A head girl and trainee accountant were crowned champions at the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships, held at Badminton, yesterday (4 May).
Katherine Illingworth lifted the BE100 title riding Philip Adkins’ seven-year-old Ballinoecastle Q.
Katherine is head girl for Philip’s Cadenza Eventing yard in Northamptonshire and the 27-year-old added nothing to her dressage score of 29.5 to finish 1.5 penalties clear of the runners up.
“I am very lucky to compete Philip’s horses and I can’t thank him enough. He has put a lot of work and money into my riding,” said Katherine.
“The atmosphere [at Badminton] is fantastic, everyone helps you,” she added.
Hannah Taylor finished second aboard her own Legaland Best One. The rider has a threefold career as an engineering student, part-time rider and pet portraitist.
North Yorkshire farmer and photographer Katie Stephens-Grandy slotted into third aboard Trendy Magic Touch.
‘I never expected to win’
BE90 champions Siobhan Heneghan and Murmured Promise in action. Credit: Kit Houghton
Trainee accountant Siobhan Heneghan piloted her mother Lisa’s Mermured Promise to victory in the BE90 championship.
The 11-year-old iron-grey gelding is Irish-bred by Mermus and the duo finished on their dressage score of 28.
“This has been the best experience ever,” said Siobhan, who hails from south Oxfordshire. “I just wanted to come here and have a nice time — I never expected to win.”
Veterinary physiotherapist Laura Gibson, riding Sally Hayward’s Gortglas Moonshine, finished 1.5 penalties adrift of the winners for second.
Megan Elphick on her own Jamelia slotted into third.
‘Our crown jewels’
“Having the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships at Badminton is absolutely key to British Eventing,” said British Eventing’s chief executive Helen West.
“It is the pinnacle for our grassroots members and it’s our crown jewels. It is what so many of our members aspire to do and in competing here today they have achieved a lifetime ambition — and that is very, very special.”
CCI5* competition at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by MARS Equestrian, got underway today with the first day of dressage.
Main image: BE100 champions Katherine Illingworth and Ballinoecastle Q at the prize-giving in front of Badminton House. Credit: Kit Houghton
