Award for talented local dressage team (From Gazette & Herald)

Award for talented local dressage team

3:25pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in Equestrian By Lisa Evans

GUESTS donned their finery to attend the British Breeders awards ceremony which took place at the Grange City Hotel in London on January 7, incorporating the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) Elite Performance Awards for 2011.

The hotel ballroom was packed to capacity for the prestigious event which saw guests welcomed with a drinks reception before moving on to a three-course dinner. The host for the evening was well-known equestrian commentator, Mike Tucker, and there was an entertaining after dinner speech delivered by former jockey Luke Harvey.

The highlight of the evening was the much anticipated awards ceremony which heralded well-deserved recognition for the dressage successes of Charlotte Wilson, from Snainton Riding Centre.

Charlotte and her former racehorse, Elverys, finished in second place to Derek Frankland and David Trott’s Theme Park in the 2011 RoR and SEIB Elite Dressage Performance Award.

The award, in association with British Dressage (BD), is open to any level, from grassroots through to the higher levels. To be eligible, a horse must be a Weatherbys-registered thoroughbred that has raced in the UK, and be registered with RoR and BD. The winner is the horse that has accrued the most points in British Dressage between January 1 and November 30.

The awards provide a focus for ex-racehorses competing in the disciplines of eventing, dressage, showjumping, endurance and showing and have encouraged more riders to recognise the talents and versatility of the thoroughbred and their potential for success in different spheres.

Elverys, formerly trained by Richard Fahey in Malton, retired from racing four years ago. The 13-year-old bay gelding has since gone on to enjoy a hugely successful career in dressage.

Charlotte culminated the 2011 season with a highly polished performance that took the top honours at the Retraining of Racehorses Elementary Dressage Championships at Vale View Equestrian Centre in November.