6 april 2015

British Indoor Carriage Driving National Championships

Easter marked the end of the indoor driving season in the UK with the British Indoor Carriage Driving Championships held at Keysoe, Bedfordshire, 3-5 April. About 130 drivers aged from eight to 80 and in 15 classes showed stylish and determined expertise, demanding accuracy, speed and flexibility from their horses and ponies much appreciated by a knowledgeable audience. The smallest pony taking part was 34” and the largest horse 16.3 hands. 

Open Horse Champion was Ellen Littlechild. Isobelle Eyres, 15, had the lowest dressage score, 24.5, and took the Novice Horse Champion title. Juniors were well represented with three classes of their own. Maggie Hicks sped to the finish to win the Extra Young Driver’s title. Twins Isobel and Catherine Wesbroom-Warr took the Young Driver Champion and Reserve titles in an excitingly close finish. The Supreme Junior Champion’s title went to Tara Wilkinson for the third time and on her 18th birthday. British Young Driver Kate Alvis showed consistency in all phases and outclassed the novice pony drivers in three of the four obstacles to take the title.
Intermediate Horse Champion was Steve Hoyle who took the Novice title last year while the Intermediate Pony Champion was Carl Warrilow.
Veteran Brian Nicholls, 72, held off Leonie Marshall, 80, to win by 0.04 penalties. The Small Pony Supreme Championship was Linda Hill again with her Shetland pair and the reserve went to Maria Keady and her 87 cms Shetland.
Julie Wedgbury made the Champion Team Driver title her own again with her team of “flying hamsters”. Pony tandem drivers were given a masterclass by Minta Winn.
The Supreme Champion title was regained by Nicola Blandin with Carrwood Acclaim, last won in 2012, after a thrilling last pair of obstacles, athletically backstepped by her husband Kerry. Amanda Nisbet of Sports Driving Unlimited took the reserve with Joseph Adams’ pony pair third overall.
Disabled drivers from Scotland’s Sports Driving Unlimited included senior young driver Lewis Shaw, blind since birth, ably assisted by Amanda Nisbet, Mathew Powell, young junior and Samuel Parker, extra young junior. Charlotte Thomson and Graham Smith also took part in the novice pony class with deafening support from the audience.

Fiona Powell

Open Horse Champion was Ellen Littlechild. Isobelle Eyres, 15, had the lowest dressage score, 24.5, and took the Novice Horse Champion title. Juniors were well represented with three classes of their own. Maggie Hicks sped to the finish to win the Extra Young Driver’s title. Twins Isobel and Catherine Wesbroom-Warr took the Young Driver Champion and Reserve titles in an excitingly close finish. The Supreme Junior Champion’s title went to Tara Wilkinson for the third time and on her 18th birthday. British Young Driver Kate Alvis showed consistency in all phases and outclassed the novice pony drivers in three of the four obstacles to take the title.
Intermediate Horse Champion was Steve Hoyle who took the Novice title last year while the Intermediate Pony Champion was Carl Warrilow.
Veteran Brian Nicholls, 72, held off Leonie Marshall, 80, to win by 0.04 penalties. The Small Pony Supreme Championship was Linda Hill again with her Shetland pair and the reserve went to Maria Keady and her 87 cms Shetland.
Julie Wedgbury made the Champion Team Driver title her own again with her team of “flying hamsters”. Pony tandem drivers were given a masterclass by Minta Winn.
The Supreme Champion title was regained by Nicola Blandin with Carrwood Acclaim, last won in 2012, after a thrilling last pair of obstacles, athletically backstepped by her husband Kerry. Amanda Nisbet of Sports Driving Unlimited took the reserve with Joseph Adams’ pony pair third overall.
Disabled drivers from Scotland’s Sports Driving Unlimited included senior young driver Lewis Shaw, blind since birth, ably assisted by Amanda Nisbet, Mathew Powell, young junior and Samuel Parker, extra young junior. Charlotte Thomson and Graham Smith also took part in the novice pony class with deafening support from the audience.

Fiona Powell