NAF Five Star Winter Championships (Day 3)
Courtesy of British Dressage -
Equi-Trek Elementary Gold
Winner: Sonnar Murray-Brown and Faside Simply Amour, 71.71%
Gloucester based Sonnar Murray-Brown didn’t have far to travel to win the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold on his exciting mare Faside Simply Amour this morning in the NAF Five Star Winter Championships. Topping the podium with 71.71%, Sonnar’s final centre line in medium trot was a particular highlight and wowed those watching on and the judges panel assessing a class full of future talent.
“I was really pleased with it she got better and better as it went on, and more and more relaxed,” Sonnar told us, “I was worried she would maybe blow up in there a little bit and not have a great experience but she was really on my aids and she got better and better and I was so proud of her, I couldn’t have asked for her to be any better today.”
This is only the bright mare’s second competition season and, having only started her dressage career last year, is very green to major Championships. At seven years old she shows huge potential Sonnar says, “her strengths are probably her trot, trainability, her work ethic and I think her range of movement is just amazing. She tries her hardest and that’s a joy to train with every day.”
Having bought her off a video from Faside Stud as a three year, Sonnar fell in love and saw something special in her, “I just loved her in that video, she was a scrawny little thing, probably looked like she was more ready for a point to point then she was dressage, but there was something about her that I saw, and I thought I want that.”
“I was chatting to a friend who took a picture of her when we first got her and I wasn’t there when she arrived, and they were like ‘hmmm should we sent a picture to Sonny of what he’s bought, or not?’” Sonnar laughed as he told us about the early days with his latest star, “she was this tiny scrawny little thing and her neck coming out her withers, her withers up here, her bum down here, everything was a bit everywhere, but as soon as I rode her I knew this horse has just got something else and got some gears in there.”
Taking his time to enjoy and train her, Sonnar reflected on how much he has learnt and developed as a rider in return and is now reaping the rewards: “I’m proud of her and the way she coped in there today, it’s showed me she’s got the ability to cope with that and go in there and deliver. Know she can produce some of the stuff she produces at home, which you know is so hard for so many horses.” Glowing in admiration for this young mare, “she really listened to me today, and that was really phenomenal that’s she managed to trust me and just do it, that meant a lot.”
They don’t plan on stopping here Small Tour hopes on the horizon and Sonnar believes she can go all the way, “I just have to do my job properly and train her right.”
With seven combinations over 70%, credit goes to those joining Sonnar at the top of the rostrum; Amy Schiessl and Insanity placed second whilst Robert Barker and Damon’s Destiny completed a talented top three.