Bolesworth international horse show Archives

The final day at the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show on Sunday delivered plenty of intense action across all classes, from the ultra-competitive big-money Dodson & Horrell CSI3* Grand Prix, to the fun Fancy Dress Mini Major pairs relay.

The climax of the week came when title partner Dodson & Horrell’s 1.50m Grand Prix took to the ring. It was won by Louise Saywell with Kingsborough Kasper, second was Angelie Von Essen on Daniel and third, Robert Murphy on How Easy.

This highly-revered event at Bolesworth has been developed for the best of the best, the one riders aspire to win and is a huge test for both horse and rider. After two rounds of qualification, 50 riders were seeded through to the main event.

The course was designed by world renowned course designer Louis Konickx. Before the start of the class, Louis stated that he was using the event to test a few ideas ahead of designing the course at the World Championships at Herning in Denmark next month. Consequently, the course proved to be challenging, big and technical with a tight time resulting in only three riders going clear in the first round.

The top 25 per cent went through to the second round carrying faults forward from round one. The only three to go clear in round one put in faultless performances to fill the podium, with Louise Saywell leading from the front. She said: “I’m totally ecstatic with Kasper. In his last three or four Grand Prix’s he’s been double clear and in the top five. He won the last one at Keysoe two star, so this was a big one. He hadn’t done a 1.50m, but he’s just got such a lot of talent. We always believed he could do it, however, until they are doing it, you never know.”

-CSI 3* Grand Prix winner Louise Saywell with Kingsborough Kasper
Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show 2022

Earlier in the day, Bolesworth’s managing director Nina Barbour donned her riding boots and won the opening class on home turf. She won the Röwer & Rüb Amateur 1.25m Grand Prix on her 12-year-old mare Ardis. Nina said: “I’m delighted with my horse Ardis; she is actually owned by my mum, Diana Barbour. She’s back from injury which has taken a few years but she’s a little star and I’m really happy with her.”

The Le Mieux CSI3* Mini Major class has always been a Bolesworth crowd-pleaser and didn’t disappoint. Professional and pony riders, all kitted out in fancy dress, engaged in a competition to each complete a round in the quickest time, with the fewest faults. The youngsters thrilled the Bolesworth crowd with their skill and determination and Guy Williams with team-mate Alex Leggott won the class in convincing style.

Elsewhere at the Dodson & Horrell International Horse Show, the Ride & Drive relay on Thursday, headed by England football legend Michael Owen and supported by Lexus Chester, kept the crowd on their feet cheering as the riders and drivers charged around the Bolesworth International arena.

The Science Supplements A-List Auction was presented to an enthusiastic audience on Friday evening, attracting intense bidding. Amazing Luck Z, a stunning 5-year-old gelding by Aganix out of the full sister of Cian O’Connor’s top ride Good Luck, topped the Ridden Lot, selling to Ireland for £105,000, while the hammer dropped on the Chacco Blue Yearling Chacornwall JHH Z at £36,000.

It was Ladies Day on Saturday where many hospitality guests took the opportunity to put on their glam rags to win exclusive prizes from the team at Liverpool One. And, throughout the weekend the show took on a family-orientated theme with dog shows, dog agility, pony rides and a Dressage horse simulator among the non-equestrian activities.

The next event at Bolesworth is the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, 10– 14August. This five-day young-horse showcase will feature additional attractions for the whole family and incorporate the World Breeding Jumping Championship Qualifiers for 2022. International Showjumping will run alongside the classes.

For more information on the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show and Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, visit: www.bolesworthinternational.com

Sunday Day 5 Results Roundup:

Dodson & Horrell CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix

1. GBR Louise Saywell/Kingsborough Kasper, 2. SWE Angelie Von Essen/Daniel, 3. GBR Robert Murphy/How Easy, 4. GBR Adrian Speight/Millfield Balony, 5. GBR Anna Power/McQueen, 6. GBR Yazmin Davis/Zanbowa Z, 7. GBR William Funnell/Equine America Billy Diamo, 8. IRL Anthony Condon/Sfs Vincomte, 9. GBR Annabel Shields/Creevagh Carisma, 10. IRL David Simpson/Medoc de Toxandria.

Röwer & Rüb Amateur 1.25m Grand Prix

1. GBR Nina Barbour/Ardis, 2. GBR Tony Pearson/Berlin, 3. GBR Dafydd Watkin Jones/Quando de L’Ecuyer

Le Mieux CSI3* Mini Major

1. GBR Guy Williams/Alex Leggott, 2. GBR Jay Halim/Summer Weirzbicki, 3. GBR Robert Murphy/Annabel Widdowson.

Cavago CSI3* 1.35m

1. GBR Harry Wainwright/Pinheiro Beech, 2. GBR Louise Saywell/Sharp Image, 3. GBR Mark Edwards/Ede Peasy.

Al Shira’aa CSI-YH 7-year-old Final

1. GBR James Whitaker/Just Call Me Henry, 2. GBR Louise Saywell/King Blue, 3. GBR James Smith/Wicked Vancouver.

Beaverbrooks CSI YH 5-year-old Final

1. GBR Emma Stoker/Comme Ci, Comme Ca, 2. GBR Drew Walton/Solid Gold Hs Z, 3. GBR Carmen Edwards/Escape The Gossip.

Equitop GLME CSI1* 1.25m

1. GBR Simon Crippen/Billy Kvitfell, 2. GBR Corinne Collins/Dolores P, 3. GBR Charlene Bastone/Jacpot

Horseware Ireland CSI1* 1.35m

1. GBR Joanne McGlory/G. Zara Zing, 2. GBR Eve McCoy/Ella, 3. IRL Ella Quigley/One To Go

JCL Insurance Brokers CSI-P 1.30m

1. GBR Dafydd Watkin Jones/Trevor, 2. GBR Phoebe Farlan/Teach More Joey, 3. GBR Eve McCoy/Moores Pride

Laura Renwick

Laura Renwick has retained her position of leading British female rider for a number of years. She is certainly one of the busiest riders on the circuit and admits to sometimes competing more than 10 horses in a day. Perhaps surprisingly, Laura only started competing seriously at 26. We caught up with the 44 year old at the Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show, to hear her story and find out what the season holds.

“I’ve got two top horses. Top Dollar VI has more ability than he has ever going to need but the rideability is always going to be a bit iffy so I have ruled myself out of selection for the World Equestrian Games this year but I am looking more towards the Olympics” she explains.

“I’m a bit short on top Grand Prix horsepower but we started breeding from some of my competition mares a few years ago and they are just starting to come through. So I’ve got some really promising young ones and hopefully this time next year, some of them will have reached fruition.”

Laura is married to former elite show jumper John Renwick, who gave up the sport in 2002 to focus on supporting his wife. She juggles competing all over the world with running the equestrian business and being a mother to son, Jack.

Amazingly it wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she started to make a name for herself as a rider. For many women, having children can force competitive sport to the back seat. Quite the opposite has happened for Laura, whose sporting career really started to take off after childbirth.

Introduced to horses by her mother, who owned a riding school, Laura was successful in show jumping from the age of 11. Prophetically, she bought her first jumping pony from John, her future husband.

At the age of 18, she questioned whether she wanted to make a career out of it and gave up competing for several years. “I was lucky that my parents supported me up to 18 but then but then I had to go it alone. This sport is tough, especially for anyone starting out and trying to support themselves. At the time I thought I should try something else.

Her sabbatical included being a flight attendant for BA and living in Spain. “If I had my time again I would have stuck at show jumping because it really is in my blood. That’s why I came back to it all these years later.”

Laura returned to the sport at the age of 25. She bought a young horse, which meant starting again from the beginning. Soon after, she met her husband on the competition circuit. To begin with it was purely a business partnership but it later evolved into marriage and parenthood.

“We bought some young horses together and in the early days whilst John was still riding at the top international competitions, I was producing the young horses. These are the horses that I am still riding now so it’s all been a working progress, we’ve learnt together. I think that’s why I have such a strong bond with our horses; we know each other inside out.”

As well as her training skills and empathy with horses, Laura is renowned for her fearless, competitive spirit. On a good horse, she would be hard to beat against the clock and has won a number of Puissance competitions. She won the prestigious Olympia Puissance last year, clearing 7ft on Top Dollar VI

A combination of skill, poise and style has garnered her sponsorship and she even took part in a risqué photography shoot to promote British show jumping. “It was a laugh and done to raise the sport’s profile, but I probably wouldn’t do anything like it again.”

This year Laura was asked to be show jumping ambassador for The Brooke charity’s “Every Horse Remembered” Campaign. I’m delighted to start my official support for Brooke as an Every Horse Remembered Ambassador. I’m looking forward to representing the campaign for Brooke in the British Show jumping scene” she said. “Horses have worked side by side with people for centuries, not least in the First world War. It’s vital that we remember the sacrifice they gave.

In order to stay in the game at this level, she and her husband have to be commercially minded. “We breed horses, train them and sell them, even some we would like to keep. John handles most of the business side of things now. He had a lot of injuries which is why I had to up my game and focus on competing.”

“We still have to make a living from it. Prize money in showjumping has gone through the roof, compared to what it used to be but you still have to have the horsepower to be at those shows with that prize money. You need to have a pool of Grand Prix horses to compete regularly at that level and the top riders have that luxury. So until you’re in that sort of league, you do still have to make your money where you can, so our horses are always for sale.”

Laura does not seem fussed that son Jack is more interested in football. “He can ride but has no interest in competing” she says. “I enjoy taking him to football training and have told him to work hard at it so he can look after us in our old age.”

The future looks bright for Laura and she hopes to consolidate her performance next season and “just keep enjoying it” she adds. Does she dare dream of future medals and team selection? “My top horse Top Dollar is more than capable. It’s just about hitting the form at the right time” she says.

Written by Ellie Kelly