FINAL DAY OF DRESSAGE AT SOMERFORD PARK
FINAL DAY OF DRESSAGE AT SOMERFORD PARK
Day 3 Round Up
Amy Woodhead accomplished a successful day at the office winning three classes on the final day of Somerford Park’s Premier League Dressage.
Her first win of the day came in the British Dressage Young Horse Commanded 5YO sponsored by KBIS with MSJ Odelia owned by Emma Blundell. Amy’s run of success continued with MSJ Swing Musik winning her second young horse class of the day in the British Dressage Young Horse Commanded Route Plan 6YO sponsored by KBIS.
“I was super happy with her (MSJ Swing Musik),” says Amy. “I don’t usually ride her all the time. My sister Holly Woodhead rides and produces her, and she isn’t very well this weekend, so I just jumped on yesterday and had a little 20 minutes, and then did the test today, but she felt fabulous. I was really impressed.”
Any stand-out moments in the performance? “The whole test, I was absolutely thrilled,” Amy responds, “maybe that Holly [Woodhead] was crying at the end of the test because she went so well! That was really cute.”
Amy also won the Premier League Advanced Medium sponsored by Bret Willson International Dressage earlier in the day with Emma Blundell’s MSJ Batchelor with a score of 70.97%.
The British Dressage Young Horse Commanded Route Plan 4yo sponsored by KBIS went to 20 year old Lily Laughton and the Oldenburger stallion Bonds Junior, owned by Luis Filipe Vihena.
Sunday’s Premier League FEI Inter I sponsored by Saracen Horse Feeds was clinched by Hertfordshire based Fiona Brennan and her own 14 year old De Angelis II with a score of 71.27%.
“It felt everything clicked into place at the right time, he listened to me, he can struggle a little with his nerves but that didn’t seem to affect him today” said Fiona.
“My canter half pass zig zag felt really smart to rider and just flowed really nicely and his changes are always a highlight.”
“I’ve had him from a young horse and trained him up myself so every time he does well I feel proud, he’s the kindest person, he’s like a Labrador in a horse!”
Another successful day at the office for Michael Eilberg and MSJ Dante VX completing their second Inter II win of the weekend with a score of 71.62%.
“I felt he was a little better today, it was a bit gusty when we got here so I wasn’t sure whether he would be a little unsettled but he felt more concentrated in the arena,” said Michael.
“We’ve been a bit rusty because we haven’t really done a lot but I felt this second outing was a little more refined.”
Sunday’s Premier League FEI Prix St Georges sponsored by Fairfax Saddles was won by Davy Harvey riding his own 13 year gelding Hercules III with a score 70.1%.
The FEI Junior Team competition was claimed by Evie Head and De La Veiga, owned by Kate Smith, with a score of 68.33%
Another weekend win goes under the belt of Sophie Wallace after taking the title in the FEI Young Riders Team Competition aboard Fallatijn Van Kairos.
“He went in and gave me an incredible feeling from the minute he stepped into the arena, which was lovely as it’s not an easy arena for him with it being completely away from the other horses. I was really happy with the way he coped with the atmosphere.”
“I had a slight wobble in the last four-time change which was a shame, but other than that I was really happy with the rest of it.”
The FEI Pony Team Competition was won by 12-year-old Ever Sinfield Day with her own Machno Excalibur, affectionately known as ‘Scally’.
“I was really happy with it, because sometimes he can get a bit strong but he was really, really good today. He really just gave me all he could give and he was a very good boy, I was really happy with him.”
“My favourite moments are probably the medium trots, because he really lengthens in them.”
“I’m just planning on going out as much as I can and just trying to improve with him.”
That’s a wrap! The final class of the day, FEI Junior Team Competition went to joint winners 14 year old Penny Smith with Rembrandt GSH and 17 year old Ella-Grace Dovey with Bocelli 6 with a score of 69.39%, and it’s not just the win they share the girls both share the same birth date!
“It was really good and he was really nicely off my leg and worked really accurately” said Penny.
“My medium trots were the best I’ve done in an arena.”
While the result came as a bit of a surprise to Ella-Grace “I was very surprised that we did so well!”
“It was a clear round test which was really good, he was very lazy after the changes, but his accuracy was a big thing and obviously the changes and that was just the second time we’ve got them all.”
Image: FEI Pony Team Competition – Ever Sinfield Day and Machno Excalibur. Image Credit Jasmine Punter Photography
Tap https://horsemonkey.com/results/70533 for full set of results
Ends
25 May 2025
For further information contact debrahargravepr@gmail.com
Editor Notes:
Somerford Park is synonymous as a centre of equine excellence and we are thrilled to welcome an eclectic mix of riders to this year’s dressage including last year’s GP winner Michael Eilberg, Paris team bronze medalist Becky Moody, Tokyo travelling reserve Gareth Hughes, well recognised father and daughter Paul and Bobby Hayler, while Amy Woodhead is joined by her eventing sister Holly Woodhead.