Kevin Comes Of Age

Wildcard entries enjoy success across the levels, multi-tasking combinations top the novice and a horse with limited vision claims the advanced medium title.

- Polly Bryan And Lucy Elder

TWO exciting young para horses topped the Dodson & Horrell novice silver, a class in which the top three riders all qualified on wildcards. Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker held the lead for a long time with her new horse, Keystone Dawn Chorus, but last-to-go Louise Robson rode Remi II, the 10-year-old she co-owns with para rider Amanda Shirtcliffe, to snatch victory on 73.03%.

A year ago Remi, known at home as Kevin, came to Stoneleigh with another rider for the Trailblazers championships and “decimated the white boards and everyone around him,” said Louise, who was competing at her first national championships.

“Amanda and I were really apprehensive about bringing him here, for the paras especially. He wasn’t the most straightforward when we first got him in November 2017, so we’re just teaching him through able-bodied dressage to make him a better para horse. He can be lazy but riding him with force is not the way forward. His heart is ruled by his stomach so once we learnt that, we could tell him he was a good boy by giving him treats and this positive reinforcement has been the way forward with him.”

The Desert Moon gelding also competed in the grade III para championship that morning with Amanda, finishing third.

“After that test Amanda assured me he would be fine and he went in the arena again bold and happy,” added Louise, who retrains racehorses for a living, and started her day at 3am so she could ride at home before travelling to Stoneleigh.

“Kevin is adorable and still has so much to give — this is just the beginning. His walk is a highlight, his trot is expressive and now he’s learning to go on his own and carry himself with less leg.”