Olympic dress rehearsal invitation as fans urged to create Games vibe

British Dressage is asking supporters to attend the Paralympic dressage selection events at Hickstead (June 18 and 19) and Hartpury (July 4 to 8) to help create a “Games-like” atmosphere.

These events, the British Para Dressage Championships and the Festival of Dressage, will complete the final preparations for the Olympics and it is hoped that they will help accustom both the equine and human athletes to the environment of a major international show.

Both shows will feature past medal winners and potential future stars in action.

Among those entering so far are the nine-times gold medallist Lee Pearson, Sophie Wells, Natasha Baker, Anne Dunham and Sophie Christiansen.

The organisers are keen to bolster the crowds and attract as many spectators as possible, hence the free entry.

The British Para Dressage Championships will be held at the All England Showground, Hickstead, West Sussex.

The Hartpury Festival of Dressage will be at Hartpury College, Gloucester.

The Paralympic Games will run from August 29 to September 9. The dressage events are being held at Greenwich Park from August 30 to September 4.

Natasha Adkinson, from Bawtry, took two top places at the Para Equestrian Winter Championships at Vale View Equestrian Centre and she has also been chosen to represent England at the Home International in June.

Natasha, who is in the sixth form at Sheffield High School, was placed second overall and she also won the Young Riders section.

This brings her closer to qualifying for the summer championships at Hickstead.

Natasha is a member of the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme.

Matthew Lawrence was in good form at the Royal Windsor Horse Show where he won the direct qualifier for the BSPS Ridden Mountain & Moorland Championship to be held at Olympia in December.

Matthew was riding Gemma and Melanie Stamford’s eight-year-old Highland stallion Tower Clyde by former Olympia champion Torrin of Crolia, also owned by the Stamfords who are based near Hull.

The Stamford’s former Highland pony, Tower Tobermorey, produced as a novice by Matthew, was a winner for Cumbrian rider Chloe Thornton.

Jerome Harforth’s stable also had a win at Windsor with Lucinda Elliott riding the four-year -old Dance All Night by Kilvington Scoundrel, owned by Jerome’s mother Mary and David Dixon, which qualified in the part bred arab section at the North of England Show.

Sally Iggulden, from Malton, was delighted when the six-year-old Oathill Take The Biscuit, ridden by Danielle Heath, took the ridden hunter championship repeating her Birmingham success last year. Danielle also won a riding horse class with Paul Mortimer’s Whitakers Prince.

Kirsty Ahern, from the Aireview Equestrian Centre at Keighley, celebrated her first victory at this show.

Barkway Frivolity, produced by Kirsty, then won the 128cm open show pony class ridden by Ella Stuttard and they also went on to take the championship.

The first ridden was won by Kinvara Garner, who was riding Basford Playboy, bred by Joy Masserella and her daughter Angela from Doncaster.