Jennie and KBIS Zavir get a wild card to the Dressage Championships

KBIS sponsored rider Jennie Lambert-Gibbs and KBIS Zavir received the exciting news that they had been allocated a wild card entry to the Dressage Deluxe National Dressage Championships for the Elementary Restricted Championships.

 

Jennie and Chav qualified for both the Novice Open and Elementary Restricted summer regional finals, which they achieved by winning two qualifying classes at each level with the required percentage, 66% or over for Novice and 64% or over for Elementary.

 

They then went on to compete at the Keysoe regional final on the 14th and 15th August, the last regional final to take place for the championships and one of the most hotly contested.

 

Jennie was delighted with Chav’s performance at the regional’s, he once again rose to the occasion and got off to a very encouraging start when he came third in his Novice warm up class. Competing in the open section of the novice regional final they were against some experienced combinations but kept their cool and gained a very good mark of 67.04%. The percentages at the top end were all very close and their mark put them into a very respectable ninth place out of thirty-two, with the top four automatically qualifying for the Championships.

 

The following day was their Elementary restricted test in which they gained 67.41% good enough for fifth place, a brilliant result for what was only their third elementary test! With less than two percent between the top five it was again a very close class but in the end it was Lorraine Allen and Sandra Tizzard who took first and second place and the two qualifying tickets to the Championships.

 

Although not automatically gaining their qualification at the regionals Jennie and Chav were still in a good position to get a wild card to the championships. Wild cards are issued after all of the regional finals have taken place in order to fill up the remaining places at each level. Wild cards are issued on a percentage basis so that those riders with the highest percentages, across the seven regionals, who did not qualify are then offered a place at the championships.

 

Jennie received a phone call on Wednesday to say that she had got through to the Elementary Restricted Championships, a great achievement and looking at the entries it looks like at 6 year old Chav will be one of the youngest horses competing in the class.

 

The Dressage Deluxe Championships takes place at Stoneleigh from the 9th - 12th September. Jennie and Chav will be competing on the Thursday while the KBIS sponsored Para Equestrian Championships will take place on the Friday.

 

Don’t forget KBIS customers have the chance to win tickets to the Championships on either the Saturday or Sunday, see our competitions and offers page for further details.