Meon Successes

Area 17 Winter Dressage Qualifier held at Sparsholt on Sunday 10 January 2012 - organised by Peter Buist, assisted by Nick Fincham.

Meon Diamonds SIXTH out of 23 teams: Sophia Haldar/Condor, Anne Evans/Kilcotty Jim, Sarah Pook/Balfour's Bay (down to a team of 3 as Carol Alford's Amarna was not sound at last minute).

Meon Stars were ninth (just out of the ribbons) - Debbie Dean/Bailando, Sarah Jennings/Rhubarb, Becky Sporne/Semillion, Helen Vernon/Monaco Finale.

2 members of each team did Prelim 18 and two Novice 24.  In the Prelim 18 Helen Vernon was joint 2nd, Anne Evans was 6th

In the Novice 24 - Sophia Haldar 2nd, Becky Sporne 3rd

for pictures look at Photo Gallery but here is Sarah Pook proudly holding rosettes for her team and Laura Bleecker who did a great job as Chef d'Equipe with her trusty clipboard

 

 

BRC Horse Trials Championships at Aston-le-Walls
5-7 August 2011

Well done to Becky Sporne and Semillion who came 6th individually in the Open - our combined open team of Becky and Steffi Dampney on Speed of Sound from Meon and Gemma Izzod on Tully Bear and Laura Saxon on Irish Magic from Bourne Valley came 9th.

Area 17 Horse Trials Qualifier - held at Larkhill on Sunday 3 July 2011 organised by Bourne Valley Riding Club

Our Novice team sadly fell apart on the day, and just before, due to horse problems.  Down to two members who went individually - Jenny Naylor Davis on Border First Light came 3rd in her arena and Chrissy Hughes on Harry came 8th individually.

Our Intermediate team was down to three and came 2nd out of two teams.  As the winning team, Bourne Valley, is not able to go to the Championships we have won the opportunity instead!  Our team was Helen Vernon on Monaco Finale (2nd in her arena), Anne Evans on Kilcotty Jim (4th in her arena) and Mike Stone on Prince (8th in his arena).

Our Open team (again only two teams) won convincingly (to see a picture of them click here and are also off to the Championships to be held at Aston-le-Walls from 4-7 August.  They were Becky Sporne on Semillion (4th in her arena), Julia Batho on Hippy (5th in her arena) and Steffi Dampney on Speed of Sound (6th in her arena).  Well done to all of them - and to our Chefs d'Equipe Andrea Bishop and Sue Francis-Stukings.  In addition we had to find an amazing 9 helpers for the day and our thanks go to all those kind people.

Area 17 Show Jumping Qualifier - held at Gillingham and Shaftsbury Showground on Sunday 19 June 2011 - organised by Shillingstone & District Riding Club

Style Team: Sarah Pook/Balfour's Bay, Helen Vernon/Monaco Finale, Mike Stone/Prince, Chrissy Hughes/Harry
Intermediate Team: Debbie Dean/Chablis, Jenny Naylor-Davis/Borderfirst Light, Helen Vernon/Monaco Finale, Mike Stone/Prince
Novice Team: Jackie Rixon/Colour Me Danny, Sarah Jennings/The Rubicon, Chrissy Hughes/Harry, Laura Macarthy/Somernight's Dream. 
Sarah Pook was a wonderful Chef d'Equipe on the day as I had to be elsewhere and she, Debbie, Laura and Ellen McGibon filled the required helpers' slots which was really kind of them.  Only the winning team qualified for the Championships so we just missed out but were certainly a force to be reckoned with so well done our teams.  Penny Briggs  - a full report can be found in our July newsletter but a synopsis from the report by Sarah Pook is given here:
 
The style team went first with Sarah, Helen, Mike and Chrissy riding against four other teams. Three clear rounds followed and all completed looking as classy as we expect of Meon, who hold a good record in this event. As usual NFPE produced four immaculate ponies and stole first place, with Meon second and Chrissy fifth individually. 
Then onto the intermediate, Helen, Mike, Debbie and Jenny competing against Isle of Wight as the other team. The first round finished tight with both teams finishing on three clears. The second round was even tighter as both teams found the bigger course more challenging with fences down and refusals. The team competion finished with Meon losing by 4 faults overall. Then Jenny and Debbie jumped off for the individual coming second and third respectively. Team photo and plenty of rosettes followed!
Meanwhile the novice team, Chrissy, Jackie, Laura and Sarah were fighting it out against nine other teams in the other arena. Again the first round saw them well positioned with three clears. The second round was the decider and no one will forget Laura's huge grin after jumping th biggest fences of her competitive career with just four faults. Chrissy finished on a double clear and the team finished in tied fifth place, getting sixth on overall time from all team riders. The end of a long day, and facing a tricky journey back avoiding Stonehenge, off we all set - all heading home with rosettes!

 

Festival of the Horse Championships - Aston-le-Walls
Sat 4 June 2011

Once again Meon RC did themselves proud at a national championships and our team came FOURTH.  Only 2 were left from the qualifying competition Chrissy Hughes on Harry and Jackie Rixon on Colour Me Danny as the others were off the road or sold.  The two to complete the team were Keri Barnjum on Shady Lady IV and Jenny Naylor Davis on Border First Light.  Chrissy had no faults in the SJ part and 1.6 time penalties XC.  She came 5th individually.  Jackie rolled a SJ pole but clear XC with 4 time penalties.  Jenny clear SJ but her inexperienced horse had a stop at a very large brush on the XC.  Keri did a perfect SJ round followed by clear XC - she chose a black flag route as her horse is inexperienced and had 11.6 time penalties.

Helen Vernon finished well, though not placed, in the intermediate class on Monaco Finale (Speedy).

Dressage to Music Qualifier held by Hampshire Rural RC at Sparsholt on Monday 30 May 2011

Kellie Neighbour on Ruby came 6th in her Novice Freestyle to Music with no BD points with a score of 68.61.  Jenny Martin on Duncan came 6th in the Novice section with BD points with a score of 67.78 and in the non-qualifying section of the Elementary Freestyle to Music came 2nd with a score of 65.83.

NAF Festival of the Horse 26 March 2011 at Swalcliffe,
Grange Farm, Nr Banbury, Oxon

This was run by Evinlode and Copthorne & Evesham Vale Branches for Area 18 but we were allowed to compete as Area 17 did not run a Qualifier.  We had huge success and many congratulations to our Novice Team who WON WITH JUST 6.8 PENALTIES.  They were Jackie Rixon on Colour Me Danny (placed 1st ind), Sarah Pook on Top Pride (placed 2nd ind), Chrissy Hughes on Harry (placed 3rd ind) and Jenny Naylor-Davis on Red Alert (placed 4th ind) - as you see Meon swept the board!  In addition Helen Vernon on Monaco Finale competed as an individual in the Open and WON!  What a day - see Photo Gallery for pictures of our winners.  Next stop the Championships at Aston-Le-Walls on 4/5 June 2011.  For full report by Laura Macarthy, who went as chef d'equipe for the day on behalf of team organiser Andrea Bishop, click here

Area 17 Winter Dressage Qualifier at Castle Farm,
Over Whallop - 29/30 January 2011
Well done to Sally Beves on Lucy who came 6th individually in the Prelim 18 Test.

Years 2009/2010 have been archived