Hall of Five Star Fame

Completing a trio of Tokyo 2020 medallists, Sarah Pidgley’s Gio also cut his teeth in the Hartpury Arena with former rider Charlotte Dujardin in the saddle.

2018 was a standout year for 2012 and 2016 Olympic Champion Charlotte Dujardin, as she secured no less than six titles with a string of rising stars, each in the infancy of their dressage careers. One of these stars was the pintsized powerhouse Gio, competing in the Advanced Medium Gold class in just his second British Dressage season. His appearance at Hartpury followed a successful visit to the LeMieux National Championships the year prior, where he secured the Elementary Gold title as well as the Six Year Old Young Horse crown. A step up in two levels would see the Dutch-bred gelding by Apache finish in the runner up spot at his debut NAF Five Star Winter Championships, beaten into silver medal position by Dujardin’s River Rise Nisa.

On his stratospheric route to the top, Gio made waves at FEI Intermediate II level the following year with another national title, before a Grand Prix debut beckoned in 2020. In a season struck by the Covid-19 pandemic, the LeMieux National Championships was sadly cancelled but a Christmas-special Grand Prix Championships saw the talented chestnut place second in a competition where NAF stablemate En Vogue finished just a whisker behind in third. Tokyo 2020 was next up where Gio showed his heart for team and individual bronze before repeating the feat at the European Championships just one month later.

Gio’s latest chapter has seen him play the role model schoolmaster for upcoming talent Annabella Pidgley. The duo won the Intermediate II at the 2022 LeMieux Nationals before a winning international debut as a combination at CDI Kronenberg. The combination are coached and mentored by former rider Charlotte, who’s enjoyed watching on proudly as her Olympic hero continues his journey in the hands of a dedicated young superstar. Annabella made her own NAF Five Star Winter Championships debut appearance with a reserve champion placing in 2019 on board FEI pony Cognac IX in the Medium Silver Championships.

Sophie Wells record in both able-bodied and para dressage speaks for itself, and this is one legend who more than earns her place in the hall of five star fame.

Paralympic gold medallist Sophie needs no introduction, in addition to her international success, her record at home boasts countless titles across the years and across the levels. At the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, Sophie has achieved three magnificent titiles, the first of which came in 2015 on board C Fatal Attraction in the Medium Open before a memorable year followed two years later to complete her collection to date.

Following her Rio success in 2016, Sophie presented her Paralympic partner Valerius at the 2017 rendition of the NAF Five Star Winter Championships alongside rising star C Fatal Attraction. It would be ‘George’ to open the floodgates on a week of tremendour success for Sophie, as Charlotte Hogg’s gelding by Fidertanz danced his way to success in the Magic Prix St Georges Freestyle scoring 75.75%. The next day, title two came as Valerius triumphed in the Superflex Intermediate I Freestyle (75.83%), with Sophie piloting her two rides to one of the most memorable small tour doubles in the history of the event.

When asked at the time whether she expected to succeed at the championships, Sophie said “I didn’t expect either wins! I’ve competed in these classes a few times and have usually been pipped by Michael [Eilberg]. For me, it’s just great to put all the work we do at home and at para competitions in to practice somewhere like here and show that we can be competitive and that work pays off.”

Throughout her career Sophie has also presented Pinocchio, Don Cara M, Classic Jillz Geuzenhof and Firstino at the event. This year she returns with Tokyo 2020 and Herning 2022 World Championships ride Don Cara M, who returned to the arena with success at Bishop Burton’s Winter Regionals, as well as OFS Dragons Fire whom Sophie competes alongside fellow para dressage superstar Erin Orford.

The British-bred mare Swanmore Dantina is one of the brightest talents on the circuit and a dual runner up in one of the most competitive years on record.

Sadie Smith’s eight year old BHHS registered Swanmore Dantina (Dante Weltino OLD x Charatan W) has progressed through the BD system with much success, sympathetically produced to stellar results and a bright future. In only her second complete affiliated season as a six year old, she made an opening appearance at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships lining up in both the Novice and Elementary Gold classes. In the Novice competition, she scored a phenomenal 76.98% - a mark that would only be beaten by Sadie’s good friend and coach Charlotte Dujardin, who excelled on Peter Belshaw’s upcoming talent Times Kismet (79.01%). A standout class in a standout year, the Novice Gold competition saw no less than 14 combinations top 70%; and future champions have already been made from the same results sheet, Alex Baker’s Tiger would go on to a National Young Horse title, Sonnar Murray-Brown and Stolen Secret were Elementary National Champions just last year, and breeding stallion Ketcher B scored in the 2022 Medium Freestyle with Jezz Palmer. The Elementary contest was equally as hotly contested, with Dantina beaten once again only by Dujardin and Times Kismet.

In 2022, Sadie and her mare went on to achieve strong results on a step up to Prix St Georges level, whilst earning qualification to represent Great Britain at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses. Held in Ermelo, ‘Dia’ showed her bountiful class in the opening seven year old round to place fourth out of 38. The pair would drop just one place in the final, with fifth place a marvellous achievement for a home-grown talent.

The new year has seen Dia’s journey continue to flourish, as Sadie piloted her to a clean sweep of small tour victories at Addington CDI just last month. The combination line up at Hartpury this year in a competitive Magic Prix St Georges class, following a direct qualification from Wellington Riding’s Winter Regional fixture.

Michael is one of a host of BD riders with an impressive record at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, with 11 top three placings out of 19 appearances.

A familiar and regular competitor at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, Michael Eilberg’s show record has seen him earn success on a plethora of iconic partners. His debut Winter Championships appearance came in 2008, where on board future Grand Prix rides Marakov and Torino, he notched up top ten placings in all bar one of his four starts at Medium and Advanced Medium level. Michael’s dressage journey continued to progress at pace and the following two years he returned to the event as he travelled through the levels. It would be his debut partner Torino (Corland x Purioso) to deliver his first win, with an emphatic victory in the 2011 edition of the Superflex Intermediate I freestyle in front of a packed Hartpury gala evening audience.

A year later Michael claimed the same class with a different partner, this time it was Woodlander Dornroschen, the famous dam of future FEI World Breeding Champion Woodlander Farouche. 2012 was a successful year all-round for Michael as he also finished as runner up in the Medium Open with Half Moon Dynasty. The British-bred mare came back in 2013 for success in the Advanced Medium Open, whilst Michael finished as runner up again in the Medium Open (Fuerst Sinclair), beaten by pony combination Phoebe Peters and SL Lucci who would go on to European Championship success later that year. Half Moon Dynasty claimed yet another title in 2014, the Superflex Intermediate I title, with an enormous 78.29%. That year Michael made an appearance on the World Championship team competing in Caen.

It would be seven years before Michael returned to Hartpury, as a period of rebuilding and patience ensued between 2015 and 2022. But Michael’s latest stars, Figlio and Dante VX would ensure that he returned to the placings and continued on his fine form at the pinnacle of the BD winter calendar. We look forward to seeing his return in 2023 as newcomer EDH Saubermond starts in the HorseLight Medium Gold.

Dressage to music has long proved a highlight with spectators at the Winters and this year is set to be another crowd-pleaser with a top line up of talent in the NAF supported music classes – the Magic Prix St Georges Freestyle Gold and the Sureflex Intermediate I Freestyle Gold.

Freestyles require combinations to perform a sequence of compulsory movements ordered by the competitor, showing off paces in perfect synchronisation with music which complements the horse’s performance. It’s often said that judging freestyle is more challenging than a standard test as not only do judges mark the movements, which are not in a set order, but they also have to assess the artistic nature of the test.

International rider, trainer and 5* judge Isobel Wessels says she likes to see “music that enhances the performance, combined with correct work and rhythm, both in the artistic and technical parts”. “As a judge I’m looking for really fitting music, combined with lots of harmony, fluency and something a bit different choreography-wise, although not a circus performance,” she explains. “I’ve always loved riding to music and when you have a special horse it’s even better. I love to improvise and ride what I feel the music is saying to me.”

Marks awarded in freestyles tend to be slightly higher than those in standard tests, as riders have the opportunity to emphasise their horse’s strong points and can perform a movement again if this went wrong at their first attempt. The choreography and music marks, which are not as closely linked to the technical marks, also often warrant higher marks.

When it comes to riders’ choice of music, judges’ personal preferences don’t come into it. Instead they are assessing how well the music flows and harmonises with the paces, interpretation, movements, and if it enhances the overall picture and theme of the performance.

“Judges aren’t influenced by the choice of music, as long as it fits the horse and tells a story anything goes,” Isobel explains. “However, many riders choose very well known clips that one hears every other test so sometimes new, different, or unusual makes a better impression.”

Isobel points out common mistakes also include “having the music too loud, making the choreography too complicated for the horse’s level of training, or including too many chopped up small bits that destroy the harmony and fluency”.

“What impresses me most when judging freestyle is music and atmosphere that has me on the edge of my seat, together with beautiful riding,” says Isobel.

Judge scoring in freestyles is split into two partstechnical (specified movements you must complete) and artistic marks, which is split into five headings with 10 marks and coefficient of four (total out of 40 marks) each.

1: Rhythm, energy and elasticity

2: Harmony between horse and rider

3: Choreography, use of arena and inventiveness

4: Degree of difficulty, calculated risks

5: Music and interpretation of music

These are the elements the riders must include in their floorplans and the marks available – put your dressage knowledge to the test and see if you can spot them in all the tests and what mark you might award.