A TEAM from the Avon Vale Pony Club emerged victorious from the 2010 National Pony Club Championships, which drew over 1,800 qualified young riders to the venue at Draycott House in Derbyshire.

Qualifying for the Pony Club Championships is a highpoint of any young rider’s career and a place there is hard-won, with members having to come through area finals held countrywide.

The Avon Vale quartet proved unbeatable in the Carr & Day & Martin Intermediate Dressage Championship, thanks in part to a great performance from their youngest rider, Devizes' 13-year-old Elena Palmer.

Palmer finished second in her individual arena, beaten only by Lucy Pincus, daughter of dressage internationals David and Serena Pincus, on Lutrel D’Arthenary.

The teenager, who has gone well at the Pony Club Novice Championships in the past, earned a mark of just under 69 per cent on the 11 year old gelding.

Teammate Madeline Barr, 16 and from Bath, was sixth in her arena on the six year old Athens Talisman, who has also proved successful in BE events.

Stockley 17-year-old Jess von Etzdorf was eighth in her arena on the seven year old Squirrel Nutkin, another winning eventer, and Dauntsey School student Antonia Riley, 14, completed the team on De Beers Darwin.

“I was delighted to be a part of the team, who had not competed together before,” said dressage team manager Maggie Doel.

“They all produced very even tests and got on so well together – I was very pleased with all of them.”

An Avon Vale team was also sixth in the step higher Open Dressage team championship, where Marston’s Grace Warden filled second spot in her arena.

The 17 year old rode the mare Dawn Catcher, now for sale as she is close to being outgrown, to a mark of 68.18 per cent.

Her teammates were Midford’s Charlotte Lanz, eighth individually on her eight year old mare Wellshead Foxtrot, and Corsham sisters Emily and Jess Waldron, on Ferrari and Ballou.

A team from the Swindon based VWH club finished one place above them in fifth, with Malmesbury 14-year-old Lucy Rogers taking fifth spot in her arena on Little Jasper.

She was joined by George Dibble, sixth on Fleet Action; Pumbaa Goess-Saurau, seventh on Killacoran Blue, and Harry Dibble on Dee Jays Gunnar Boy.

Beaufort Hunt Pony Club, who have a great track record at national level, finished sixth in the Mitsubishi Motors Intermediate Eventing final this time.

They were represented by Tetbury sisters Persephone, ninth individually on Tiny Tim, and Gabriella Rose, whose two down in the showjumping phase dropped her from fourth to 13th on Abbas Love Knot.

Amilla Buchan just missed the line up in her arena on the veteran Magic Mushroom III and Sam Humphreys rode Vinians Bravour.

Avon Vale finished hot on the Beaufort’s heels in seventh, with Katie Smyth and Libby Seed both jumping double clears to finish just outside the arena line-ups on Sobranie and Tara VII.

Beau Carrell finished 10th in Arena A on Rockley Spring Thyme, who added just four show jumping –penalties to his dressage score and Georgie Symes also jumped well on Kilbarny Padioe.

VWH Hunt’s George Dibble proved his versatility when the Swindon rider, who played a vital role in taking the VWH into top place in the recent British Festival of Eventing pony club jumping at Gatcombe, filled third spot in the Open Eventing individual sections on Springleaze Rhapsody.

The Avon Vale were eighth in the Open Eventing team rankings, represented by Grace Warden, Charlotte Lanz, Charlotte Adderley on Rocky Rockstar and Michael Smyth on Sir Dino.

An Avon Vale team continued a great run with fourth place in the Open Show Jumping team championship, finishing on a two round total of 19 faults in a close run and exciting competition.

Toby Bevins, the Foxham youngster whose serious medial problems mean he is entitled to ride in ‘para’ or disabled competitions, jumped a vital double clear on Askan Vanoveris.

Calne’s Michael Smyth had just one down in each round on Sir Dino.

Completing the team were Yolanda Edwards, who broke her collarbone just three weeks earlier and also had one down in each round on Thistle Do, and Hannah Chase on Matinee Diva.

Chittoe Heath 13 year old Libby Seed continued her successes with third in the Intermediate individual show jumping final.

She was one of four riders to be on a zero score after the two main rounds and then faced a jump off on her 14.2hh mare Tara VIII.

The duo had just one fence down – in a time nearly six seconds quicker than the winner.

Beaufort Hunt was seventh in the Intermediate team show jumping, with Gabriella Rose producing a double clear on Aldata Babe.

Her teammates were Persephone Rose, Sam Humphreys and Jasmine Punter, on Miss Darco.

THE Avon Vale had also shown fine form at the Pony Club Polo Championships, another highlight of the organisation’s year held at Cowdray Park.

The Avon Vale team of Andrew Gebbie, Stevie McCraith, Alex Cary and Orlando Wethered won the Rendell League, claiming the prized Bank of Ireland Trophy, and went on to win Rendell Division I at Cowdray.

Gebbie had a week to remember as he also won the bridle for the best retrained racehorse and was selected by the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), the sport’s governing body, to take part in the Alan Budget “Young England” Tournament at Kirtlington Park Polo Club.

Avon Vale’s Alexander van De Steen joined a team from the Beaufort Club to win the Loriner Division II and the Hillingdon Hall Cup, and clubmate Theo Wethered was part of the winning Ladyswood Langford team.

The club’s Stephen McCraith was also honoured when he won the HPA Millennium Trophy for the Best Pony Club Umpire at Cowdray Park.

LACOCK'S David Doel has returned from the 2010 Junior European three-day event championships in Germany, having achieved exactly what he set out to do.

The 17 year old was chosen to represent Great Britain as an individual at the Championships, the pinnacle of any junior event rider’s career.

He finished 10th on his 15.2hh skewbald gelding Pick and Mix II, with two show jumps down on the final day cost him a bronze medal in an otherwise superb performance.

“I said before I went out to Germany that I would be delighted if I got into the top ten,” said Doel.

“Pick and Mix did so well as he struggled with the heat and was tired towards the end – the show jumps down were a shame but he tried his best and this was a fantastic result.”

Doel was "over the moon'' to be laying fifth after the opening dressage phase, where he had to do his test in an intense thunderstorm.

“My horse didn’t bat an eyelid though, in an arena that really made it feel like a Championship,” he added.

“The cross country was an accuracy and balance test, with lots of skinnies and acute angles. It was very hot in the morning so it took quite a lot out of the horses.”

David was accompanied by his mum, well-known trainer Maggie Doel, and his "biggest fan'', his 82 year old grandmother Mary Fox.

Doel will be in action at the Winkburn Park BE event near Nottingham this weekend, with Cartman and Vivre La Vie B in the Intermediate Novice section.

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