The second One-Day Event run by Midlands Carriagedriving at Anslow on 21st June had a real ‘family’ day feeling with two husband and wife teams plus a father and daughter combination all doubling up for each other.
In the latter, it was young Evie Rockall who took the spoils with best dressage, only double clear in cones and fastest obstacle times of the day to head the Novice Pony class with Heidi. Evie bettered her dressage of the previous ODE by 7.4 for 45.4 thus bettering her father David – who opted to drive Heidi in the first two phases of Open Pony – by 1.93 penalties.
Jon and Sandra White were in classes of their own, with Jon coming through in Novice Horse while Sandra, despite suffering her ‘worst cones score ever!’, took the Small Equine class. Matt Illston-Barsley took the Gateway Allcomers class with his coloured pair of rescue ponies while his wife Hannah came out top in the Gateway Newcomers where Joanne Pitts put up a spirited performance to come second.
Chris Ainscough also had a busy day, grooming, back-stepping and coaching both Aaron Kelly and Pippa Haram in the Novice Pony. Aaron was second to Evie while Pippa, with her dun-coloured 7-year-old Sonny who used to be a ‘Party Pony’ and was at only his fourth competition, came third.
Linda Wiggin’s characterful 19-year-old Fell pony once again belied his age. Having performed a good dressage test for 51 penalties in Open Pony, he then gave Linda plenty to do in cones and came back in the afternoon to enjoy bouncing round the obstacles. In the Very Small Equine Multiple class, Libby Castle’s pair sped round the cones and obstacles in perfect harmony.
Open Horse contender, Elisabeth Greensmith sadly had to retire at Obstacle 1 when the brakes on her carriage stuck fast. Fortunately, both she and Charlee were unscathed.
The next ODE at Anslow will be on Sunday 12th July with entries closing the Wednesday before. Schedule details are available on the club’s website www.midlandscarriagedriving.co.uk/events.
Entries can be made online, as above, or by email to entriesmc@gmail.com. Remember that competitors wishing to move on to national competitions can now have their Competence Card signed on completion of an event at Anslow.
Anslow village is readily accessible from the A38 (Burton-on-Trent) between the A511 and B5017; postcode DE13 9QL.
Volunteer stewards are always welcome and much appreciated at MC events; the club has set up a WhatsApp group specifically to provide information to signed up stewards. Potential and existing stewards can register for the group via entriesMC@gmail.com
For news and more information on Midlands Carriagedriving, including joining the club and entering events, visit www.midlandscarriagedriving.co.uk; also follow the club on Facebook.
David Rockall
Matt Illston Barsby
Elisabeth Greensmith
Evie Rockall
Aaron Kelly
Jon White
Sandra White
Libby
Linda Wiggin
Joanne Pitts
Images Credit to Kingswood Associates