‘They have everything it takes'

Scottish riders show off lockdown progress at regionals, while a five-time Grand National runner earns a day-high dressage score

- ANDREA OAKES

Morris EC Winter Regionals, East Ayrshire

AFTER some harsh winter weather and a later start to the season than their fellow competitors further south, riders in Scotland were keen to put their lockdown training to the test.

Jennifer Johnston-Harman notched up five gold wins with her Scottish-bred pair. Seven-year-old Jazzman MFS, known as Desmond, headed the elementary 59 and both elementary and medium freestyles, while Dance With Me Fürst (Daisy), six, claimed the novice and novice freestyle.

“Desmond is growing up nicely and will hopefully be ready for his first prix st georges later this year,” said Jennifer of the Wynton gelding. “Daisy is super-sharp and has some anxieties about life and unfamiliar surroundings, so she was very wide-eyed throughout. The more we consolidate her training, however, the more rideable she is.

“Once he’s up and going he’s so talented” JO BARRY ON GOOFY LA PERLE

“It has felt like a long journey to get them to this stage, but they have everything it takes to go all the way,” added Jennifer, who bought both horses as foals from MFS Studfarm.

Advanced medium gold winner Goofy La Perle has competed just once since the Morris winter regionals in February 2020. According to Jo Barry, who rides the 10-year-old Belissimo gelding for Gordon Grainger, Goofy embraced the many months of complete box rest he needed last year.

“He loves to sleep, so he enjoyed it,” she said, explaining that a third of Goofy’s hoof had to be cut away due to white line disease. “It was a shock to his system to have to kick off his comfy lockdown slippers and get back to work.