The first two days of competition at the 2012 British Dressage Championships featured a landmark victory for dressage-icon Carl Hester, who claimed his 60th National title when he won the Intermediaire I championship with Dances with Wolves on Friday 14 September 2012. Becky Moody won the Intermediaire II Championship.
Hester and Dances with Wolves, Prix St Georges Champions
Fresh from the glory of the London Games, Carl claimed his 59th National title by adding the Prix St Georges to the extensive list. Riding Aram Gregory’s enormous Dances with Wolves, Carl captivated the crowd with a masterful display. Even the background music was apt as Berlin’s ‘Take my Breath Away’ played as Carl rode some breath-taking extended trot work.
“He’s a horse with lots of energy and can get quite hot but he’s fantastic – certainly a potential Olympic ride. He can be nervous so taking him in there today was a big thing but he’s getting used to shows like this. The judges do throw marks at him and over 74% is a great score.” This win follows several international small tour victories for Carl and the German-bred 10-year-old, formally ridden by Aram’s late wife Jane. “Jane thought the world of him so it’s a real milestone in his career and it’s exciting for Aram to see him come on.”
“Aram is in no hurry to push him; he can do all the grand prix movements but until I feel he is confident in the arena we’ll take our time; we’ll take him up when he’s ready.”
Carl now has tomorrow’s Dressage International Intermediate I to look forward to: “I’m going to give him more time ahead of tomorrow’s test. I’ll be up early to do some relaxation work – he has an active brain and 45 minutes warm up just wasn’t quite enough today. He’s won at Inter I level abroad this season with 75+% so I do have high hopes. Really, it’s not all about the score but to ride him where he feels relaxed and not stressed is the aim.”
Hester Takes Two: Intermediate I Title
Carl Hester won his 60th title when he stormed the Intermediate I with Aram Gregory’s Dances with Wolves. A score of 73.34% put the combination on top ahead of Isobel Wessles and the elegant Chagall who were just behind on 72.53% with Spencer Wilton third on Super Nova.
Yesterday’s Prix St Georges champions were first to go but that never puts Carl off his stride and he went in and rode a virtually mistake free test, only spoiling it with a break to canter in the final extended trot. “I had a clear plan today after he was quite hot yesterday and that plan came off. We lunged him and did some relaxation work early and today he was a pleasure to ride. It was a completely different picture; yesterday we had the power, today we had the harmony. It’s so exciting to get that feeling from him. Gorgeous Golly - he’s my new challenge!”
Carl didn’t have it all his own way in the class as he had to retire a ‘wild’ Douglas IV, also owned by Aram Gregory. But he was clearly looking to the future when asked about how it felt to win 60 titles. “Well, I suppose I have to think about getting to 100 now!”
Moody Takes Intermediate II Championship
South Yorkshire rider, Becky Moody, 32, rode Julie Lockey’s Caluna, a 10-year-old Belgian-bred mare by Saras Von’T Gestelhof to win the Horse Health Intermediate II Championship with a score of 68.92%.
“I was really pleased with how she went today,” said Becky. “It was a mistake-free test and was secure for where she’s at. It’s her first nationals, her first season at the level and I think that if I’d asked for more we could have been in trouble. It was a good learning curve for me.”
Caluna, who has been at the Moody’s yard since a three-year-old, is normally ridden by Becky’s sister Hannah, however Becky took over the ride in February as Hannah is expecting her first baby in few weeks’ time. “I’d previously done a bit with Caluna and as Hannah and I work very much together, I already knew the horse well.”
“She has real talent for piaffe and passage and a fabulous temperament. We hope to take her big tour next year. Whether I’ll keep the ride remains to be seen,” laughed Becky, “It all depends whether Hannah tries to steal her back!”
Photos © Risto Aaltonen
Text courtesy British Dressage
Related Links
Scores 2012 British Dressage Championships
Excitement Building for 2012 British Dressage Championships