From storms to stardom: career-best performance wins national champion title

Sadie Smith has been crowned national champion at the 70th edition of the LeMieux National Dressage Championships, winning the Kudos grand prix freestyle on 77.05% with Swanmore Dantina, and adding her name to the roll of honour alongside legends such as her mentor Carl Hester, Lorna Johnstone and Jennie Loriston-Clarke.

Sadie became the 29th rider to become national champion, and her freestyle win also sealed her place as the leading rider of the 2025 championships with four victories, including the Centre Line prelim gold earlier in the day on Peter Belshaw’s Times Roccoco (74.27%).

“I feel so emotional – it’s a career high,” Sadie said. “The people who’ve won this before are those I’ve always looked up to and aspired to be like. Carl messaged me straight after the test saying well done, and to have my name there now, with his, and to do it on my own horse too… it’s hard to put into words. You dream of doing this.”

Sadie was visibly moved when talking about her British-bred 11-year-old mare. “She’s so special – like my best friend. I can just get on and off we go together. That’s our partnership.

“She makes me feel confident, even though I’m not always confident, and it feels like it’s getting better each time as we’re learning together.”

Their win came in extreme conditions, as gale-force winds battered the showground. Spectators clung to hoardings and marquees to stop them flying away, while during Sadie’s test the sound of bins and tents crashing could be heard around the arena. A technical hitch also meant she had a long wait before starting.

“We were joking in the warm-up that this is proper British dressage – out in the rain and wind,” she said. “It did feel like everything was going to fall down around us. She was a little worried at first, but once we went in, she just relaxed and gave me more power.”

The result was a personal best. “It was probably one of the best tests I’ve done, and the first time I’ve ridden that freestyle with no mistakes. That’s what I was really hoping for.”

The freestyle, set to Japanese-inspired music, came together at the last minute. “I only had a week to get it ready before Addington CDI,” Sadie said.

“Carl kindly let me use one of Uthopia’s floorplans from the 2011 Europeans, which we adapted. It’s unusual music, but I really like it. The end was a little off as I was ahead of the music, but I think I just about pulled it back.”

A Madonna-themed routine – featuring Who’s That Girl, La Isla Bonita and Frozen – helped Gareth Hughes and Lufada MVL into second overall, and last year’s champions Lewis Robertson-Carrier and Diego V finished third.

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