Wilson and Elverys heading for Aintree parade

Charlotte Wilson, of Snainton Riding Centre, will take 14-year-old Elverys to strut his stuff alongside other former racehorses also embarking on a new equestrian career.

Elverys is an Irish bred horse by Lord Americano out of Paddy’s Babs, who was trained in Malton by Richard Fahey.

It was hoped that at 17.1 hands he would become a Grand 
National horse, but he had to be retired from training in 2008 as a nine-year-old due to being a bleeder.

Elverys was subsequently sent to Snainton Riding Centre where British Horse Society Instructor Wilson has turned his eye to dressage.

In 2010 he started competing at novice level gaining 50 points in his first season and qualifying for the Novice Regionals.

The partnership’s best performance to date came at the ROR Dressage Championships at Vale View in November where Elverys won his class and became the ROR Elementary Champion for 2011.

In the same year, Elverys and Wilson also scooped the runners-up prize in the SEIB & ROR Elite Performance Dressage Awards.

Elverys has competed occasionally at medium level since, but his competitive outings in the last 12 months have been few and far between due to Wilson’s work commitments.

At the weekend, Huddersfield star Oliver Townend’s fine start to 2013 continued with a double at the Burnham Market International Horse Trials.

Cooley SRS claimed a novice section victory while Harthill Percy scooped success in the intermediate.

Four other rides finished in the ribbons, including Some Spring, runner-up in a novice on his dressage score.

Townend’s Armada finished sixth in his CCI three-star international advanced class.

Northallerton’s Nicola Wilson also took a talented team of horses to the event with Annie Clover, Opposition Buzz and Beltane Queen 11th, 13th and 17th respectively behind Armada.

Wilson’s Hero Motivator was fifth in his novice class with Canada Bound seventh in his BE100 event.