An end-of-summer sponsored rider round-up!
As the summer draws to a close, we’re sharing the latest results from three members our talented stable of sponsored riders, Holly Richardson, Melissa Chapman and Sara Bowe. It has been a busy but successful summer for all our riders, and we’re so proud to play a small part in their success. Let’s catch up on their remarkable achievements:
Holly Richardson
Holly Richardson's summer has been nothing short of amazing. Her years of dedication and hard work paid off when she and her top ride, Bally Louis, made their highly anticipated debut at the Defender Burghley five-star event. The dynamic duo went clear cross country and finished 22nd, an outstanding result for their first five-star competition. We know how proud Holly was of Louis for coping so well with such a challenging cross-country course over Burghley’s undulating terrain, a true test of a horse's fitness and skill.
Following her success at Burghley, Holly barely had a moment of celebration before she was heading to Cornbury Horse Trials. Despite the scorching heat, Holly and Halcyon Jaguar Princess delivered a fantastic performance, finishing 10th in the two-star class. Meanwhile, Ballyneety Silver Service, Holly's ride for just two months, showed heaps of promise in all three phases of the three-star event, though a minor rider error towards the end of the cross-country course affected their rankings. Madame Revolution TCE, Holly and Mel Chapman’s exciting young prospect, jumped a superb double clear in the two-star six-year-old championship, mastering her first-ever trot-up and gaining so much valuable experience along the way.
Melissa Chapman
Melissa Chapman has been keeping busy, competing, holding her camps, lessons and coffee and cake mornings, as well as finding the time to prepare her horses for the upcoming National Dressage Championships. She recently took three horses to Northallerton Equestrian Centre, with a debut for one, and a nationals tune-up for another. The new ride is the lovely mare Mabel, Pepperwood Valienta, who is owned by Diane Patterson. After just a couple of months of training together, Melissa and Mabel topped the board in the novice and elementary classes, demonstrating Mabel's potential once she gets stronger and more experiences.
Next up was TCE Godieta’s Mind Over Matter, who delivered a fiery performance, complete with a spirited dragon-like tail-up and snorting entrance, before settling down to win the medium class with a score of over 70%. They also attempted the horse’s first public advanced medium test and showed plenty of promise and room for growth. Mel’s final ride was TCE Jubilant Al Sno in the Inter, and the two were awarded a good score despite a few blips.
In a bittersweet moment, Melissa has recently shared the loss of her original dressage dancing partner, King Norm, who played a pivotal role in her journey from eventing into pure dressage. We’re all thinking of you, Melissa.
Sara Bowe
Sara Bowe had an exceptional week at Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials up in bonny Scotland. Her exciting ride MHS Global Cooley was competing in his first international event in his debut season of eventing, which is just amazing. The duo stood out among a competitive field, ranking sixth after dressage and seventh after show jumping. While a few time faults during the cross-country phase shifted them to a final tenth place, Sara and her syndicate of owners couldn't be happier with the performance.
This success follows their fifth-place finish at Hopetoun in the Novice section, setting the stage for an exciting future for this talented pair. We can't wait to see what Sara and MHS Global Cooley achieve next!
It's been a sensational summer for our sponsored riders, filled with triumphs and unforgettable moments. As we head into autumn and then the cold and dark of winter, why not follow them on their social media channels to stay updated on their equestrian adventures when the season ends and follow along as they prepare ready for spring.