Revolution on parade after switch from track succeeds

Less than enthusiastic about racing, he turned out to have a talent for eventing and dressage, as well as becoming a successful sire of potential event horses.

Now 17, the stallion was bought as a four-year-old from Newmarket’s autumn sales by Dandy Nicholls and Lucinda’s grandfather, racehorse owner Bill Swiers, as a possible eventer.

Rev, as he is known at home, was so quiet to ride and look after that they never got around to having him gelded.

Lucinda took him hunting and they jumped their first fence out hunting with the Bedale.

Thinking this might have given him fresh enthusiasm for life on the track, he went back into training and raced again as a five-year-old.

But when this did not work out, Lucinda took him eventing which he took to straight away.

Unfortunately, at his first two-star event at Blair, he injured his tendon and, although he competed again and at advanced level, the injury still occasionally affected him.

He retired to enjoy hunting and have a successful stud career.

His offspring are now making their mark competing, including the five-year-old Sir Suave and four-year-old Spring Revolution.

Sir Suave, out of Lucinda’s mother Beryl’s home-bred mare My Abyssinia, has won three affiliated novice dressage competitions and finished seventh at the recent Lincoln Horse Trials in a pre-novice section.

Spring Revolution, owned and bred by Jane Crossley, finished fifth at Oasby and eighth at Lincoln Horse Trials in the pre-novice section.

He is being aimed at this year’s Burghley Young Event Horse classes.

Top event rider and reigning European champion Tina Cook also has a foal by Revolution from her four-star Selle Francais mare Douce de Longvaut.

Revolution will be taking part in the stallion parade at Badminton Horse Trials this month before moving to the Twemlows Stud in Shropshire where he will stand for the stud season.

THERE have been celebrations at Eldwick Riding Club after a team of junior members finished fifth at the British Riding Club National Winter Dressage Championships.

Nineteen teams competed in the championships at Hartpury College following qualifying events which were held around the country.

The team members were Jenny Lucas, 15, riding Gangsters Moll; Emily Wilkinson, 16, riding Delmrose Applejack; Lizi Rushton, 13, riding Kilrush Thunder and Millie Ryan, 13, riding Pilgrim’s Spellbinder. She replaced 10-year-old Eden-Maia Takhar, whose pony went lame two days before the competition.

Lizzie Rushton was placed sixth out of 38 riders in her preliminary dressage test and Emily Wilkinson was ninth out of 38 in the novice dressage class.

“All four members of the team rode very well and it is a fantastic achievement for such a small riding club,” said Kath Wilkinson, on behalf of the club.

Eldwick Riding Club, which is based at Heights Lane in Eldwick, near Bingley, holds regular shows, dressage competitions and a one-day event.

For more information go to www.eldwickridingclub.co.uk or call Cathy Usher on 01274 581180.

* BRITISH riders took the top three places in the Grand Prix at Villamoura in Portugal at the weekend. First place went to Northallerton’s Paul Barker and the 14-year-old chestnut gelding, Temple Ryefield, who went clear in a time of 36.20 seconds.

Geoff Billington had two rides in the jump-off to finish second and third.

The first was 10-year-old gelding Uppercut II, who jumped clear in 38.85secs, followed by the 13-year-old bay gelding, Rosinus, who also jumped clear in a time of 39.78secs.

Laura Renwick, with Roller Coaster, finished in sixth place with one fence down and in a time of 37.52secs, with Chloe Aston and Kolibri Classic in seventh place.

* BISHOP Burton College’s annual stockmanship competition celebrated its 50th anniversary at the weekend.

The competition is designed to show students exactly what is involved in getting an animal ready to show.

The Equine Stockperson of the Year award went to Jess Martin, 17, from Louth, who showed the 16-year-old Belgian warmblood, Finlay.

* CHILDREN are being invited to get to know a donkey and help to raise funds for the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust’s donkey sanctuary at the same time. Two ‘Love Donkey’ sessions, morning and afternoon, are being held at the sanctuary at Eccup, Leeds tomorrow.

The sessions are open to children aged between six and 12 and will involve meeting all 19 of the sanctuary’s donkeys, learning how to groom them and finishing with a cart ride.

“The sessions are very hands on and allow the children to really get to know the donkeys and enjoy spending time with them,” said Caroline Armstrong, the centre’s co-ordinator.

Each child will receive a framed photograph of themselves with their favourite donkey to take home.

The sessions last for 90 minutes and cost £10.

More information from EST Leeds on 0113 2619249 or email est.leeds:elisabethsvendsentrust.org.uk.