7 April 2014
British National Indoor Carriage Driving Championships – a win for the ponies!
Single ponies took the Supreme Champion and Reserve titles at grand finale of the most successful British indoor driving season on record at The College EC, Keysoe, Bedfordshire. It was a true contest of the best with exciting close-run competitions and thrilling, stylish driving, notably in the well-supported junior classes.Chris Ainscough (South Scotland) retained his Open Pony title and took the Supreme Champion’s trophy after winning the Reserve last year. He leapt from tenth place after Precision and Paces to win three of the four obstacles: Ginny White and Jack (West Norfolk) shaved 0.03 seconds from his time on the last. Di Lewis (South East) and 21-year-old Charlie’s unlucky knock-down placed them second by almost two penalties and Tina Graham’s home-produced nine-year-old Simba was just behind her. All three beat the Open Horse Champion, Katie Squirrel, many-times former title holder. The new Small Pony Supreme Champion trophy went home with singles driver Colin Cornwell (South West). Tara Wilkinson celebrated her seventeenth birthday weekend by winning the Junior Championship and her father John was reserve in the Intermediate Horse class to South Scotland’s John Nisbet. Andrea Scott’s consistency with coloured Texas (South East) gave her the Novice Pony crown while Steve Hoyle (North Yorks) elegantly topped the Novice Horse drivers by almost 25 penalties. Charlotte Mansi-Clarke’s double-clear cones round helped towards her Intermediate Pony class win for the South East driving Widget.
Despite some of the toughest competition, Rosemary Neale, Bedfordshire, finally won the Veterans class. The youngsters had no less a contest, with Cerys Gilbert (10, West Norfolk) regaining her Extra Young Junior title, Isobel Wesbroom-Warr taking the Young Junior Championship.
Multiples: Linda Hill kept her Small Pony Pairs title as did Joe Adams, Pony Pairs; Chris Smith, Horse Pairs and Julie Wedgbury, Pony Team. Ben Edmed squeezed ahead of Chris Ainscough to win the Pony Tandem sash by 1.5 penalties.
A record-breaking number of entries – 2800 – all over the UK made this the most popular season and Championships ever with 147 starters in 16 classes, 13% up on 2013, including drivers aged from eight to some “veterans” in their seventies.
Fiona Powell
