Cranleigh equestrian team’s youngest member, nine year old Darcey Blaze, has been selected to represent British Dressage Southern Region Youth in the annual Inter-Regional Championships at Keysoe over the last weekend in June. The southern region selects riders from Kent, Surrey and Sussex and Darcey Blaze is the youngest rider to be selected for the Under 12 Squad. British Dressage is split into eight regions, all of whom come together to compete for the coveted regional title and we wish Darcey Blaze the best of luck.
Last weekend she was also part of the School dressage team who were victorious in an NSEA national qualifier, securing their place at the National Championships at Addington in October: the other team members were Jess Edwards, Holly Fletcher and Lila Millard, who also gained an individual qualification in the Elementary class. Our two younger teams gained qualifications for the National Plate Final as did Darcey Blaze and Jess Edwards individually.
At the start of the half term the squad pitched tents for a weekend at Hickstead where they were competing in the National Eventers Challenge Championships as well as Arena Eventing qualifiers. The championship classes were huge and lasted all day, with the successful novice team taking seventh place out of the 43 teams competing on the Saturday. Issy Hollidge, Tom Smith, Annabel Innes and Phoebe Going led the way in this competition and Phoebe followed it up on Sunday by winning the Open Arena Eventing qualifier for the Addington Championships. We also secured two qualifications for the National Plate final in November.
Josh Moore and Lila Millard have both been successful in the first part of the eventing season and will be vying for places in the South East BE U18 Novice team for the National U18 Championships at Frickley in July when they compete in the final trial at the end of June. Josh was successful in finishing in fifth place last weekend at the National U18 Championship 2* event, having also represented England in the Home Nations Dressage at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. On this occasion the heavy rain turning the walkways into mud baths, and the Household Cavalry in full regalia coming past his dressage arena at just the wrong moment, did not make for a harmonious outing!
