Wind fails to blow the BelsayTrials off course.

Byline: Anna Harris [email protected]

RIDERS from near and far braved the 50mph winds on the first day of Belsay Horse Trials, with the organisers pulling out all the stops to ensure the competition went ahead.

Despite the high winds and challenging conditions, some of the country's top riders - including five Badminton riders and two Olympians - took part in the event, and, with the weather improving on the Sunday, the competition was hailed a great success.

Laura de Wesselow, co-organiser of the event, said: "We thought that we had everything in hand this year, but the wind was not what we were expecting and it really caused a lot of problems.

"It was amazing that we were able to run the event and it is a credit to the whole team that we managed to pull it off. All our committee, BE Officials, contractors and the large army of volunteers worked non-stop all day on Saturday to ensure that competitors and visitors were safe in the gale-force conditions."

Nicola Wilson, Team GB silver medallist at London 2012, had eight horses entered across the two days and enjoyed success on several of them including two seconds with Ballinagore Coal in the Fit for Less Novice Section D and Khanamore in the UBS BE100 Section L, a fifth in the Gibson and Co Section I and a sixth in the Ryecroft Glenton Regional Novice Final.

The Regional Novice Final was won by Dutch Olympic Team Rider Andrew Heffernan on Pewit Setimo. Andy had made the four-hour journey from his base at Somerford Park in Cheshire and also rode Lawless Lil to come eighth in the Go as You Please Intermediate Section F. Also travelling from Somerford Park was Badminton rider Ben Hobday, who was first and third in the Gibson and Co BE 100 Section.

Ben's girlfriend, Emma Carmichael, whose parents run Todburn Equestrian Centre near Longhorsley, sadly had to withdraw her good horse Cooley Lucky Strike from the Open Intermediate Class, but she did compete another younger horse, Henry's Best, in the Sanlam Private Wealth BE100 Section J. The biggest class of the weekend - the Barbour Open Intermediate - was won by Katie Magee from Richmond on Dollarney, with Durham-based Jamie Atkinson in second place on Celtic Fortune and Julie Lawson third on her home-bred Primitive Faerie Tale.

Scottish rider Emily Galbraith was fifth and sixth in this class on Fernhill in Action (owned by coorganisers Edward and Jane Pybus) and IPW Nom de Plume.

The Novice sections had full entries. Carole Dennis won the Benfield Novice Section C on Trumpstoo, with Sanne de Jong in second on Enjoy III, local rider Emily Rowell third on Hi Silver and Jamie Atkinson fourth on Etilia.

Emily Galbraith won the Fit For Less Novice Section D on Annaghmore Eagle Chief, with Nicola Wilson in second and Jamie Atkinson in third on Charlotte Ridley's Wot about Wottie.

Christopher Whittle dominated the Lycetts Open Novice Section E, coming first on Mehendi, third on Suedip and sixth on Foxglove Skylark. Meldon-based Mark Jackson was second on Captain Cool. Mark also won the Auchendinny Carnegie Trophy for the Highest Placed Northumbrian rider in the Novice Classes.

The BE100 and BE 90 sections were full with local riders competing against better known ones. Stephen Rankin from Darras Hall competed on both days with four horses. He was ninth in the Gibson and Co BE100 section, second in the Sanlam Private Wealth BE100 Section J on Edouard Van Het Cabernhol, and eighth in the BE90 Section P, sponsored by his own firm Portland Green.

Francesca Richardson from Kirkley, daughter of Belsay XC steward Jane Peters, was second in the Bond Dickinson BE 100 section K on Drakes Drum II and was also awarded the Gill Gilbertson Memorial Salver for the best performance in the Grassroots classes by a re-trained racehorse.

The Queen Margaret's School BE 100 U18 section M was won by Eliza Yeardley on Prince VIII with Robyn Bowness in second and Alice Davies-Cooke in third. Delilah de Wesselow, daughter of organisers Peter and Laura de Wesselow was 10th, with younger sister Xanthe in 12th on Lakeview Rocky.

Dressage rider and trainer Paul Langford, from Durham, took up eventing for the weekend when he stepped in to ride some of partner Will Murray's horses after Will had a nasty fall at home on Friday. He won the Hello Activ BE90 Section O with a final score of 18 (14 for dressage and four faults in Show Jumping). Hayden Bridge based Georgina Clarkson won the Rural Solutions BE90 Section Q on her pony Orkney's Classic.

CAPTION(S):

Mark Jackson was highest-placed Northumbrian rider in the novice <Bclasses at Belsay Horse Trials

Olympic medallist Nicola Wilson at Belsay Horse Trials <B

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Title Annotation:	Sport
Publication:	The Journal (Newcastle, England)
Date:	Jun 13, 2015
Words:	791
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