EQUESTRIAN: Squad selection for David (From This Is Wiltshire)

EQUESTRIAN: Squad selection for David

3:50pm Wednesday 4th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

LACOCK 16 year old David Doel has had his talents rewarded with selection for the new BEF (British Equestrian Federation) Regional Foundation Squads, created to identify the talented riders of the future.

The squads, which have funding from Sport England, cover dressage, eventing, showjumping and para-dressage and are open to riders aged between 16 and 24.

Doel, who is studying Sport at Chippenham College, has been chosen for the South West eventing squad and will now learn from top equestrian specialists including coaches, physiotherapists, psychologists, vets and nutritionists via a series of clinics.

“We had our induction day at Bath University, without horses, which was a chance to all get to know each other,” said Doel. “It’s a two-year type grant, with some lottery funding, which builds up to link on to the BEF World Class Programme, and it should be really good.”

Doel swiftly proved the selectors’ choice a good one when he finished third in the Junior Open Novice section at the Aldon International Horse Trials in Somerset, which ended the 2009 British Eventing season.

This was on the Dutch bred bay Vivre La Vie B, owned by his mother Maggie, a well-known local instructor, and better known as Steve at home.

“It is this horse’s first competition season so he is inexperienced, but he is now starting to grow up,” added Doel.

“We were really pleased with his dressage test at Aldon – I’d borrowed a friend’s saddle and he went much better in this.”

The pair added just 2.8 cross country time penalties to their dressage score with two faultless jumping performances.

“Steve is still green occasionally so I took time with him cross country, setting him up at his fences to make sure,” Doel said.

“I have showjumping help from Eric Winter now – I’d struggled to find the right person to help my with his horse in this phase, which is my weakest, but we went clear this time. It was a good run to finish the season on.”

Doel also finished 12th on Tim Warren’s little Irish mare Cindy Delmonte, a six year old who also jumped a double clear. “We had one sticky moment cross-country when she was too bold into the water. We got a real soaking – Cindy actually disappeared under the water – but I was really pleased with how she coped and soldiered on. I did take some alternative routes after that to give her confidence, so we got a few time faults.”

The teenager rates both horses as ‘good ones for the future’ and will now be busy training over the winter months for the new BE season, which starts in March.

GEORGE Lippiatt, from St Catherine, near Marshfield, was the dominant force in the top class at the Deer Park cross country course, a popular venue near Cheltenham.

Lippiatt, who runs a café in Bath, made the journey to the venue for the first time and fought his way through poor weather to enjoy success in the Open section, held over the biggest course of the day.

He finished first and third on the big chestnut Rocky Horror, a 17.1hh gelding he has ridden for five years, and the home bred eight year old Thoroughbred Night Hunter.

“I just do hunter trials with Rocky Horror – we’ve won twice at Larkhill this year – and then hunt with the Beaufort through the winter,” he said.

“He jumped a good clear and was the quickest through the timed section. I hadn’t been to Deer Park before – it’s really nice there with well built jumps and I enjoyed my day despite the horrible weather.”

LOCAL rider Lee Elkins headed the top class on offer at West Wilts Equestrian Centre’s Senior BSJA showjumping date at Holt.

He won the Newcomers / 1.10m Open combined class on his big winner Tallents Quondam, an eight-year-old chestnut gelding who has proved successful in the young horse category. Lois Oliveria, who has showjumped internationally and last year completed her studies at a radiographer, had to settle for second and third on the bay mare Stormhill Barndnace and the six-year-old Vindaloo.

Libby Daniels scored a double on her two mares Cherry Imp and Dutch Magic, who won the 1.05m Open and the 95cms Open respectively, and Marlborough junior Megan Floyd won the Discovery class.

Floyd was riding her appaloosa pony Time Bandit and the pair finished third in their category at the first ever Amtrust Equine Royal Windsor Horse Show Championships this summer.

RESULTS KBIS British Novice: 1 Sir Marco, G Bond; 2 Wiets, A Davis; 3 Sir Quizzical, P Robinson.

95cms Open: 1 Dutch Magic, L Daniels; 2 Who's Valentino, A Palmer; 3 Cool Heights, L Elkins.

Equissage Discovery: 1 Time Bandit, M Floyd; 2 Skippets Juniper, H Taylor; 3 Little Miss Tyton, C Wylde.

1.05m Open: 1 Cherry Imp, L Daniels; 2 Little Miss Tyton, C Wylde; 3 Time Bandit.

Tri-zone Newcomers/1.10m Open: 1 Tallents Quondam, L Elkins; 2&3 Stormhill Barndance & Vindaloo, L Oliviera.

• Print
• Email
• Share