GRACE Warden and Emily McKeowen, both members of the Avon Vale Pony Club, have booked early tickets to the regional finals of the Dengie Winter League Dressage Championships.

The Championship series, open to Pony Club members, runs from October to March each year at indoor arenas across the British Isles.

In the first round the top four riders in each competition earn a place at one of 19 regional finals and the best in these make the Dengie National Championships in Warwickshire, held at the end of March 2010.

Originally just for show jumpers, dressage was added as a separate discipline in 2008, with both novice and open categories on offer.

The local duo were in action at West Wilts Equestrian Centre, Holt, where Grace, 17 and close to six foot tall, won the Open Dengie qualifier on her bay mare Dawn Catcher.

“Grace finished on a good score, two or three marks clear of the runner-up, with her mare scoring particularly well for her canter work and walk,” said her mother Sarah, who lives at Marston.

“Dawn Catcher is now up for sale as Grace will go up a level in 2010, and she’s ready for another rider to take on and enjoy.”

The pair has proved successful in one day events too, winning at the Mount Ballan BE event, finishing fourth at the National Pony Club Championships and eighth in the Junior section at the Aldon three-day event in Somerset.

Warden, who is trained by Jayne Nicholson, was also fifth in the Novice Dengie qualifier on the Irish bred blue roan horse Darker Shade of Pale.

“We bought this horse off David White back in February – he’s only four and recently broken,” added Mrs Warden.

“He’s an exciting prospect for next year and will do some affiliated dressage over the winter. Grace also has another promising youngster, Maverick, who is a three year old by Jumbo who is just being broken.”

St Laurence School pupil McKeowen, 14, won the Novice Dengie qualifier at West Wilts on the 16.1hh chestnut mare In My Own Time, known as Roo at home.

“Emily’s had Roo on loan for a year and they’ve really clicked, and excelled in dressage this year,” said her mother Alison.

“West Wilts is Emily’s favourite venue but this was her first Dengie dressage qualifier. She got a 9 for her transition to walk and 8’s across the board.”

The pair, trained by Maggie Doel, attempted their first ever BE (British Eventing) one-day event on Emily’s 14th Birthday this autumn and were placed fifth.

“Emily was picked for the Avon Vale teams in the three main disciplines and qualified for the Novice Championships in Cheshire this summer,” her mum added.

“She also has her own pony Royal Kharisma, who is more of a cross county pony, and still has her 13.2hh pony Fly.”

McKeowen now intends to go up a step to tackle an Open Dengie dressage qualifier with ‘Roo’ and is also looking forward to the Avon Vale Pony Club Christmas show at West Wilts next month.

WEST Wilts Equestrian Centre was also the venue for a ‘Blue Chip’ qualifier, which drew showjumpers from across Southern England and Wales.

The venue hosted a Woof Wear Novice Championship qualifier, for horses starting out on their BSJA (British Show Jumping Association) careers and yet to win £100 in affiliated competition.

It offered eight tickets to the final due to held at the state of the art indoor venue at Hartpury College, near Gloucester, in April 2010.

Renowned competition horse producer John Whinnett came from Bedfordshire to win the class on the big seven-year-old bay gelding Serpico, with Bristol’s Simon Jobbins in second on Colour Catcher.

Cirencester based Mitchell Moor was third on the six year old Lady Wynne Etie and Bradford-on-Avon 18 year old Georgie Bond was the best local rider, finishing fifth on the six year old bay gelding Sir Marco.

The day’s other winners were Surrey riders Danielle Hansford and Lucy Thompson, Weston-Super-Mare’s Helen Thorne and veteran Bath rider Bina Ford, who topped the 1.05m Open on the bay gelding Abanimo.

RESULTS

Woof Wear Novice qualifier: 1 Serpico, J Whinnett; 2 Colour Catcher, S Jobbins; 3 Lady Wynne Etie, M Moor; 4 Bally Griffin Hippi, L Thompson; 5 Sir Marco, G Bond; 6 Romantic, L Thompson.

95cms Open: 1 Temple Peseda Van J, L Thompson; 2 Oyster Bay III, D Hansford; 3 Sir Dino, M Smyth.

Equissage Discovery: 1 Oyster Bay III; 2 Westenwind II, L Marsden; 3 Penultimate Vision, L Lockwood.

1.05m Open: 1 Abanimo, B Ford; 2 General Maximus, H Thorne; 3 Opal Princess, L Down.

Tri-zone Newcomers/1.10m Open: 1 General Maximus; 2 Skippets Juniper, H Taylor.

YOUNG riders will have the chance to compete at one of the country’s top equestrian events, with a new title up for grabs at the 2010 British Open Showjumping Championships.

The British Open, which runs at the NEC, Birmingham each April (7th – 10th), has grown into one of Europe’s top indoor dates and world class riders will be in action in the international jumping classes.

This time riding and pony club members will have the chance to compete in the same arena in a new championship. Club riders, along with new BSJA members who joined after January 1st 2008, will be vying for a place in the final at eight venues across Britain, in 128cms, 138cms and 148cms categories. The best riders will also come together to challenge for a team competition at the NEC.

The nearest qualifier for local riders will be at Summerhouse Equitation Centre, set at Hardwicke south of Gloucester, on March 13.