A RECORD-BREAKING number swelled the classes over two days as the Guernsey Dressage Group held its first competition of the season. UK judge Leanne Wall, who was making her first visit to the island, was complimentary on the overall standard of horses and ponies presented to her, giving some elusive nines to some of the winners.

Over the two days, more than 100 tests were completed in the Martin Collins arena at Chemin Le Roi.

The first of the day, the preliminary test 17 open class, notched up a win and personal best for Rachel Falla and Little Miss Magic on a score of 71.25% and their success continued during the weekend with further placings in all the prelim classes.

Sharing the spoils in the next one, the preliminary test 16 open, were Jo Carre and Lady Larino along with junior rider Jodie Travers and Rock Dragon again on a personal best of 72%.

Carre had a tremendous weekend with her attractive grey mare, winning a total of four classes and easily cruising into the SEIB Trailblazer Channel Islands regional final on a score of 73.25% for which the qualifying benchmark is just 58%.

Without exception, each of the competitors in the first rounds of the SEIB Trailblazer qualifying classes at prelim, novice and elementary easily achieved their qualifying mark to get them into second round and Channel Islands regional contention next month.

With 26 Trailblazer tests completed this time, the regional classes should be hotly contested for the coveted placings at the national final in August.

Taking the top spots in the senior prelim qualifying classes with a double victory were Carre and Lady Larino.

In the novice classes, wins were recorded by Michelle Robilliard and Ad Lib and Sarah Arblaster and King de Riverland while the elementary victories in this series went again to Arblaster and Stephanie Warr and Ginnerup Bastian.

The juniors were also putting in some impressive results to get them through to the second round of the Junior Trailblazer Channel Islands regional final.

Pippa Inderwick won the novice and elementary classes on Opal’s Fruitella and the prelim classes going to Shelley Tostevin on her new ride, Lockinge Daisy, and Jessica Russell with Hannington Samuel.

Travelling over with their horses from Jersey to contest the affiliated regional final tickets proved successful for Natasha Byfield and Gill Bonner who were competing at Chemin Le Roi for the first time.

Bonner and The Horologist took the regional tickets at preliminary and novice restricted level while national top 10 finalist from last year Byfield and Global Banderas closed the second day with a superb performance and a win on 72.28% in the medium open.

Local rider Maxime Whalley also produced personal bests with her five-year-old Essentially Diniall, taking the novice open and elementary restricted regional tickets.

‘While the tests were not without errors, some of the movements were very good indeed and justifiably deserved some nines. Potentially, this horse has a very exciting future ahead of him,’ Wall said on the grey gelding’s performance.

On the second day of competition, the qualifying class for the gentlemen’s championship being held at the June Dressage Festival produced five starters.

All the entrants had no trouble in achieving their qualifying percentage to get them through to the championship and Roger Hughes notched up a first and second placing taking the red ribbon on his own Carnival Thyme and the blue on his wife’s Benjamin Brown II.

Third place and winner of the qualifying class on the previous day went to show jumper Trev de Garis and Oasis Gold Star while Michael Wortley and Tom Rihoy finished on equal fourth.

‘The weekend produced some of the best classes we have seen since the Guernsey Dressage Championship in September,’ said organiser Jill Browning.

‘It was great to have such a really rider-friendly judge with constructive and positive remarks at the beginning of our season to kick-start us all into better things.

‘The junior riders put in some brilliant performances, which bodes well for the future of the sport.’

Results below