It was third time lucky for Katy Lawrence who pulled off a brilliant double clear to finish top of the leader board in the Lemieux BE100 Grassroots Championships on her dressage score of 25.9 riding her mare Cheyenne Balloon.
“It has just been an amazing experience,” said a delighted Katy who was enjoying her first competitive visit to Badminton. “We qualified at Blindley Heath which is about two minutes from our house. This has been ‘Mitzy’s’ first stay away show and I didn’t know how she’d cope with it all, but she has been so lovely, and handled it really well.
“On the cross-country, she was definitely up for the occasion, but her eyes were on stalks at the beginning. Thankfully, she really settled in the middle of the course when I thought she would get spooky, like at the lake, but there was so much to look at that I think it channelled her and she was really good. She was a bit wobbly at the road crossings but the jumps themselves, I couldn’t have asked for more. I’m really thrilled with her.”
Maisie Morgan was runner-up riding Bright Rinco finishing on a score of 26.1, while overnight leader Jane Rogers was third with Corrieview Merlin Magic who scored 26.9.
BE90
A 28.4 dressage score and double clear saw NHS Physiotherapist Emily Proud awarded the LeMieux BE90 Grassroots Championship title riding her own HSF Lobo Royale.
“He did a lovely dressage test – most of it was perfect apart from a few mistakes in the walk which was my fault because I was a bit nervous,” explained Emily. “Today, he’s jumped a perfect double clear so I’m really proud of him. I bought him at the Brightwells Auction at Addington as a three-year-old and backed him myself, so it’s amazing to bring him here. He hasn’t been the easiest – when I first started jumping him, he didn’t even want to walk over a pole on the ground and I used to fall off at least twice every time I rode him, but he’s turned into a really love horse and I’m really lucky to have him. To have come here and done this together is just amazing.
“I’ve been to the grassroots championships with other horses before but it was my first time with this horse. I’ve had a good experience every time as it’s always a good challenge on the cross-country. All the horses I’ve had here have been clear cross-country.”
Just 0.6 of a penalty behind was runner-up Charlotte Cordy-Redden and Cadilac Jack who scored 29, and in third on 29.1 was Susan Bill and Unnamed.
For full results, please click here
To find out more about the LeMieux Grassroots Championship, click here
More information on visiting Badminton Horse Trials can be found here .
All the action, along with analysis and interviews, will be shown live on Badminton TV. Click here
Image courtesy of 1st Class Images.
