Angela Cardy riding Ekko Donna Romance
Keri Bates and her team Ekko Equestrian put on a weekend of Dressage to match that of any UK show and that's not Weston Lawns talking that's straight from the many amazing comments made after last weekends Dressage Competitions.
Some of the general feedback consisted of, "very relaxed and friendly atmosphere"; "extremely well run and helpful"; "amazing prizes from the sponsors"; "international standard facilities"; 'everyone felt valued and included", "they loved their stable plaques!" and on, so much so that many were asking for the dates of next years Dressage event.
Keri takes up the story, "Me and my team at EKKO Equestrian put in a tremendous amount of work both planning and coordinating this event. It was very much a team effort and I am very proud of the way it all turned out. One of the highlights of the show was the live scoring on the big screen for the gala evening, which proved very popular and a huge success. It gave that international feeling to the show!"
Armed Forces Riders at Weston Lawns
"We were also joined by 24 Armed Forces riders who competed across all the levels at the show and had their own Dressage championships incorporated into the competition."
Congratulations to the following winners:
Intro Champion: Amelia Stevens
Prelim Champion: Jill Bransby
Novice Champion: Jill Bransby
Elementary Champion: Victoria Hagan
Medium champion: Vicki Brown
Advanced Medium Champion: Rebecca Bates
FEI Champion: Rebecca Bates.
Gala Evening Winners: Rebecca Bates and Zara Griffis
Prelim Armed Forces Champion: Ellie Brewer
Advanced Medium Winner Rebecca Bates riding Preastenskovens Leonardo
Some of the comments taken from Facebook included:
" I can honestly say it was the most organised and well presented show I have been too. Attention to detail was second to none, everyone was so relaxed and friendly as every thing had been thought off. It makes all the difference when you can just concentrate on riding and not worrying about times/arenas etc"
"Keri has done a fantastic job to put the Weston Lawns Venue back on the map for dressage! "
"he amount of different sponsors offering prizes and beautiful rosettes really made the show feel classy and more of a championship then a unaffiliated event! It was well worth the money and the 3 hour drive!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed the range of classes, from intro up the levels to FEI classes, it made a real treat to watch every ability and the range of talented horses. All riders were so friendly and supportive regardless of what level you were riding at!"
"I couldn’t compliment the show anymore, it was lovely to have the trade stands there and the lovely cafe open, you didn’t need anything else to enjoy your weekend. Keri was at hand throughout the show offering her support and guidance to ensure everyone had a fantastic time."
"The live scoring was a really good idea and the fact you got your results pretty much instantly was a nice surprise then the usual hour wait at other venues."
"Having a professional rider hosting a dressage competition really is the answer, Keri knows what she’s doing and she knows how to run a competition. She really is a credit to any venue and I wish her all the success, she deserves it!
I cannot wait for her next event!"
All in all a rousing success and our sponsors for the weekend went home equally happy. Special mention must go to the following Sponsors:
Equine Exceed
Soho Equestrian
Royal Equestrian
Catesby Equestrian
Southam Saddles
Redbarn Custom Clothing
Sasha & George
Hibiscus Floral Design
Dazzling Dobbins
Equipre Riding Boutique
Topspec
Euqerry
Livie It Exclusives
Riviera PR Ltd.
Equidance
Ekko Equestrian
Wellies & Reins Media
Kingdom Massage
Summer Jayne
Elementary Winner Victoria Hagan Riding Reckless
We leave the final words to Mark Wells, CEO of Weston Lawns Equestrian who said, "I am so proud of Keri's achievements over the last weekend, I know how much dedication and total commitment she, and her team, put into this show. Dressage is something we are very passionate about at Weston Lawns and with Keri at the helm I feel very confident it won't be long before her work is recognised on a National level."
FEI Winner Rebecca Bates riding Dortheasmindes Twis