New Para Dressage Horse Required!!

Do you have/know of a horse that might be suitable for one of the UK's best young Para Dressage talents?

Grade Ia rider and the World's youngest ever winner of a 2*, Michael Murphy is looking for a new horse - could it be yours??

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Established /Safe Dressage Horse - Adv/PSG Level

Height: 15.3hh - 17hh (Approx)

Weight: Light - Middleweight

Breed: Warmblood or warmblood x - Particularly Uniform or Rubenstein bloodlines but open to suggestions!

Colour: Any

Age: 9yrs - 14yrs

Pref gelding but good mares considered

Basic conformation - the horse needs to be fairly compact and work well into a very light contact with good engagement and balance. The walk must be scoring 8's, 9's or 10's - and easily work between collected, medium and free walks. Ideally the horse needs to be trained to Advanced/PSG Level to enable the ease of self carriage with the weight correctly distributed to the hind legs. Good natural rhythm and the ability to maintain the walk in the correct tempo, shape and harmony are vital. The horse must be happy to walk without a feeling of needing to change pace or rhythm in order to keep both concentration & fluency of the test. Safety of the horse is paramount and so a horse that is not spooky, sharp or unpredictable is essential.

Ideally the horse we are looking for needs to have a good competition record with plenty of arena experience - Must not get fresh or hot up at competitions - whatever the weather or atmosphere around. It must also be easy to travel both on his own and with other horses and good to do on the ground. Some experience of riding to music would be preferred.

The horse will be kept at 1st class facilities and ridden regularly by an able bodied trainer.

Can you help?? Please contact the Bishop Burton College Press Office if you think you have a suitable horse: press.office@bishopburton.ac.uk

Competitor Interviews – Fiona Maynard

Friday & Saturday: 2^nd Grade IV 2*/3^rd Grade IV

Sunday:  2nd Grade IV 2*

Former Bishop Burton College student Fiona Maynard enjoyed a particularly successful outing at the Bishop Burton College CPEDI 2*/Y/J after taking second place in the Grade IV 2* team and individual tests, securing third in the 2* overall, and coming 2^nd in the Grade IV Freestyle test on Commanding Officer.

Fiona, who comes from York left the College four years ago and was impressed by the changes.

“The facilities are fantastic. I’m really impressed and it’s been fantastic, well-run competition.

“It was a tough Grade IV competition but I’m really pleased with how it went.”

 Fiona is partnered by 16-year-old Commanding Officer or ‘Hercy’ as he is known on the yard.

Fiona said: “We’ve been together for about four years and he’s a very happy horse.

“He absolutely loves his job and really wants to win. He will try his heart out for me. He’s not getting any younger though so this might be his last International.”

Fiona competes at Grade IV level as she suffers from Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that causes progressive vision loss.

During her tests Fiona uses a system called ‘living letters’; where a member of her team is able to enter the arena with her and call out the letters as she approaches them.

She is currently on the Regional Foundation Squad and trains with Eric Mackechnie and has competed at many National and International events.

“I started riding at the age of four,” said Fiona. “I was just going to riding schools and having lessons and it wasn’t until I was about fourteen that I got my first pony.

“I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s at about nine years old and my sight really started to deteriorate rapidly from the age of 13 or 14.

“I went along to the RDA and discovered I had a talent for dressage and it went from there.”

Fiona cites getting her degree, winning last year’s Inter Regional Competition at Millfield, competing in the Advanced Medium Regionals, as well as a Prix St George competition as her proudest achievements.

Fiona currently shares a yard in Stillington near York with her friend Nicky Smith where she breaks and trains horses.

Fiona Maynard and Commanding Officer

Bishop Burton College CPEDI 2*/Y/J - Special Prizes

Following the completion of the weekend's competitions a number of special prizes were given to those competitors who achieved the highest mark in their grade.

The Awards for Highest Placed Junior in Each Grade presented by Jane Goldsmith on behalf of Global Para Dressage went to:

G1a Natasha Tse and Haleys Star (HKG)
G1b Sophie Milner and Victor (HKG)
GII Ashley Jones and Aranka (GBR)
GIII Georgia Wilson and Balladeer Kursalite (GBR)

The Millfield Award to the Junior with the Highest % over all grades in the Freestyle Test presented by Amanda Heath

GII Ashley Jones and Aranka (GBR)

The Millfield Award for the Young Rider with the Highest % in all grades in the Freestyle Test presented by Jane Goldsmith on behalf of the Para Dressage Training Trust

GIV Kathryn Gallagher and Waragon (GBR)

Award to the rider in the 2* Competition Achieving the Highest % over all grades in the Freestyle Test presented by Global Para Dressage on behalf of Nick Rodgers

GII Lauren Barwick and Off To Paris (CAN)

CONFIRMED!! Michael Murphy youngest ever winner of a 2* in the world!

It's been confirmed this morning that 14-year-old Michael Murphy is the youngest ever winner of a 2* competition in the world.

Our congratulations go to Michael, mum Sue and the rest of Team Murphy!

Competitor Interview – Lauren Barwick (CAN)

1^st Grade II 2*/2nd Grade II 2*/1^st Grade II Freestyle/2^nd Grade II Freestyle

Among  the competitors was  Paralympic gold and silver medallist Lauren Barwick from Canada, who took first place in the Grade II 2* competition, as well as the Grade II Freestyle with scores of 71.90 and 75.58 respectively on the talented chestnut mare Off To Paris, which is owned by Equine Canada.

Lauren was also competing on another talented mare – Ferdonia 2 on which she took second place in the Grade II 2* and the Grade II Freestyle. Lauren also shared the ride on Ferdonia 2 with teammate Ashley Gownlock, a Grade 1b athlete who took first place in the Grade 1b team and individual tests on board the mare.

Lauren is 33 years old and will compete at London 2012 with Off To Paris, having previously made Paralympic appearances at Athens and Bejing where she brought home Individual Silver and Freestyle Gold.

She is classified as a Grade II Para athlete as she is paralysed from the waist down following an accident in 2000.

“I have two new horses here with me at the moment,” said Lauren “Ferdonia 2 is my own, and Off To Paris, which is owned by Equine Canada.

“We have received financial assistance from Own the Podium for Off To Paris, which is the Canadian organisation which helps athletes prepare for Olympic and Paralympic Games. Her name and the Own The Podium name reflect each other in the letters OTP.”

Lauren was working in the film industry training stunt riders when a serious accident left her paralysed.

“I was a show jumper before the accident, but obviously that wasn’t possible afterwards so I took up dressage and have competed at both Athens and Bejing on Maile, who is owned by my sponsors Parelli Natural Horsemanship.”

Lauren is a qualified Four Star Parelli Instructor and trains with the Parelli’s at their ranch in Colorado and in Florida.

Lauren travelled to the UK to compete at the Hartpury 3* and as both Off To Paris and Ferdonia 2 are new, the decision was made to include the Bishop Burton event as part of the trip.

“I need lots of practise with the mares as we are still forging a bond so we decided to compete at Bishop Burton as it provided another chance to compete with them,” said Lauren.

 “We are heading for the 2012 Paralympic Games so I need as much practise as we can get. Off To Paris can be a challenging ride and as she is the one I will be taking to London we decided to make the trip to Bishop Burton and we’ve had a great time.”

Lauren Barwick and Off To Paris compete in the Grade II Freestyle test 

Competitor Interview – Kathryn Gallagher

1^st YR (65.18) / 2^nd Grade IV / 1^st YR Freestyle (68.08)

Kathryn Gallagher (19) hails from Nottinghamshire and currently competes at Grade IV level with her 8-year-old KWPN gelding Waragon.

“I was riding as soon as I was old enough to be put on a horse,” said Kathryn. “I was involved with the Pony Club – doing some showing and things and was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, a genetic condition which only affects females at the age of 12.

“My mum noticed that I seemed to have stopped growing, we went to the doctors and I was diagnosed with Turner’s.”

Kathryn developed an interest in dressage through her association with dressage instructor Andrew Day on whose yard her horse was stabled.

“I was classified as a Grade IV Para rider at 14 and have been competing ever since although this is my first big competition. I’m also going to compete at able-bodied this summer.”

Kathryn, who attends Nottingham Trent University where she is studying Phsychology with Sports Science, has had a lot of support from friend and Para Dressage Champion Sophie Wells.

Kathryn said: “Sophie Wells has helped me put my floor plan together for the freestyle test, and even though she’s in Europe at the moment, she still texted to wish me luck. She’s very supportive and is a great help.

“Although the first day was a bit erratic, I am really pleased with how he’s (Waragon) gone. He’s a very strong horse but he’s been really good.”

Kathryn has plans to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, at the World Equestrian Games and the European Championships.

Kathryn Gallagher and Waragon take part in the Grade IV Freestyle Test

View a selection of images from this weekend's CPEDI event here