ORANGE IS THE COLOUR

resh from being shortlisted for the Pony European Dressage Championships in Le Mans with Cadillac, Sofia has been campaigning another dancing partner. His name is ‘Joey’ aka WS Jackson, owned by Lauren Geraghty and he is well known on the Pony Dressage circuit. He was on the Pony European Dressage Team in Poland last year with Sofia when ridden by Lauren.

This new association began with a text message to Katie (Mum) from Julie Geraghty (Lauren’s Mum) asking if Katie can think of anyone to campaign Joey for this year. Julie Geraghty is a well-known figure on the circuit because of her talent for compiling soundtracks for Dressage to Music. The text message was a subtle way of asking if Sofia was potentially available to ride him due to the pressures of her incredibly packed schedule.

At Addington CDI Julie and Katie met up and arrangements were made for Sofia to travel to Derbyshire to ‘have a sit’. Within minutes of being astride this smart bright liver chestnut, he was striding out in phenomenal fashion and swaggering like Rocky Balboa. Whilst not competing on the circuit Joey had been kept ticking over by Lauren during the winter months, helped by her trainer Young Rider listed Maddy Frewin. Seeing what could potentially be achieved arrangements were made for an HC late entry at Kings Equestrian after a mere three ‘meetings’ between Sofia and Joey. This is an equestrian version of ‘Fast Forward Speed Dating’, and only marginally shy of ‘Married at First Sight’.

Selectors know Joey for being consistent, so when this new partnership pulled a 73% it was a defining moment. A testimony to all Lauren’s hard work during the winter months.

Their next stop, and their first official competition was at Addington Premier 29th and 30th April 2023. On the first day the individual Test was a learning curve with Joey going ‘flat’ between the boards, which led to Maddy and Sofia having to discuss new tactics to light up Joey in future tests. It was decided that Sofia would only drop her stick at the very last second prior to entering the arena, enabling her to keep the ‘revs up’ during the test.

The Team Test on April 30th saw the new tactics being deployed with aplomb. The Stewards were frantically calling for Sofia to come forward to do her test, anxious that she would arrive at the Arena too late. They had not anticipated the speed at which Sofia and Joey galloped to start their test.

FThis was ‘lit up’ indeed, and they started with a bang. Joey was ready to run The Derby. Eagerly watched by everyone this new partnership was attracting a LOT of attention. They did not disappoint. A fizzing Joey danced his heart out and the duo managed to reduce the normally stoic JoJo and Julie to tears during their performance. They scored 73.4% smashing Joey’s previous barriers and giving him his first Premier League win. All this in just five rides.

Two weeks later Team Oliver-Games-Geraghty landed at Hickstead CDI in search of their European Championship qualification with Joey. A late entry had been secured, however torrential rain had virtually destroyed the site, making it impossible to get the lorries on and off. Therefore, a timetable had been created for lorries to be towed on and the assigned slot meant an early morning start of 4.15am. However, this was not the only rude start to the day.

Upon waking at 4.15am Katie found that her hair was wet. Suspecting a leak in the roof, or possible condensation she searched for a source. It was only upon closer inspection that she realised the culprit was Talula the Dachshund who had vomited in the bed whilst Katie was asleep. Cue a very speedy dash to the shower. No amount of brushing was going to shift that lot. However, it transpired that Dachsie vomit is the same as being pooped on by a bird. It brings good luck!

The new pairing enjoyed a Team Test win on the Saturday and a third place in Sunday’s Individual Test, scoring + 70% scores in both and securing their requisite qualification and giving Joey his first International win. In our last column Sofia was nearly literally on fire, but now we can thankfully say that metaphorically she is indeed on fire. However, this presented a paradigm. Joey or Cadillac for potential Team Selection? They would be going head-to-head for Team Selection at Wellington CDI in The Battle of the Boys.

The campaign trail continued with the Team descending upon Somerford Premier League whereupon Sofia and Joey whipped out a double win, achieving his highest ever individual competition score. This trip was also not without incident. Talula the Dachsie struck again, spraying her lucky vomit.

Sofia had forgotten her jacket for the prizegiving so ran back to the lorry to retrieve it. What she found was Talula on the lorry table gorging on the luxury dark chocolate 5” wide cookies they had bought earlier. (£3.00 each!). They had bought twenty of them and there were only fourteen left. Dachsies and chocolate don’t mix. Talula was trying to literally commit death by chocolate. Miraculously due to her iron constitution she survived. Dachsies do tend to be stubborn little monkeys.

In addition to her penchant for vomiting and chocolate Talula has also developed a fascination for white dressage underwear. She has now destroyed seven pairs of Sofia’s competition wear. Katie wailed “I had to spend £100 just on white knickers in M&S the other day!”

As if this was not enough, Team Oliver Games ran into an acquaintance who is a fellow Dachsie lover whilst at Somerford. This ‘friend’ just ‘happened’ to have a Dachsie bitch at home who was due to whelp in the next forty-eight hours. Having left Somerford on the Sunday afternoon, to turn around and head out for a family break in West Wales, they managed to buy a newborn male Silver/Tan Dachsie puppy to be named ‘Max The Dax’. Double the Trouble. I dread to think of the forthcoming escapades.

And what of Cadillac? Well, he’s not been too shabby either. He was being kept ticking over at local competitions scoring 74% twice and a 76% score. He then enjoyed a Busman’s Holiday to the rain drenched Hickstead CDI to absorb the atmosphere and gain some experience whilst not actually competing. Sadly he took this opportunity to reveal his roguish side. Having been put into his temporary grass-based stabling, he took it upon himself to roll, roll, roll, and roll some more, before the bedding had gone down. He then leapt up, using JoJo’s foot as a landing pad. Sofia returned to find a mud-caked brown pony looking distinctly proud of himself and an ashen-faced JoJo. The paramedics were called and the ambulance arrived. Cadillac was making himself distinctly unpopular. In addition Sofia was not impressed with having to perform the required reparatory repairs without the aid of a shower hose, in the middle of a field with just a bucket and a sponge.

The final selection took place at Wellington with the boys going head-to-head in the Team Test. Unbelievably Sofia rode them both to the exact same score of 69.334%. The next day was the Individual Test, and Sofia’s 15th Birthday. Joey scored 71.4% and Cadillac 69.6%. That gave the Selectors something to contemplate.

As an aside, Sofia does have another passion. Ambrosia custard. Particularly chocolate custard. She does have a pact with Morgan who is Maddy’s boyfriend that for every qualifying score she achieves she ‘earns’ a large tub of the beloved custard from him. In a desperate attempt to reduce Morgan’s outgoings with a sponsorship, Sofia has been tagging Ambrosia in her Instagram posts. Does anyone PLEASE have a contact?

How does Sofia manage to achieve so much? She even managed to clamber up the Brecon Beacons with the Cadets two weeks ago in her ‘spare’ time during the Welsh family break to practise dismantling rifles under the cover of darkness!

Her secret is the immense support team that she relies upon. Mum Katie, the enigmatic JoJo who fulfils many roles including that of HGV driver with an elegant wave of a silk scarf, Katie Bailey her trainer, Maddy Frewin Joey’s supporter, an understanding school, her younger sister Zandra (Zeddy) and Dad Robert who keep the home fires burning. And don’t forget Talula the Miniature Dachshund. Soon to be joined by Maximillian aka Max the Dax.

In our next column there will be news from Le Mans in France. Sofia has been selected on Joey, with Cadillac as his direct reserve. What an achievement! An extra year as reserve will benefit Cadillac’s future career without pressures being brought to bear too early in his career. Joey is on the market after Le Mans, so Sofia will solely campaign Cadillac for the Team in 2024.

Au Revoir!

By Maria Wynne of Wynne-Wynne Marketing & PR Email: Eqwynne@icloud.com

To keep up with Team Games, please follow Sofia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofiagames.dressage/?hl=en

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