Spooks, sparkles and a spoonful of success at the winter dressage championships, as young duo share the spoils

Riding to a Mary Poppins-inspired freestyle, Carmen Gammie and Let’s Make An Opera M claimed the Spillers medium freestyle silver at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, scoring 69.67%.

Katie Warner and Active Nuvolari were second on 68.33%, with Paula Lee and Deseado Santo close behind in third on 68.17%.

“We were here earlier in the week and had an ‘interesting’ go at the advanced medium,” Carmen said. “It didn’t go to plan – he’s still quite green at that level – but today we were both much more confident, and I’m really pleased with him.”

Despite a few blips, the overall performance felt solid, Carmen added.

“We had a big spook in one of the medium canters and he threw in a change, so I was a bit worried. But overall, he gave me a really consistent feeling.

“The music suits him too – he’s quite small and light on his feet, so it works well.”

This was the pair’s seventh national championships together, but their first win.

“I’ve done about 20 championships myself as well and never won,” Carmen added. “I’m a proper amateur – I work full time as a chartered accountant – so dressage is my spare-time passion.

A shared title and shared dreams in the under-21 classes

There was no separating Talitha Jordan and Crippsy Bilbo Baggins from Verity Matthews and her 13hh Welsh dynamo, Bunbury Peppermill, in the under-21 novice silver in the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships classes – both riders scored 69.06%, tying even on collectives to share the win.

The two young riders, who both hope to pursue professional careers in dressage, handled their press interviews together and with infectious enthusiasm.

“It’s amazing – I wasn’t expecting it at all, especially as he did a change in the canter!” said Verity, who trains with Louise Bell. “We’re just happy to be here.

“When I went around the outside, I couldn’t really stop, so I just thought, ‘Breathe’ – and then he calmed down once we got into the test. As soon as we get to a show, he’s on it. You just have to trot on – there’s no hanging about!”

Talitha, who trains with David and Serena Pincus, said she didn’t mind sharing the win.

“It felt like he was really enjoying himself in the test, so I wasn’t worried about the score,” she said. “I was so happy with the canter work – he went in confidently, wasn’t fazed by the atmosphere, and just settled in beautifully.”

Winter Area Festival Championships: Eventer tops 40-strong field

Duncan Morgan and Neptunus-Utopia were clear winners in the 40-strong prelim silver at the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships, scoring 71.75%.

“I actually came out slightly disappointed,” admitted Duncan, who events up to intermediate level and has been preparing for the championships with trainer Lynsey Ryan. “She felt a bit tense going in and dropped off the leg, but she didn’t spook, and it all came together in the end.”

Duncan and Neptunus-Utopia also won the open dressage at the Pony Club’s 2024 JCB National Championships, but they’re not planning to swap eventing for a full-time dressage career just yet.

“Eventing is definitely still more my thing,” he said. “I like leaving the ground too much to switch completely!”

The mare, he explained, has taken time to come into her own: “She’s taken a while to get going – and she jumps really well, which doesn’t always help the dressage! But the flatwork is the foundation of everything in eventing, so it’s worth putting the time in and getting it right.”

First to go in the under-21 novice bronze, Rosie Shaw and K Mlyn’s Kashira faced a long, tense wait to see if their 69.56% would hold the lead. In the end, it proved enough to take the win.

“It was very nerve-wracking – and my mum wasn’t helping!” laughed Rosie. “She kept watching all the other riders and saying, ‘Oh my God, I think they’ll win.’ I felt sick the whole time… and then absolutely brilliant afterwards!”

This was the pair’s first championship appearance – and their first mounted prizegiving.

“I was very nervous, but so proud of her,” Rosie said. “Our medium trots were a highlight – she always scores well for them, and today she really went for it. She’s the kind of horse you just point, and she does the rest.”

K Mlyn’s Kashira, who Rosie says loves a head scratch and “especially feed,” will now head home to reunite with her best friend, Squiggle – a yearling who shares her field.

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