Phoebe Woods and her 16-year-old gelding, Noble Superman, rose to the top of the Pony Observation Trial leaderboard at Riseholme Lincoln College on Saturday.
Phoebe, who has competed at Lincoln on several occasions, was thrilled with their performance which saw them finish on their sub-thirty dressage score of 29.5. “I’m really pleased with how Noble Superman went today,” she said. “It’s my third time here. He was really good in the dressage, and he’s really improving in that phase. He stormed around the cross-country course – he’s a proper cross-country machine.”
Looking ahead, Phoebe’s goals are set on the Belsay Observation Trial at the end of May, but her next event will be at Larkhill, where she hopes to continue building on her and Noble Superman’s successful season.
Congratulations also to runner up Eva Bryant and Coolnaleen Rebel, and third placed Arabella Henderson and Our Billy Eile.
Nicola Wilson, National Youth Performance Coach, shared her thoughts on the cross-country course after a course walk with the Pony Observation Class on Saturday morning. “I think it’s great,” she said. “The ground here at Lincoln is often brilliant, but it’s superb today. It’s a lovely course for the ponies. This is their first chance to ride at Novice level, and it’s a really big day early on in the season for the pony riders, especially with the selectors being here. It adds that bit of extra pressure, but everyone is here wanting to do really well, and I hope they do! The cross-country course is lovely, with lots of really nice questions, and the sun is shining.”
The Riseholme Lincoln College event marked the first of the 2025 Pony Observation Trials, with changes to the course supported by Project Pony. These trials not only give the selectors a chance to see combinations in action but also provide British Eventing and coaches an opportunity to assist and educate these young competitors, helping them to progress in their riding careers. The ultimate goal is to prepare riders for the European Championships. Further information on the British Eventing Youth Offer can be found here.
Images by Julia Shearwood Photography and Emily Hingley
