4 april 2016

British National Indoor Carriage Driving Championships Finals

Young British drivers showed their mettle at the well-supported Championship Finals at The College EC, Keysoe. “A breath of fresh air” was one judge’s comment on Joseph Adams’ pony pair’s paces on Friday, Joe leading the class by almost 70 penalties. Joe is in the Advanced Young Drivers Group which trains regularly with Boyd Exell and this was his fourth win – and he kept the best dressage trophy again.

Supreme Champion was Tara Wilkinson, 18, who drove Joe, 125cms, ahead of the 22-strong open pony class in all phases, her mother Leslee backstepping. Tara took the title by eight penalties from former supreme champions Chris Ainscough and Phillipa Howe. Jack Ralph, 16, took the Junior Championship and Intermediate Pony title with Mallards Wood Spice, 135cms. Intermediate Horse Champion was Julie Edwards, Sussex, driving her coloured cob Magical Mascot.
 

The tightest contest was between Yorkshire’s Steve Hoyle, open horse, and reigning champion Ellen Littlechild, Steve pulling ahead by 0.54 penalties with “supercob” Spencer , last year’s intermediate champions. Ellen, from Jersey, has a four-month-old baby and is pleased that she and KWPN Tygroh, 170cms, have returned to form.

The novice drivers showed promise and Melita Powell took the junior title, Sarah Maclaughlin the pony and Kevin Smith the horse championships. Veterans enjoyed keen competition with Andrea Scott and Texas maintaining their early lead to keep Colin Walmsley in reserve position.
Small ponies – 112cms and under – mustered 21 entries with East Anglia’s Maria Keady repeating her single pony victory and Catherine Walton fending off reigning small pairs champion Linda Hill by 1.05 penalties, Catherine taking the Supreme Small Pony Championship.
Three horse pairs were led by South Wales’ Rowena Moyse and seven pony tandems enjoyed a contest with first-timer Jamie Williams, Sussex, the champion. Julie Wedgbury’s Shetland four stamped their hooves again on the pony team title.

The tight and testing cones course favoured smaller turnouts, just 25% of the 156 drivers scoring single-figures and first driver Diana Irwin’s Shetland the only double-clear. The international-style obstacles could be driven tight and technical but offered flowing alternative routes.
The Scottish charity Sports Driving Unlimited’s drivers were well represented and funds were raised in memory of their principal trainer and popular competitor, Amanda Saville Nisbet.

Results: www.indoordriving.co.uk

Fiona Powell