STONAR School PE teacher Emily Gawler made the line-up at the Mitsubishi Motors Grass Roots at Badminton, writes KATE HEALEY.

Riders had to qualify through a series of first rounds and regional finals held countrywide and the final, for up and coming and amateur riders, drew big crowds eager to support the new event.

Gawler, who has just turned 24, was in action in the top BE100 final with her 16.1hh chestnut gelding Hungover Henry.

She made a fair start in the opening dressage phase, where she earned a mark of 31.3.

“To be honest I thought the dressage test could have been better – I got nervous,” she said.

“Caroline Creighton, my trainer, was there to help me and Lucy Wiegersma also came over to watch my dressage.”

The duo then faced a mini version of the renowned Badminton cross country course, which included such landmark fences as The Lake, The Quarry and Huntsman’s Close.

“The course was really good – the designer had used the land and its undulations so well,” added Gawler.

“The Lake went really well for me and rode nicely – you got a big clap from the crowd if you got through.

“Lucy said she though the competition was a great idea and she wished there had been something like it when she was starting out.”

The pair came home inside the optimum time and another faultless round in the showjumping phase meant they finished on their dressage score to clinch an impressive ninth place in a huge field.

“It was a very close competition and I was thrilled to make the top 10,” she added.

“Hungover Henry coped with the big crowds and the atmosphere really well – he only spooked once when I was going over to the main part of the cross country course but then got on with it.”

Gawler plans to move the horse up to Novice level at the Stockland Lovell event later this month and the aim is a one star international event ‘by the end of the year, depending on my work’.

LUCINDA Fredericks finished in the money in the CIC* at the Hambleden BE one-day event near Henley-on-Thames.

The two CIC* sections – one day one star internationals for horses starting their international careers – attracted nearly 100 entries.

Fredericks, the Little Chevrell-based Olympic team silver medallist, was well up with the leaders in her section after the opening dressage phase.

Her ride, John and Elizabeth Allsopp’s nine year old grey mare Nysa De Petra, earned a score of 47.6, just over a mark and a half off the lead.

The duo then jumped a great double clear, with just 4.4 cross country time penalties putting them in third, one place higher than they finished in the Great Witchingham CIC* in Norfolk earlier this season.

Fredericks’ husband and fellow Olympian Clayton ended up 10th in his CIC* section on the eight year old mare Riveira, who was making a promising international debut, and fourth on his BE100 ride Lero Lero, a five year old at only his fourth event.

Malmesbury’s Lynda King was sixth in Lucinda Fredericks’ CIC* section on Chiron II, in what was a promising international debut for this new combination.

Bradford on Avon’s Jessica Acheson was eighth on her eight year old mare Ottentik Nobless, who produced a double clear and her first clean showjumping round of 2010.

Marlborough-based Andrew Nicholson came close to a double in the Open Intermediate (OI) sections.

The New Zealand veteran topped one on Shady Grey, over six marks clear of fellow Kiwi Dan Jocelyn, and was third in another on Jack Green. Both horses are owned by the 2012 In Mind Syndicate.

Foxham’s Georgie Spence and Kennet Vale Riding Club’s Lucie McNichol were fifth in their OI sections on Skylight and Zeus of Rushall.

Hodson’s Tom McEwen picked up a third in an OI Under 21 section on Major Sweep, after completing on his dressage score.

Chippenham international Chris King also completed on his dressage score to win a BE100 section on the five year old Billy Bounce.

The horse has quite a strike rate, as he also won his only other BE event to date at Portman a month earlier.

KENNET Vale Riding Club is planning a ‘fun one day event’ for June 6, at the well-known Rabson Manor venue at Winterbourne Bassett.

They will be making use of Rabson Manor’s BHS Approved cross country course whose range of fences include water, ditches, banks, coffins and ‘skinnies’.

The competition will consist of a BE Intro dressage test and cross country and show jumping phases set at 2’ 6”. Visit www.kvrc.co.uk for details.

MARY Skelly-Thomas was the top scorer at Lime Tree Equestrian Centre’s recent BD (British Dressage) affiliated meeting, near Chippenham.

She topped the Elementary 57 test by a clear 16 marks on Delantoz, after local judge Sue Excell awarded her an excellent 73.57 per cent.

Former event rider Sheena Grierson was runner-up on the nine year old mare Windrushweirs Celesia, with Nikki Hand and Vic-Set in third.

The Elementary 57 restricted section was headed by Sara Palmer on Decision Time, followed home by Victoria Bailey on Captain Beaky IV and Jo Greenaway and Alexsandro.

Palmer moved up to win the day’s second class, the Elementary 48, overall by a narrow two point margin.

Grierson, the open section winner, again had to settle for second overall with Jo Greenaway third.

Top scorer in the test was Training section winner Claire Randall, who is trained by Amanda Brewer and earned a mark of close to 69 per cent on Viquino.

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