Team GBR

Kerry Bowness is running a daily blog from the World Championships - click on www.horsedrivingtrials.co.uk   to follow the full blog each day complete with photos

St. Martin Greven-Bockholt, Germany
by Kerry Bowness

Thursday 13 August 2009

Although most of the competitors for the World Combined Pony Driving Championships (13-16 August) arrived at the venue at St Martin Greven-Bockholt on Monday evening, the atmosphere of the event really began to build last night. The “Evening of Nations” is the first social gathering for drivers, grooms, supporters and officials and, as has become a custom at these championships, each team offered samples of its homeland's food and drink. Personally, I can recommend Luxemburg’s honey liquor, Germany’s schnapps, Belgium’s kirsch and, of course, Switzerland’s chocolate.

Some of the nations chose to show off their prowess on stage, too. It would seem that the Danes, Germans and French are extremely talented in the art of striptease! The evening was a resounding success and the hosts were very welcoming to everyone. The British camp has, however, been infiltrated by an inflatable kangaroo, which was kidnapped from Australian Jessica Meredith’s table by Anna Grayston’s Ozzie groom Hannah Harris, or Bruce as she is better known. “Skippy” is currently hugging a Union flag on top of Anna’s lorry.

Dressage judging began this morning at 8.30am, with the first British single pony driver Julie Camm performing her test at 9.00am. She scored 57.47 (16th after the phase). Individual Sue Mart followed 10 minutes later gaining 51.19 (sixth) while the remaining Brit, Sue Denney, was judged almost 3.5hr afterwards. She recorded the first British team score of 56.19 (15th overall). Germany’s Franz-Josef Lhmekuhl leads on 44.8, ahead of reigning World champion Peter Koux of Denmark (46.46).

Only one of the British pairs drivers, Anna Grayston, has competed today and drove a beautiful test finishing on 45.57. She is currently second to Germany’s Steffen Abicht, whose score was 44.42. James Broome will drive his pair in the morning and Faith Szczuka is drawn near the end of tomorrow’s fours class.

With only two of the British team competing tomorrow, chef and assistant chef d'Equipe Jill Holah and Sara Howe will have a slightly less stressful day. Meanwhile, drivers and grooms will be finalising their routes through the marathon obstacles.

It’s the official opening ceremony this evening and all the teams will be parading on carriages supplied by the host nation, followed by another party. Let’s hope the German’s bring along a few more bottles of that schnapps!

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Today began with preparations for the trot up at the World Combined Pony Driving Championships in St Martin Greven-Bockholt, Germany. With ponies cleaned and plaited, and drivers and grooms dressed in their official kit, Team GBR assembled with other nations in the holding area. The field was filled with hundreds of ponies from the competing countries, all being walked in mass circles. It kind of resembled the large classes they have in the main arena of the Royal Welsh Show.
Team GBR - Anna Grayston (pairs), James Broome (pairs), Sue Denney (singles), Julie Camm (singles), Faith Szczuka (fours) and individual driver Sue Mart (singles) - were called to the trot up holding area and all of the ponies behaved impeccably as a Danish stallion in the next field escaped its handler. The ponies remained calm again as the Hungarian team joined them in the trot up waiting field and decided to show off their aerial acrobatics.

The Brits were called forward and all of the animals passed with ease. Afterwards, drivers, ponies, grooms and supporters gathered for a team photograph before the obstacles opened for walking.

The obstacles here are big, with an energy sapping water complex - the first of two - as number three, followed by a mound at five, in which the gates all involve uphill pulls and steep downhill turns. There are plenty of options and course designer Wolfgang Assendorf has strategically placed a few gates to catch out those who don’t know their routes thoroughly.

Chef d'Equipe Jill Holah will be attending the draw this evening, to find out where our drivers will go in dressage. Tomorrow all of the singles will be completing their tests, but pairs drivers James and Anna will have to wait until later to find out if they’ll be on tomorrow afternoon or Friday morning. Faith will compete on Friday.

Tonight is the “Evening of Nations”, so while the drivers trained with Wilf Bowman-Ripley this afternoon, supporters spent their time cutting up cheese, fruit and salmon, and decorating the British table in the marquee. The plan is to get the opposition so drunk on Pimms and Scotch that they will be too hung over to drive their dressage tests … but don’t tell anyone !

Tuesday 11 August 2009

The British competitors all arrived safely last night at St Martin Greven-Bockholt, Germany, for the fourth World Combined Pony Championships (13-16 August) and ponies settled in to their homes for the next week.

The five team members - Anna Grayston (pairs), James Broome (pairs), Sue Denney (singles), Julie Camm (singles) and Faith Szczuka (fours) - and individual driver Sue Mart (singles) spent the afternoon having dressage training sessions with team coach Wilf Bowman-Ripley. Vet Holly Applewhite and equine physiotherapist put the team members through a mock trot up in the early evening, while Jill Holah attended the first chefs d'Equipe meeting.

What the trot up proved was that the British ponies are certainly much fitter than their drivers! While the two Sues and Julie had it fairly easy with one pony each, James and Anna had to run their three ponies while Faith really got the short straw with five. She had started to look a little tired by the time she finished with her fourth, prompting team mate James to suggest that “she may have to ride the last one !”

Jill has just been given the times for tomorrow’s official trot ups with the Brits on at 9.30 am (8.30 am British time). Tonight, the cleaning of show vehicles continues…