Home-bred takes two

From Star Wars to Harry Styles, riders celebrate music victories, while one amateur has to move her office for the week - but the effort pays off

- STEPHANIE BATEMAN

Petplan Summer Area Festival Championships and Middle Tour Championships, Arena UK, Lincs

“HE’S made all my dreams come true,” remarked Chelsea Donovan after her 12-year-old, home-bred gelding Frankie Zenturio won both the freestyle elementary silver and freestyle medium bronze Area Festival Summer Championships titles with plus-70%.

Chelsea owns a riding school and is a mother of two, and admits she is new to medium.

“We’ve been working hard on our training, so to get to the finals was a huge achievement,” she said. “To win was incredible – I was gobsmacked.”

Competing at the Home Nations a few weeks earlier helped to keep “Frank” relaxed at Arena UK.

“It definitely helped to prepare him, as sometimes he can be a bit ‘looky’, but we did the arena walks and he did everything I asked – it was quite emotional,” added Chelsea. “He had a little ‘yee-ha’ moment in the medium, so still to get that score was amazing.

“My elementary music is quite dramatic with a Star Wars compilation, and for the medium music we had a violin version of Ed Sheeran and Rihanna, to which I enjoy riding.”

Chelsea’s aim is to do an advanced medium by the end of the year, with the ultimate goal to ride in tailcoats and do a prix St Georges.

Versatile gelding Lotus Key showcased his talent between the whiteboards to land the elementary freestyle bronze on 71.67% with Kate Johnston.

“I bought him from Andrew Saywell as a two-year-old and produced him and brought him on myself,” said Kate.

“He is so stunning that I fell in love with him instantly. He gets bored doing just dressage, so we do a bit of everything – he has qualified for Horse of the Year Show as a working hunter as well as the Blue Chip Showjumping Championships.”

Kate has only recently taken up dressage to music.