at small tour level and placed 8th and 25th. A year later in the autumn of 2016 the horse moved in training with Mark van de Donk, but soon after was sold to Swain.

"Bon Jovi has a very laid back character and I find that he is more of a backwards thinking horse. However, when you get him going and supple, he can become very forwards," said Rebecca. "He is very athletic and finds extensions and changes very easy. He struggles sometimes with keeping his balance though, as he’s such a big moving horse."

Swain and Bon Jovi made their national show debut in March 2017 at Step Aside Dressage, but the rider already had three years of show experience down her built. She began competing as a 13-year old on Rotspon's Rockin, a now 17-year old Hanoverian by Rotspon out of Fairplay, and worked with Amy Stovold at the time. In 2017 Royal Angelina, an 11-year old Rhinelander mare by Royal Angel x Chasseur x World Cup I, joined her string of show horses.

Rebecca finished her A-levels last year and is currently on a gap year, focusing on her riding at the moment.

"As for 2019, I would love to campaign abroad with him at young riders and see how it goes. Towards the end of the summer, I am aiming to do our first inter II together and hopefully progress towards Grand Prix at the end of the year, but we will see how it goes," said Rebecca. "I do have a place at Bath University to read Economics with International Development in September," she added. "I am looking forward to competing him this year though."