Branduardi Comes Of Age

An upcoming stallion stamps his authority on the top levels, while Mount St John accrue a collection of titles and a horse completes his comeback from a road accident with a victory

- Helen Scott

AMY WOODHEAD stole the show and booked two tickets to the winter championships with Branduardi, convincingly winning both the prix st georges (PSG) and the inter I.

The imposing Breitling W stallion, owned by Victoria Wright and Sir John Peace, is called ‘My Little Pony’ at home, but here he showed how much he has grown in confidence, stamping his authority on both classes.

“He has a varied life at home, jumping and going to the beach; on Christmas Day I dressed up as a Christmas pudding and rode him bareback in a headcollar,” said Amy, 25, who took on the ride last summer when she was setting up her own yard. “It’s all part of keeping him happy and developing our partnership.”

The 12-year-old was nearly foot perfect, apart from a cheeky moment in the PSG, from which Amy quickly recovered, and he used his power to good effect.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt able to ride him without having to hold his hand all the time, and in the second test he performed better again,” added Amy, who is still riding Branduardi in a snaffle.

She trains with her mother, Tracy, and Carl Hester, and plans to do a couple of international outings at small tour before moving up to grand prix.