22 August 2019 Horse&Hound
39Pictures by kevinsparrow.co.uk
‘SHE WAS MADE TO DO THIS JOB’
PARALYMPIC multi-medallist Sophie Christiansen showcased her new ride Die Fürstin
(pictured) to great effect, securing three grade I wins from three classes.
Sophie first rode the Dankeschön x Fürst Piccolo mare, known as Stella, in March —
during Storm Gareth — when the mare proved she was nothing if not unflappable.
“I feel she was made to do this job,” said Sophie. “I feel so safe on her; she’s looking after
me and yet she’s only a seven-year-old.”
It has taken some time for Sophie to find the right horse — in fact, she’s just added
another to her stable in the shape of the slightly older Innuendo III.
“My last horse Amazing Romance knocked my confidence, so whatever I got had to be
safe,” added Sophie, who is hoping to make a return to the British team in
years to come.
“I do think that some of the horses we are riding are not really suitable for
paras, and in some ways I feel I’m returning to the safer kind of horse I rode
when I first started out.”ONE TO
WATC HRESULTS
1*:grI novA.—1, Wonnacott(JWinduss)
68.1.grII novA.—1, FairviewRomeo(J
Ogden)64.17.grIIInovA.—1, Ronaldo
V (OCornick)67.68.grIVnovA.—1,
ParsleyII (SBates)66.59;2,Aegrus
Ophelia(AGriffiths)66.59;3,Ivanho(M
Ward)62.grV novA.—1, Namibian(J
Frizzell)63.5.grI novA.—1, Wonnacott
68.7.grII novA.—1, FairviewRomeo
65.04.grIIInovA.—1, RonaldoV 68.48.
grIVnovA.—1, AegrusOphelia66.24;
2,ParsleyII 65.28;3,Ivanho(MWard)
63.79.grV novA.—1, Namibian63.5.
grI FSM.—1, Wonnacott70.03.grII
FSM.—1, FairviewRomeo59.23.grIII
FSM.—1, RonaldoV 66.37.grIVFSM.—
1, ParsleyII 67.35;2,Iba(KRadzik)
62.84;3,Ivanho61.85.grV FSM.—1,
Namibian61.55.2*:grI novA.—1, Strong
Beau(GBlake)68.25;2,Deamallo(C
Saddington)64.95.grII novA.—1, Blue
ChipForever(JGreen)72.35.grIIInov
A.—1, HundonLodger(SDavies)68.36;
2,Zandokan(EKent)63.76;3,Rubieux
(VNurcombe)61.92.grIVnovA.—1,
TangoVII(SBates)67.28;2,Diesel(F
Maynard)66.97;3,StanbeckByRequest
(KSquires)62.28.grI team.—1, Strong
Beau68.75;2,Dreamallo63.32.grII
team.—1, BlueChipForever69.39.gr
IIIteam.—1, HundonLodger65.26;2,
Rubieux57.88;3,Zandokan51.94.gr
IVteam.—1, TangoVII64.1;2,Diesel
63.58;3,StanbeckByRequest60.83.grI
FSM.—1, StrongBeau71.25;2,Dreamallo
66.17.grII FSM.—1, BlueChipForever
71.17.grIIIFSM.—1, HundonLodger
66.53.grIVFSM.—1, Diesel68.65;2,
TangoVII63.49;3,StanbeckByRequest
61.57.3*:grI team.—1, DieFurstin(S
Christiansen)71.86;2,Skjoldsgaard
Hippo-VO(MMurphy)70.11;3,Miss
Ramexico(DGreen)69.07.grII team.—
1, Midnight(GWilson)72.06;2,Sweet
Caledonia(NAdkinson)70.61;3,Pandora
(JPayne)68.91.grIIIteam.—1, New
Princess(AShirtcliffe)69.94;2,Remi(A
Shirtcliffe)69.29;3,Fortune 500 (RHart)
68.65.grIVteam.—1, GrandBoleroK (I
Palmer)69.13;2,Dornroeschen(MWard)
69.05;3,GarudaK (LGulliver)68.7.gr
V team.—1, LJTSimplyRed(CCundall)
69.77;2,WestenWind(ASharbatly)
67.67;3,DonnaSiesta(TAddison)67.56.
grI indiv.—1, DieFurstin72.25;2,Miss
Ramexico70.5;3,Rohan(MMurphy)
69.61.grII indiv.—1, Midnight73.32;2,
Pandora70.44;3,SweetCaledonia69.18.
grIIIindiv.—1, NewPrincess70.06;2,
Fortune 500 69.82;3,ElCoronaTexel(R
Hart)69.79.grIVindiv.—1,Dornroeschen
70.9;2,GrandBoleroK 69.37;3,Garuda
K 67.98.grV indiv.—1, LJTSimplyRed
69.07;2,DonnaSiesta68.55;3,Westen
Wind67.6.grI FSM.—1, DieFurstin74.5;
2,SkjoldsgaardHippo-VO72.48;3,Miss
Ramexico72.09.grII FSM.—1, Midnight
74.37;2,Pandora73.8;3,SweetCaledonia
72.2.grIIIFSM.—1, NewPrincess74.07;
2,ElCoronaTexel73.33;3,LJTDiamond
Crusador(EOrford)71.47.grIVFSM.—1,
Dornroeschen74.88;2,GrandBoleroK
71.16;3,GarudaK 70.47.grV FSM.—1,
LJTSimplyRed75.33;2,DonnaSiesta
70.65;3,WestenWind70.14.cameinthethree-starwithher
home-bred Dornroeschen in the
three-star individual and freestyle.
She had “ordered” a black colt for
her home-bred De Niro x Royal
Diamond offspring, rather than
the chestnut filly she got, but
ultimately was not disappointed.
“I cried when I saw her move
and she’s turned into a superstar,”
said Marcelle of the mare who,
as a four-year-old, was second
to Farouche at the national
championships in 2010.
Marcelle, who suffers from
hip dysplasia and rheumatoid
arthritis, bought “Pumpkin’s” dam
in Germany and has bred two
foals from her.
“I’ve been stuck on 69% but
we cracked that on the second
day and the freestyle mark of
74.88% was a personal best,”
said Marcelle, who trains with
Tanya Larrigan. “We’ve focused
on more relaxation in the walk,
and everything I’ve asked for she’s
given me. She’s been so rideable,
and nailing the little things has
made all the difference.”WINGS IT TO WIN IT
JEMIMA GREEN and Blue Chip
Forever had the two-star gradeIIclassestothemselves,butthe
percentages this relatively new
combination scored were more
than respectable, with 72.35% in
the novice.
Jemima was paralysed
in a car accident in 2015, but
was back in the saddle eight
months later and started riding
“Jools” last December.
“I went and tried him
and he adapted to me straight
away,” said Jemima, who trains
with Nina Venables. “He was
amazing — his brain and attitude
won me over completely and he’s
given me all the confidence in
the world.”
The Johnson gelding came
from Clare Blaskey of Blue Chip
Feed, who bought him as a riding
horse but changed to dressage
when it was obvious that was
where his talents lay.
He was ridden by Clare’s
great friend Jane Stephenson,
who won two regional titles and
finished second at the winter
championships before sadly dying
of cancer.
Charlotte Cundall scored a
hat-trick in the three-star grade V
riding LJT Simply Red, including
the highest score of the show,75.33%,inthefreestyle.
“Over 75% at an international?
I didn’t think that was possible,”
said Charlotte. “We’ve had a
solid three days, but the freestyle
was pretty special and as it was
the first run-through for that
programme, I have to admit I
was winging it.”
Simply Red, owned by the
Lady Joseph Trust, has been with
Charlotte for 18 months now.
“I feel I’m getting more power
now without losing the balance,”
she added. “The horse is a
beautiful mover but it has taken
time to learn to ride him.”
There were good performances
across the grades: Amanda
Shirtcliffe won all the three-star
grade III tests with New Princess,
a feat European Championship
team members Georgia Wilson
and Midnight repeated at
grade II.
Sarah Davies rode former
eventer Hundon Lodger to a clean
sweep at two-star grade III. The
Medoc 18-year-old evented to
novice before Sarah took the ride,
and the pair won here last year as
well as finishing second and third
at the para winter championships
this year. H&HCharlotte Cundall dominates the three-star grade V with LJT Simply Red, posting plus-75% in the music