Dannie Morgan received 4 titles ultimately 12 months’s Winter Dressage Championships, and he’s already off to a great begin within the 2024 version, successful the Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold Winter Championship aboard Kristina Rausing’s seven-year-old mare Vive La Reinne VH (Delilah) by a cushty margin on 75%.
Delilah additionally received the elementary gold and the elementary freestyle in 2023.
“She’s an excellent mare,” mentioned Dannie, “she’s gained loads of energy over time and he or she’s now so dependable within the enviornment – which is sweet as a result of it meant I might go in there and take some dangers with the floorplan.”
The mixture did certainly take some dangers, with one line going from counter-canter to medium-canter, to a easy change on the centre line.
“She’s received a stunning stroll and a super-expressive trot as nicely,” added Dannie. “However she’s received such a giant body, so we’re at all times engaged on strengthening and growing the self-carriage – she will be able to go all the best way.
“She’s tremendous laid again and unbothered, we do all the sector walks however we don’t actually need to as a result of she doesn’t care and is so easygoing.
“Our music was made by Tony [Hobden] and his spouse Kelly at Equidance and it was sensible. I at all times go to them as a result of they suppose exterior the field. I’m fortunate sufficient to have fairly a great report with championship wins in freestyle courses and I’ve to say loads of that’s right down to their music.”
Dannie now holds a exceptional 15 nationwide titles and he and Delilah will look so as to add one other title to their assortment after they contest the Horselight Medium Gold Winter Championship on Sunday (14 April).
2024 Winter Dressage Championships: “She brings a lot happiness to us all”
Former worldwide showjumper Ben James received the 31-strong Petplan Medium Bronze Space Competition Championship aboard the 11-year-old mare Clapton Banks Primadonna (Diva) on 71.37%. The mixture are additionally former winners, having received the elementary bronze on the 2023 Winter Dressage Championships.
Including to that, the pair additionally contested the Equi-Trek Elementary Silver Winter Championship earlier within the day, coming third on 70.05% – simply 0.25% off the win.
“She’s gorgeous, she’s been so good for me,” mentioned James, who speaks with such apparent and infectious pleasure about Diva. “We’ve had a improbable day, she brings a lot happiness to us all.”
Diva has come from considerably unlikely beginnings to say, what’s now, two nationwide titles. “We received her by means of phrase of mouth, we had been on the lookout for a broodmare and he or she was a companion to an aged horse within the New Forest,” explains Ben.
“We received her at 9 years previous, she’d finished some mild work as a four-year-old, however from that time on she’d be turned away within the area. She was fairly energetic, however we’ve had lots of enjoyable together with her.
“I made a decision to not put her in foal, the plan in the future could be to get some embryos from her however in the intervening time issues are going so nicely that I’m not wanting to do this any time quickly.
“I undoubtedly suppose she will be able to make grand prix, the gathering within the canter is so pure for her, she’s at all times forward of me!”
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Credit score: Kevin Sparrow Images
Credit score: Kevin Sparrow Images
Credit score: KEVIN SPARROW
Credit score: Future
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