Middle Tour Championships

Steph and Clare PROSPER AT MIDDLE TOUR

THE BRITISH DRESSAGE MIDDLE TOUR FESTIVAL AT KEYSOE LAST DECEMBER PROVED TO BE A CELEBRATORY WAY TO END A UNIQUE YEAR FOR COMBINATIONS AT INTER A, INTER B AND INTER II LEVELS. RIDERS COULD OPT FOR WHICH TWO TESTS TO RIDE, THE COMBINED SCORE DETERMINING THE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS. CONGRATULATIONS TO STEPH CROXFORD WITH MR BENN II AND CLARE HOLE WITH PRO-MOTION WHO CLAIMED THE GOLD AND SILVER TITLES RESPECTIVELY AT THIS INAUGURAL EVENT.

ABOVE: STEPH CROXFORD ABOARD HER BOISTEROUS YET TALENTED IRISH COB X HACKNEY X KWPN DANCE PARTNER, MR BENN II. STEPH HAD PLANNED THE OUTING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MR BENN SOME EXPOSURE TO A HIGH PROFILE SHOW, SO THE WIN WAS AN UNEXPECTED BONUS. THE PAIR TOPPED THE LEADER BOARD IN BOTH THE INTER B GOLD AND INTER A-B MUSIC FREESTYLE GOLD TO TAKE THE OVERALL GOLD VICTORY. “HE’S ARROGANT AND SINGLE-MINDED,” SAYS STEPH, “BUT IF YOU GET HIM ON SIDE, YOU’RE AWAY.”

LEFT: MARK WALTERS WITH GLORIA PRICE’S ICEBLUE VALENTINO (BY HARLEM). MARK AND THE DELIGHTFUL 18 YEAR OLD GELDING, KNOWN AT HOME AS APOLLO, ACHIEVED RUNNERS-UP POSITION IN THE SILVER CHAMPIONSHIP.

RESULTS

FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER

Inter B – Silver

1. Mark Walters and Iceblue Valentino, 64.88%

Inter B Gold

1. Steph Croxford and Mr Benn II, 68.21% 2. Sara-Jane Lanning and Try Me Once, 67.22% 3. Sara-Jane Lanning and Sigurd, 67.14% 4. Tamsin Vaughan and Casse-Cou, 66.11% 5. Sally Bell and State Secret, 65.79% 6. Rebecca Tilton and Valliant, 63.57% 7. Sammy Page and Ronaldo IV, 58.13%

LEFT: CLARE HOLE AND PRO-MOTION (BY PRO-SET), WHO SHE HAS BROUGHT ON FROM JUNIOR LEVEL, SECURED THE SILVER TITLE BY WINNING THEIR SECTION OF THE INTER II AND INTER A-B FREESTYLE. THEY MADE THEIR GRAND PRIX DEBUT IN 2020, COMPETED IN THE YOUNG RIDER DIVISIONS AT LE MANS CDI, AND THIS YEAR HAVE THEIR SIGHTS ON U25 GRAND PRIX. “HE’S A JOY TO RIDE AND PUTS EVERYTHING INTO EVERY TEST,” SAYS CLARE.

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER

Inter II Silver

1. Clare Hole and Pro-Motion, 64.74% 2. Nanette Spence and Karma Cuba, 62.50% 3. Mark Walters and Iceblue Valentino, 60.18%

Inter II Gold

1. Ellie McCarthy and GB Londero Von Worrenburg, 71.97% 1. Ellie McCarthy and GB Londero Von Worrenburg, 71.97% 2. Lucy Amy and Rudy, 71.14% 2. Lucy Amy and Rudy, 71.14% 3. Angus Corrie-Deane on Tiny Tempur, 69.87% 3. Angus Corrie-Deane on Tiny Tempur, 69.87%

BELOW: THE GOLD PODIUM WAS COMPLETED BY LIST 1 JUDGE SARA-JANE LANNING AND HER 14-YEAR-OLD RICHMAN-SIRED GELDING, SIGURD, AKA SMURF, WHO CLAIMED THIRD PLACE. LEFT: TAMSIN VAUGHAN AND HER 18-YEAR-OLD HOLSTEIN GELDING, CASSE-COU (BY CARPACCIO) POWERING THEIR WAY TO SECOND BEHIND STEPH CROXFORD IN THE OVERALL GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER

Inter A-B Music Freestyle Silver

1. Clare Hole and Pro-Motion, 67.33% 2. Mark Walters and Iceblue Valentino, 64.25%

Inter A-B Music Freestyle Gold

1. Steph Croxford and Mr Benn II, 71.13% 2. Tamsin Vaughan and Casse-Cou, 68.38% 3. Sally Bell and State Secret, 67.29% 4. Sara-Jane Lanning and Sigurd, 67.04% 5. Sara-Jane Lanning and Try Me Once, 66.59% 6. Rebecca Tilton and Valliant, 64.92%

CHAMPIONSHIP PLACINGS Gold

1. Steph Croxford and Mr Benn II 2. Tamsin Vaughan and Casse-Cou 3. Sara-Jane Lanning and Sigurd

Silver

1. Clare Hole and Pro-Motion 2. Mark Walters and Iceblue Valentino

SUSSEX EQUINE

HOSPITAL

-EST 1951-

LEADING UK SPORT HORSE REPRODUCTION PRACTICE

• Oocyte collection (OPU) for ICSI • Embryo transfer • Transfer of frozen embryo’s into recipients • BEVA accredited practice for AI - fresh, chilled & frozen • Competitive vet packages • Mares boarded at the hospital • Subfertility investigations of mares and stallions • Semen collection, analysing and processing • Full hospital back-up • HBLB accredited on-site laboratory • Foetal sexing • Twin management • Oviductal infertility treatment • Specialist reproductive surgical procedures • Foal intensive care unit run by a European Specialist in Internal Medicine

TEAM OF SPECIALIST STUD VETS

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