Tip Top test wins for Katy

Apr 18 2009 The Journal

NEWCASTLE-BASED British Eventing and British Dressage rider Katy Sillem notched up two BD Elementary 42 63.75% and 49 66.33% test wins at Todburn over the weekend on Country Tip Top.

The horse was bought as a four-year-old from Country Farm Stud in Preston, Lancashire in August 2005 as a replacement for her 13.2 pony.

She said: “I qualified for under-21 National Dressage Champs in August at novice level and now have half a qualification for the Championships at Elementary but needs another score over 65% which I hope to get if there’s time in between events.

“I expect to do my first novice section this year at Richmond in May after a successful run in last year’s event at that level. I will have done two pre-novice by then at Draycott and Eland Lodge on April 18 and 19.”

A second horse, Milly, owned by her mother, GP B Palmer, was bought as a four-year-old and recovered from a broken leg in 2005 to continue eventing at pre-Novice and novice level, finished the Novice 20 test in sixth place with a 64% score.

Katy and her two horses are trained by Alastair Parkin, whose help has been invaluable over the last three years. Katy added: “I am on gap year going to York University in October to study maths with education so I’m enjoying doing horsey things while I can.”

Paralegal worker and newcomer to British Dressage, Vicky Maxwell, based just outside Cornhill, won the Preliminary 13, a qualifier class 71.25% with consistent sevens and a few eights and also came fifth in the Novice 20 with 66%, gaining her first four BD Points.

Vicky rode her own My Boy Flynn, a seven-year-old, 15.3hh bright bay tb cross gelding bought in 2004 just broken. She recently won the Preliminary Level Etal Winter Dressage Series Championship and her aim for this year is to compete as much as possible, particularly dressage.