Sussex starlet Lottie having equestrian year to savour

The 11-year-old from Hurstpierpoint has had success competing with her ponies at big championships - consistently achieving top placings.

Lottie and Lexi Champion won the 1m Spring Festival Championships at Arena UK and came second in the 90cm class.

Lottie was delighted to be selected for the Crawley and Horsham Hunt team along with Lola Moore, Emma MacDonald and Maisie Harrison.

They managed to qualify earlier this summer for the 2022 Pony Club Grassroots Regional Championships, at Horseheath, Cambridgeshire.

Lottie, riding Nino, had a triple clear round and her team managed to get through the first two rounds to go on and compete against those other double clear round teams in the third tight jump-off course.

Lottie was first to go and advised by CHHPC coach Kathy Willard to set her team up with a clear round and not to take the high risk turn.

She took the advice on board and rode a magnificent, fast, jump-off - a huge contribution to help her team to the championship win.

Lottie and Nino were placed second individually.

At Warwickshire's Stoneleigh Park, Lottie was involved in both the British Show Jumping National Championships and British Showjumping Academy Championships and took some remarkable results.

In the BS Nationals, Lottie rode in the 90cm class with her latest addition, Nintendo Golden H (a bay pony) and they built a wonderful partnership and had a cracking double clear round and ended up being placed fifth individually.

In the BS Academy Championships, England, Scotland and Wales competed against each other. Teams of three or four are selected from each county and Lottie was delighted to be selected to represent Sussex by Judi Piper-Dadswell – she has thoroughly enjoyed training with Judi.

They’ve been working on course lines, correct striding, jump-off turns and gaining a better understanding of technical courses.

All the training paid off as Lottie and her pony of a lifetime, Lexi (Ulster Tournerie), rode in the Maxi 105cm class.

Over two hot days she had two double clear rounds which contributed to the Sussex team finishing second, and they were fourth in class individually. They were only pipped to the team win by the other Sussex team and all the Sussex team members deserve great praise.

In the Midi Sussex team at 90cm, Lottie and Nino (Nintendo Golden H) and her teammates were ninth. During the shows, Lottie managed the ponies very well and, thanks to sponsor Global Herbs, key supplements helped keep her ponies on form.

Lexi and Lottie competed in the 105cm class at the Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead, for a super double clear round, coming fourth. Monty and Lottie came first in the qualifying Pony Club area’s dressage test.