Juniorshold lead for gold

Aug 23 2008 The Journal

BRITISH Junior Eventing Team riders Libby Soley, Amy Hawley, Sienna Myson-Davies and Willa Newton, holding an early lead after dressage, ran away with European Championship team gold medals after a 32-penalty lead over an Irish team at Thirlestane Castle in the Scottish Borders this week.

The four got a head start at the dressage stage and produced three clear cross country and show jumping rounds to clinch the team title. Teams from all over Europe, including Russia and the Czech Republic, contested the FEI phases and it was the show jumping on the final day which let down Irish and German team riders to finish in runner-up placings.

Surrey-based British rider Sienna Myson-Davies and Tambourine, a 15.1hh eight-year-old bay gelding, led the individual field with a 38.1 dressage score and topped the leaderboard after two clear jumping rounds. She said: “I’ve competed on this horse for three seasons and started at Pre Novice level.

“In this competition I was thrilled with him after a very good dressage test and mark. The cross country was awesome but a really nice galloping forward course which suited my horse.”

GB team member 17-year-old Darlington rider Libby Soley and her 15.3hh 10-year-old French bred bay gelding Kachmire Le Beau finished as individual runner-up after completing on a straight 45 penalty dressage score.

Said Libby: “I was slightly disappointed with the dressage but went well. He was a bit cheeky in medium caters but well behaved.

“He was foot perfect on the cross country phase. The first water complex was quite tricky and double of skinnies at the end.”

Libby has another year in juniors and last year won double gold with the British FEI Pony Team plus silver and bronze in 2006. Third GB team member Amy Hawley from Wakefield rode Helpful Harry, a 16hh 10-year-old Welsh x TB gelding borrowed from sister Lucy and only ridden for the last 18 months.

Said Amy “I was a bit disappointed with the dressage mark but he went well. Everything I put in front of Harry, he just jumps and he gave me a fantastic ride.”

Fourth British team member Willa Newton, riding Neelix an eight-year-old bay gelding for a second season, was thrilled with their result. She said: “We had three show jumps down at the treble, style, white upright and I think he just got a bit stuck in the mud.”

British team trainer Jill Watson said: “All four were definitely committed to giving best possible performances and provided personal best dessage tests.”

Robin Balfour, team manager, added: “Thanks must go to our coaching team who worked very hard to help the riders achieve so many sub-50 dressage scores plus five of the 12 clear rounds in the show jumping.”