Sadie Smith and her personal nine-year-old mare Swanmore Dantina (Dante Weltino x Charatan W) endured their unbeaten 2024 streak to win the Stuebben inter II identify on 74.15% on the 2024 LeMieux Nationwide Dressage Championships.
Micheal Eilberg and MSJ Dante VX ran them shut, completing on 73.5%, with Alexander Harrison-West and his pocket-rocket Kickback 3rd on 69.74%.
“It’s superb, I in reality sought after to win that,” beamed Sadie after the prizegiving. “It’s the primary nationwide identify I’ve gained above small excursion and I knew it was once a robust elegance.
“I used to be so happy with the take a look at, it’s most certainly one of the crucial best possible paintings we’ve executed.”
The pair had a lot of highlights – their extensions throughout all 3 paces had been remarkable, scoring a 9 for his or her prolonged trot, eights around the board for his or her prolonged canter and a mean of 8 for his or her prolonged stroll.
Therein lies Swanmore Dantina’s primary energy – she’s remarkably well-rounded. The one time her ratings dropped underneath a seven greater than as soon as was once of their piaffe passage paintings, which is able to make stronger as she turns into more potent.
“I’ve been in reality making an attempt with the piaffe,” Sadie added. “I’ve best executed 3 inter II checks earlier than coming right here. She lacked slightly of self assurance in it earlier than, and I’ve now not ridden a lot on the upper ranges both, so we’re type of finding out it in combination.
“She’s beginning to in reality get going within the piaffe, and I used to be satisfied with that. In time I’ll get extra energy and energy within the passage and make that extra expressive, this present day she’s nonetheless slightly inexperienced, however we’re getting there.
“I’m taking my time along with her and it’s paying off as a result of each time I’m going out it’s higher and higher. Her temperament is what makes her particular. She’s now not an enormous mover, however she has great paces and has learnt to do the whole lot in a pleasing, proper manner this means that I will be able to begin to upload the ability in through the years.
“She’s effectively up for it as effectively, which is good. You have to reasonably simply attempt to do an excessive amount of too fast along with her, so I’ve were given to watch out to not do an excessive amount of – that’s fairer for her.”
Being at the cusp of grand prix – and with one of these particular mare – Sadie’s profession seems set to in reality take off within the close to long term. However she’s protecting her ft firmly at the floor, and stated she’d look ahead to her former boss Carl Hester’s seal of approval earlier than making that step up.
“It could be superb to have a horse at grand prix, that’s what you’re at all times dreaming of however I’m simply going to stay coaching over wintry weather and I’ll do exactly one when he says I will be able to.
“I’m now primarily based on my own and when I used to be operating for him I clearly had that consistent toughen when I used to be using. Now I’ve to accept as true with my instincts slightly bit, and it’s all nonetheless reasonably new – so I at all times return to him for recommendation.
“However it was once great these days, I had by way of pal Dannie Morgan serving to me warmup, and it’s great that we’re in a position to toughen every different.”
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