6 June 2025

This weekend, a team travelled to Pickering Grange to compete in grassroots and RPL Showjumping Classes, achieving some fabulous results! The 70cm grassroots, made up of Izzy, Francesca and Amy, won their class with Francesca also being placed 2nd individually.   The team also entered the RPL 70-75cm also placing 1st, with Francesca coming 2nd individually again.  Francesca also entered the 80-85cm RPL and came 2nd individually.  Another set of fabulous results!

Eight King's High girls attended the National Schools Equestrian Association Hickstead Championships over half term, with the girls having a great time and achieving some great results.  In the Pop-Up Dressage Championships, Ellie and her pony Cally were Champions in the Elementary, and Izzy and her pony Tangaluna were also Champions in the Novice.  Iona and her pony Lola jumped clear in the 80cm Arena Eventing Championships, finishing in a great time, coming in 7th out of over 180 riders.   The 80cm County Showjumping Team made up of Tara, Mila and Izzy, were also placed second after jumping 3 clear rounds.  These are some fabulous results with the competition at these National Championships being very strong! 

Tillie competed in the Open Novice u18 British Eventing class at Speetley in April, achieving a double clear and being placed 3rd. 

Tillie also competed in the Open Novice u18 class at Calmsden, in a very competitive section, achieving a personal best dressage score of 28.3 and placing 3^rd overall.

Izzy took part in her first British Eventing 80cm competition at Moreton Equestrian Centre in March.  She was the youngest competitor there and was drawn in a section with Mary King, who has represented Great Britain in 6 Olympic Games!  However, this didn't get in Izzy's way as she completed the competition on her dressage score and won the class!

After great success at Horse of the Year Show last year, Lottie was selected to ride for the England Mounted Games Team earlier this year. The team will compete at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May and in Ireland in October.

Equestrian

Our Equestrian Team have been very busy and we had 22 entries for the County Show jumping Qualifier (for Hickstead National Championships) last weekend.  The girls had a wonderful day with numerous qualifications.  

• 70cm team (Minnie, Iona, Sarra, Francesca) - 3rd (qualifying for Hickstead) 

• Izzy  - 6th - 70cm Individual  

• Sarra  - 10th - 70cm Individual  

• 80cm team (Tara, Izzy, Mila (Prep)) - 3rd (qualifying for Hickstead)  

• 90cm team (Purdie, Ellie, Izzy, Mila (Prep)) - 1st (qualifying for Hickstead) 

• Izzy - 3rd - 90cm individual (qualifying for Hickstead) 

• Purdie  - 6th - 90cm Individual  

• Ellie - 3rd - 90cm Individual (County Champion for Warwickshire and qualifying for Hickstead) 

For their first show back after a winter break, Tillie and Lulu competed in the Intermediate Dressage PC Spring Festival qualifier.  They had a great show, placing 2nd, just 0.5% behind 1^st place!

Isabella travelled to Belgium to compete her horses.  She had lots of great results, culimating in her winning the Sentower 1* grand prix on Kandora.  The competition took place over two rounds, with the first round a height of 1.30m.  The second round involved a shorter course of 6 fences where there were only 7 clears form the original round, with Isabella qualifiying two horses, placing 1^st with one and 7^th with the other! 

Isabella also competed in Brussels, placing in the top 6 in the Junior classes everyday and 8th in the 1.40 junior grand prix.

King's High had 22 entries for the County Showjumping Qualifier (for Hickstead National Championships) at Allens Hill this Saturday.

The girls had a wonderful day with numerous qualifications, including for 3 teams.

The 70cm team (Minnie, Iona, Sarra, Francesca) (qualifying for Hickstead) and 80cm team (Tara, Izzy, Mila (Prep) both qualified for Hickstead in 3^rd place overall, with the 90cm team (Purdie, Ellie, Izzy, Mila (Prep) qualifying after taking the win!

We had numerous individual qualifications for girls including for Izzy, who was crowned County Champion in the 70cm, 80cm and 90cm, and Ellie who was also crowned County Champion in the 1m.

Equestrian

Arabella and Mabel qualified for the Pony Newcomer class at the Horse of the Year Show, and incredibly challenging class to qualify for.  They had a great show, jumping a tricky course with just one pole down in the first round.  Following on from this Arabella competed at the English Home Pony International at Southview Equestrian, qualifying for the Rising Stars Final and placing 3rd!

Arabella has recently been selected for the Howden Way Talented Rider Academy which supports young riders competing in British Eventing by providing top class training and education as they progress through the levels.  An incredible achievement!

Tillie has had a great season with her horse Lulu, topping off her achievements by completing the eventing season by jumping double clear and placing 2nd in the BE Open Novice under 18 at Norton Disney.

Purdie had a hugely successful half term taking the win in the BS National Amateur qualifier at Stourport RC, placing 2nd in the Eventer Challenge at Dallas Burston (qualifying for the National Eventer Challenge Championships), placing 4th in the 1.05m BS National Amateur qualifier at Allens Hill and placing 5th in the !m British Showjumping class at Stourport Riding Club.

Izzy represented the North Cotswold Hunt Pony Club at the Area 9 Qualifier in October half term. She won the 70 class & was 2nd in the 80 class, qualifying her for the Spring Festival next year.

Tara competed in the SEG Championships on two ponies, with brilliant results, finishing 2nd and 6th.  Following on from that, Tara attended the Cotswold Cup 2 Day Event Championships where she placed 7th.

Equestrian

There was more good news this half term for Ellie and her pony Cally, as we are delighted that they have qualified for Badminton Grassroots 2025, after placing 3rd in a field of 50 at the Bicton 3 Day Event.

This was their first 3 Day and they did extremely well in preparing for the long format event. The Devon weather was kind and there was brilliant sunshine for the entire event. After Dressage and Cross Country / Steeplechase Ellie was sitting in 2nd place, with hardly any difference in the top 15 scores. So it all came down to Show Jumping. The pressure was intense as they ran the class in reverse order and the crowd was larger than normal as there was an International event running alongside who came over to watch. You could have heard a pin drop as Ellie came out for her round, looking amazingly professional. She did catch the final pole, but fortunately for her the pressure had got to the others in the top 5, who did the same, so she only dropped to 3rd place. The qualification for Badminton Grassroots was the icing on the cake.

This season has been a tough journey and a steep learning curve for Ellie and her pony to achieve such success, both of them being young and in their first season at affiliated eventing. They have learnt so much together and Ellie is a better rider and competitor for it. We are so proud of them.

We had two teams compete at Rectory Farm in the Eventer Challenge Qualifiers on the 26^th October.  Both the 70cm team, comprising Minnie, Iona, Francesca and Anouk and the 80cm team comprising Kirsty, Iona and Anouk, rode brilliantly placing 2nd and qualified for the Eventer Challenge Championships, which will be run at Hickstead next year!  Iona, also rode a fab round in the 70cm, qualifying as an individual for the Championships.

(Photo of 70cm team)

21 October

Equestrian

Ellie and her pony, Cally, have placed 2nd for the UK in the Pony Club International Dressage competition with a score of 77.1%. They were the highest placed combination for the UK in their section. This is a fantastic result as it was a big class with 28 entries from all over the world. Huge congratulations, Ellie and Cally!

Equestrian

Congratulations to Issy following her recent equestrian vaulting competitions. She competed in both the Welsh and British Championships with the following results:

Welsh Championships at Talygarn (29 Sept):

• 1st: Walk Squad
• 2nd: Walk Pas de Deux

British Championships at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre (12 & 13 Oct):

• 2nd: Walk Squad
• 2nd: Walk Pas de Deux

Issy was absolutely thrilled to finish as the reserve British Champion in both categories! Picture of the Unicorn Vaulting team in action below.

Issy's success follows the BEV (British Equestrian Vaulting) English Championships in September, which were held at Moreton Morrell College.

The Unicorn Vaulting Squad, of which Issy was a part, secured first place in the Walk Squad category. Additionally, Issy was placed third in the Walk Pas de Deux class.

Congratulations must also go to Izzy who competed at the Cotswold Cup Championships. Izzy was the smallest and youngest by far and finished 5th in the 80cm 2DE. A fabulous result!

Equestrian

Issy participated in the BEV (British Equestrian Vaulting) English Championships, which were held at Moreton Morrell College.

The Unicorn Vaulting Squad, of which Issy was a part, secured first place in the Walk Squad category. Additionally, Issy was placed third in the Walk Pas de Deux class with another member of the team!

Equestrian

Arabella and her pony Mabel have been together for 2 years now and Mabel has been produced by the family since a young pony. 

The pair have been campaigning to be selected for the GB team for the majority of 2024, it was a tough season with the weather against us for the majority. However they were shortlisted after final trial in July and went to Westerstede in Germany at the beginning of August with the squad for the European Championships.

In Germany Arabella jumped a fabulous double clear, after a solid dressage and was placed 6^th individually which meant she was the highest placed British rider, the team won Bronze and were thrilled to the podium to receive their medal.

This makes Arabella and her pony the only combination in history to have qualified for royal international at Hickstead and Horse of the Year showjumping as well as doing another discipline at European level so to have success as the European Championships is the icing on the cake!

September 2024

Tillie was selected to represent Wales and West Midlands at the BE International Youth Championships at Bishop Burton in July, which was a fantastic learning curve with 2 coaches and a team manager taking the squad through their first 3 day event.

All the focus and hard work over the winter has paid off as she has moved Lulu up the levels this summer.  She completed double clears at:
- her first FEI 1* international at Aston level Walls
- the Chairman’s Cup 3 day event at the PC National Championships
- her first BE Novice (1/3 of her qualification to compete at 2* level)

Purdie had a wonderful win at Area Eventing in the PC90, after consistent top 6 placings in her preparation runs.

She then focused on her show jumping taking her first affiliated win at Field House in the British Novice followed by a 5th in a tough Discovery, and a 3rd and 2nd in the same classes at her next BS show at Onley.

She’s now keen to try and qualify for some more classes for the NSEA Champs at Addington this October, and start jumping some 1.10 classes.

Ellie and her pony, Cally, have qualified for Pony Club National Championships (Novice Dressage).

This will be Ellie's first Pony Club Champs and is a big step up from the Regional Champs that she won last year. 

She completed a lovely test with a fabulous square halt at the end. An exciting summer ahead!

Equestrian

Tara had a very successful day at the Princethorpe School two-day event with her pony Tiggy.  Tara achieved the best dressage score in her section, finishing individual and team second after going clear cross country and an unfortunate pole showjumping.

The team of Tillie, Eloise and Sarra travelled to Allen’s Hill to compete in dressage qualifiers for the NSEA National Championships at Addington.  The girls had brilliant success with both the Team and Tillie placing second and qualifying for the Championships, alongside great results from Eloise and Sarra, who placed 5^th and 6^th respectively.

Arabella travelled to South View Competition Centre with her pony Mabel, to compete in the Pony Newcomer Second Rounds, in which the top 4 riders qualify for Horse of the Year Show in October.  Despite the fences reaching 1.35m, Arabella and Mabel rode three clear rounds, and placed 3rd, qualifying for the Pony Newcomer Final at HOYS! This is an incredible achievement and we can't wait to see how they do!

Equestrian

Purdie competed at the 90cm, Cotswold Cup Eventing Qualifier at Solihull Riding Club.  She had a good day, jumping double clear and finishing inside the time, resulting in her placing 4th.  Well done, Purdie. 

 

Many congratulations to our King’s High equestrian team who qualified for and competed in the NSEA National Championships at Hickstead. Many congratulations to Eleanor, Tillie, Purdie, Iona, Minnie, Sarra and Francesca (Warwick Prep). Eleanor came first in Novice Dressage, with Tillie placed second in Advanced Showjumping.

Equestrian

Congratulations to Ellie & Cally who won the NSEA Novice Dressage Championship competition at Hickstead.  An incredible achievement with a fantastic score of 70.71%, way ahead of their nearest rivals who finished on 65%.  They also jumped a super clear round in the 90cm Eventer Challenge, with a strong finish well inside the top half, in a field of 80 competitors. 

Also congratulations to Tillie who came 2nd in a very competitive 1.10m County Showjumping Championships, Purdie came 4th in the 90cm County Show jumping Championships and Iona came 4th in the 70cm Jumping with Style Qualifier, Qualifying for the Championships later in the year.  Some incredible achievements for the girls!  

21 May

Equestrian

Tara and her pony Tiggy attended the Swalcliffe Schools Equestrian Games Eventing qualifier on Sunday 21^st April.  Despite challenging ground conditions, Tara achieved a good dressage score resulting in her standing in 3^rd place before the showjumping and cross-country phases.  She jumped a double clear in these phases resulting in her moving up the rankings and finishing in a very respectable 2^nd place!

Tara also attended a showjumping competition at Allens Hill, placing 7^th in the 70cm and 9^th in the 80cm.

Tillie, Purdie, Arabella and Mila, all achieved some fabulous results at Allens Hill on the 11^th May, achieving numerous qualifications for the NSEA National Championships at Addington in October.  Mila placed 3^rd in the 70cm, Purdie placed 2^nd in the 90cm, Arabella placed 1^st and Mila placed 4^th in the 1m, with all the girls qualifying for Addington.  The 1m team also placed first, picking up a team qualification.  Tillie competed in the 1.10m Hickstead Elite Qualifier, placing 1st and picking up qualification to the Hickstead Championships as well as the NSEA Championships at Addington.

Equestrian

Ellie and Cally competed at Swalcliffe for the 90cm Schools Equestrian Games last Sunday, in extremely tough conditions. They had the joint best dressage score in their section, and placed 4th overall. This qualifies them for the Championships which will be held at Dauntsey in September.

 

12 April

Tillie and Purdie both competed for the Warwickshire team at the BS Academy show in Worcestershire over Easter. Purdie came 3rd in the 90cm, helping the team to 2nd. Tillie came 4th in the 1.10m again contributing to a team 2nd.

Over the Easter weekend, Purdie won both the 90cm and 1m class at Onley. Tillie also jumped 2 clears the following day at Weston Lawns for 2nd in the 1.10m and 3rd in the 1.20m.

15 March

Equestrian

Ellie and Cally placed 3rd in the NSEA Novice Pop-Up Dressage in February. This moved them up into 4th place on the overall Leaderboard, and qualifies them for the NSEA Novice Dressage Championships at Hickstead in May.

Ellie and Cally also competed in their very first BE90 event, last weekend, at Oasby, as they set out to qualify for Badminton Grassroots. They had an incredibly strong start to their season, winning the class, inside a very fast XC time, with a fantastic Double Clear, and gaining a place at the Regional Championships, which are the qualifiers for Badminton Grassroots. In addition, Ellie was awarded the prize for Highest Placed Amateur on the day.

Congratulations, Ellie and Cally - we are looking forward to the season ahead and the upcoming Hickstead Champs.

Minnie attended Allens Hill with her pony Ebony, to compete in the unaffiliated showjumping.  She competed in the 60cm and 70cm classes, placing 1^st and 3^rd respectively!  What a brilliant achievement for a new partnership!

The polo team of Gemma, Lauren and Anna attended their first Polo tournament of the year last weekend.  It was a great day and the girls had a great time!  The girls placed 4th, against tough opposition.  It was pleased to hear from this tournament that their polo has come on leaps and bounds in the last 12months playing with much more confidence, accuracy and speed!   The team are now looking forward to defending their title at the grass tournament in June! 

Equestrian

It’s been a busy and successful half term for the King’s High equestrian squad and well done to them all. 

NSEA County Championship Showjumping qualifier at Allen’s Hill, Worcs 

The 70cm team of Minnie, Sarra, Iona (King’s High) and Francesca (Warwick Prep) were the highest placed Warwickshire schools team at the NSEA Showjumping competition earning the County Champions title and all important Hickstead ticket to the nationals in May. 

At the same competition Purdie claimed the individual 90cm County Champion title and Tillie the individual 1.10m title, so a fantastic total of six King’s High pupils through to the Hickstead Championship! 

Bloxham Eventer Challenge Championship at Aston-le-Walls 

The five series Eventer Challenge which has been running on a monthly basis since October, concluded with the Championship on 18th February. King’s High had 6 riders entered. The 65cm team of Minnie, Ellie and Iona all rode well, with Ellie finishing individual 3rd and also 3rd in the Championship series. Minnie had a super clear round to finish 14th in her first Championship. 

In the 90cm class Sofia jumped a lovely round. 

In the 1.10m class Tillie Orton finished in second place to hold on to her lead throughout the series to take the Championship series win.  

Fantastic news that we've had a team and 2 individuals qualify for the National Championships!

A great start to half term with King’s High picking up 3 Hickstead tickets for the NSEA National (showjumping) County Championships in May.

The 70cm team are Warwickshire County Champions, with Purdie picking up the 90cm individual County Champion title and Tillie picking up the 110cm County Champion title.

International Results  

Isabella has had some fantastic results on the Sunshine Tour in Spain over the half term. She was clear and placed in the 1* 1.35m grand prix alongside a 2nd and a 4th in the 1* 1.25m Speed class on multiple horses. 

Equestrian

Ellie competed in the Pop-Up Dressage in January on two ponies.  She achieved two great results in the Novice section, resulting in her placing 3^rd on Cally and 6^th on Chester.

Arabella competed at a British Showjumping Premier Show at Southview on 4 February, with the aim of qualifying for HIckstead in July.  With her focus on Eventing, Arabella did not expect to qualify for Hickstead, with this competition being pure Showjumping.  Despite this, Arabella rode brilliantly and won the class, qualifying for Hickstead! This is a huge achievement, and we can’t wait to hear how she gets on!

2 February

After a fabulous eventing season last year, Arabella has been selected for Tier 2 of the 2024 British Eventing Talent Academy.  The academy is dedicated to helping nurture and develop the next generation of talent in Eventing, by providing guidance and training which equips young riders with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their potential.  This is an incredible achievement and opportunity!

 

26 January

Ellie and Cally competed in the NSEA 90cm Eventer Challenge at West Wilts, on Saturday 20^th January.  They had a brilliant day, coming 1^st and qualifying for the NSEA Championships at Hickstead in May!

18 January 2024

Tillie has had a successful start to 2024. She took the win in a large 1.10m showjumping class at the start of January, and went on to take 2nd place in her first 1.20m class later that week.

The girls competed in the 3^rd Bloxham Schools Eventer Challenge on the 14^th January.  The girls had some great results with Minnie placing a fantastic 2nd in a large 65cm class and Tillie placing 2nd in the 110cm class, extending her lead in the league.

Minnie had a very successful trip to Solihull Riding Club on the 7^th September.  She competed in the 60cm class, placing 6^th before competing in her first 70cm class, in which she also placed 6th.  These are fabulous results for a fairly new combination!

22 November

Equestrian

A number of girls competed at Aston Le Walls in the Bloxham Schools Eventer Challenge this weekend achieving some great results.  It was a first Eventer Challenge for Minnie who had a very successful round in the 65cm, finishing on just 4 faults, a massive personal achievement for her. Iona also competed in the 65cm, going clear and finishing with a fabulous result, placing 8th! Sofia competed in the 90cm finishing 9th and Tillie competed in the 1.10m, placing third and defending her lead at the top of the league table!

6 November

Equestrian

Ellie competed in the NSEA Eventer Challenge at Rectory Farm on 27 October.  She had a very successful day coming 1^st in the 80cm and 3^rd in the 70cm.  Both results qualify her for the NSEA Eventer Challenge Championships at Hickstead in May!

 

Over half term there were some fabulous equestrian results. A special mention must go to Ellie in Year 8 who rode superbly and has qaulifed for the Hickstead championships. 

Tillie competed in the 100cm Eventer Challenge at Dallas Burston, winning the class on Lulu (her second consecutive EC win) and also placing 4th on sister Purdie’s horse. 

They also took part in a British Showjumping competition at Solihull with Tillie coming 2nd in the 1m, missing the win by just 0.2 sec, and Purdie back on her own horse (photo below) placing 2nd in the 90cm and 4th in the 95cm. 

In the 65cm our team of Iona, Eleanor and Purdie finished 2nd, with Ellie 2nd and Purdie 4th individually. We had girls successfully complete rounds at 80 and 90cm. In the 100cm, the team of Arabella, Purdie and Tilly had a win, with Purdie winning the class individually and Arabella placing 2nd. In the 110cm Tilly took the win. This was a great start to the winter season for our equestrian team and we can't wait for the year ahead!  

Arabella and Mabel did us all proud, and clinched 3rd place individually at the CCi2* pony class at Ballindenisk international horse trials. To beat the majority of the Irish competitors on their home turf was a massive achievement, the conditions were against us, a lot of rain fell, which resulted in very slippery conditions. Arabella battled in the cross-country phase to keep Mabel calm whilst trying to go fast enough to come inside the optimum time. Her GB team came 2nd out of 9 teams (one more GB team of 4 with the remainder being Irish teams).

In the 65cm our team of Iona, Eleanor and Purdie finished 2nd, with Ellie 2nd and Purdie 4th individually. We had girls successfully complete rounds at 80 and 90cm. In the 100cm, the team of Arabella, Purdie and Tillie had a win, with Purdie winning the class individually and Arabella placing 2nd. In the 110cm Tillie took the win. This was a great start to the winter season and we can't wait for the year ahead! 

 

 

September 2023

King’s High was well represented at the NSEA Elite 1.10m National Showjumping Championships at Hickstead (West Sussex) this year. Held in the main ring of this world famous venue, all three pupils who had qualified through to each take up one of just 50 places on offer nationwide, were really excited to have the opportunity to jump in this incredible arena.

Isabella took the win with a speedy clear round to become national champion, followed by Tillie in 3rd and Arabella finishing 6th. King’s High had the most competitors out of any school qualified through to the finals, and it was a huge achievement for all the girls to jump super clear rounds to finish in the line up of the top 6 for prize-giving in the main arena.

Arabella has had a great summer competing, having come 3rd in the Bishops Burton pony trial and the only pony to have jumped a double clear inside the time. She also went to pony club nationals on both ponies and had success there. Her biggest achievement however was travelling to Blair Castle international to do the pony 2*, winning best dressed at trot up and also coming 2nd overall, and ended up the highest placed British rider. Mabel was again the only pony who managed the come inside the time, which given the hills was no mean feat!

As a result, Arabella has now been asked to go to Ballindenisk as part of a pony GB squad in September and will represent her pony club at Blenheim horse trials.

 

 

Jess and her 4 year old horse, Chase, competed at the British Showjumping Summer Young Horse Event at Weston Lawns this weekend.

This was their first time out competing at a 4 day stay away together and they had a successful weekend.

Improvements were made every day they competed, culminating on the final day to finish 5th after an impressive double clear round in the Novice 1st round class.

This pair has a bright future together and will hopefully be able to compete for the school next year, now Jess’ training of Chase is starting to show results.

 

 

 

20 June

 

Isabella recently competed in the 1.10m Hickstead Elite qualifier on a different horse, having qualified previously on a new horse.  She jumped a great round and qualified, so will be attending the Hickstead Championships at the end of June.

Isabella also had a fabulous half term competing in St Tropez.  She placed every day in the 2* international small tour and ending up getting the second-place rider overall in the small tour, which is a great result!"

Liv has had a difficult 12-18months with her horses being injured and requiring long rehabilitation programmes. This is has been extremely tough emotionally and mentally however, Liv’s resilience paid off this weekend (16-18th June).

Liv travelled to Wales with her horse Channing, for their first show since his injury.  They came 7th in the accumulator class on Saturday and on Sunday they came 3rd in the 1.10m championship final.  These are fabulous results, and we look forward to seeing Liv progress back up the heights to the level she was previously competing at prior to Channing’s injury.

King's High had two teams travel to Kirtlington Polo Club in Oxfordshire on Sunday to compete in the School's first Grass Arena Polo Tournament.  In order to have enough team members for two teams, the teams comprised players from King’s High and other schools. 

Team 1 comprised Gemma, Anna and Lauren, together with a player from Stoke School and Team 2 comprised Gabrielle and Jess, together with with two players from Heathfield School. For Team 1 this was only their second competitive event and for Team 2 only their first competitive event.

The morning began with both Team 1 and Team 2 playing each other, which was a competitive match ending in a 0-0 draw.  Team 1’s second match was against Edinburgh Schools, another competitive match, which Team 1 won 1-0.  Going into their final chukka, Team 1 were in a leading position, so were a little disappointed with a 1-1 draw.  This left them awaiting the results of the final two chukkas, played by other competing schools, to see if they would lift the trophy!

Despite a great effort, Team 2 lost their second match against St Mary’s, the reigning champions, and with some great play drew their final match against Edinburgh Schools.

The outcome of the final few chukkas gave Team 1 the win in their section making them the current Novice section champions! This was a fabulous result and an improvement on their 3rd place finish in the previous arena tournament.

Team 2 finished 4th, after integrating with the other school fabulously and playing some great polo.

The King's High players have worked hard at Friday afternoon Polo this year and have put in extra practice by attending evening chukkas. It was great to see the Team’s competitiveness at only their first or second event competing in SUPA events.

We are very much looking forward to the next tournament where King's High can defend their title and play some more great polo!"

12 June

Equestrian

 

It’s been a successful year for King’s High at the National Schools Equestrian Association Eventer Challenge Finals at the international All England show ground, Hickstead 2023. On Saturday 27 May, King's had 1 team, and 2 individuals compete in the Mini class (70/75cm), and 1 individual in the Open class (100/105cm). 

The 70/75cm team was made up of Lily, Eleanor, Sarra and Mila (from Warwick Prep), with Mila and Ellie also representing the school as individuals.  Every team at the finals had to win or come second in the qualifiers over the winter so the standard was high. Each member of the team put in good rounds, with Lily and Ellie going clear, Mila having an unlucky fence down (4faults) and Sarra finishing on 8 faults. This led to the team placing 13th out of 34 teams on a score of 4,  an amazing achievement which all the girls were thrilled with. Ellie also placed 31st out of 75 individuals. It was Ellie, Sarra and Mila’s first year at this prestigious final, so for the team to finish in the top 40% was a huge achievement. 

Purdie was our only rider as an individual in the 100/105cm Open class, at the highest level of schools' competition in the final. She had an unlucky pole down in the showjumping phase but placed 16th out of 53 individual competitors, of whom she was among the youngest. 

We also had girls compete in the showjumping qualifiers on the Friday evening. Mila and Lily did the 70cm class, both going clear with Mila finishing 15th and Lily finishing 26th in a massive class of 68 riders. Purdie did the 90cm class, placing 5th and qualifying for the NSEA showjumping plate championships at Addington in October. 

Arabella had a brilliant day coming 3rd in the Under18 BE100 Class at the Berkshire College of Agriculture on Sunday 11 June.  This was a fantastic achievement in such a large class of over 30 competitors.

Equestrian

It’s been a successful year for King’s High at the National Schools Equestrian Association Eventer Challenge Finals at the international All England show ground, Hickstead 2023. Last Saturday Purdie competed as an individual in the Open class (100/105cm).   Purdie was our only rider as an individual in the 100/105cm Open class, at the highest level of schools' competition in the final. She had an unlucky pole down in the showjumping phase but placed 16th out of 53 individual competitors, of whom she was amongst the youngest.  Purdie also competed in the 90cm class on Friday evening, placing 5th and qualifying for the NSEA showjumping plate championships at Addington in October.   

 

 

 

 

24 March

Purdie and Ebs had a fabulous day representing King's High at the Bloxham Eventer Challenge at Aston Le Walls.  They came 3^rd on the day and placed 6^th overall in the Season League Championship!  What a fabulous result! 

Arabella and Mabel competed in their first 'observational trial (formerly known as a pony trial)' which is where selection for GB teams start. Arabella rode her socks off in the dressage showing off how her hard work over the winter has paid off, and she sat mid section.

They went onto the jumping phase and showed their class in the showjumping phase where other people started to crash and have issues. Onto the cross country phase to tackle the enormous fences - the biggest and most technical course they ever have faced together. The pair accrued a few time penalties which put them out of 8th into 12th out of 32 combinations many of which have competed as part of the GB team previously.

13 March

Isabella and Tillie competed in the Hickstead Elite 1.10m Qualifier at Southview on Sunday 12th.  Both girls qualified for the Hickstead Championships as a result of Isabella winning the class and Tillie coming second!

King’s equestrian girls had a great weekend travelling to both the Eventer's Challenge Teams and the Polo Team. 

King's High were represented in 70cm, 80cm, 90cm and 1m Eventer Challenge Championship Qualifiers at Allens Hill on Sunday 5^th March.  The day started brilliantly with the 70cm team, made up of Purdie, Ellie, Lily and Mila, winning the class and qualifying for the Championships at Hickstead with individual placings for Mila who came 2^nd and Ellie who came 6th.  In the 80cm Mila jumped a great round to place 5th, just missing out on an individual qualifying place and although not qualifying the team jumped some great rounds." 

In the 1m, Arabella jumped a great round to place 4^th and qualify for the Championships at Hickstead as an individual."

The Polo Tournament was also great day, with the girls being there from 10:00 till 4:30.  Despite nerves the girls absolutely smashed it by coming 3rd!  The girls played 4 “chukkas” against different girls schools.  In their first chukka (against last year's winners in their section) they lost 2-1, however this result did not represent how they played as unfortunately nerves resulted in 2 own goals! In the second and the third chukka, the girls won 3-0  by playing some of the best polo I have seen them play.  In the fourth chukka they lost 3-2 in more competitive but very closely contested game. 

Overall it was a very successful weekend.  There are plans for the 80cm Eventer’s Challenge Team to try to qualify for Hickstead and for the Polo Team to compete at the next tournament in June. 

Sara Copley, our Equestrian Coordinator, also reports that it was: "A first for King's High this weekend with girls representing the school in their first ever SUPA Polo Tournament.  The Polo Team, made up of Gemma, Lauren and Anna, had a very long but successful day at Rugby Polo Club coming 3^rd in their section! 

In their first "chukka" against last year's champions, the team played a competitive match, losing 2-1. The girls then played some of their best polo winning both the second and third chukkas 3-0!  The final chukka was a harder and more competitive match, with the girls losing 3-2.

Overall, the team played some great polo and we are very much looking forward to the next one!"

 

 

With her horse currently sidelined, Purdie took her evergreen pony Ebony (aged 28) for a spin round the Bloxham Schools Eventer Challenge at Aston le Walls, Northants, jumping a lovely clear for 5th place and qualification for the Bloxham Schools Final in March.

Tillie competed in the top class of the day to take the win in the 110cm Eventer Challenge with the only clear round.

17 February

Congratulations to Tillie who had a great weekend at the PC Spring Festival at Arena UK, Lincs, with a podium finish in the top class of the championship, the Open Grand Prix showjumping (starting height 1.10m). It was a thrilling finish with 9 through to the third round jump-off against the clock. Tillie’s horse jumped three fabulous clear rounds for 3rd place, just 0.2 seconds behind 2nd place.

Ellie and her pony, Chester, represented Pony Club Area 9 and the North Cotswold Branch, this weekend, at the Pony Club Spring Festival. This is a National level Championship and they placed 3rd in the 70cm Arena Eventing National Finals, out of a field of 50 competitors. This is a massive achievement and we are very proud of them both, for their performance and impeccable turn-out on the day. 

 

 

Equestrian

Huge congratulations to Arabella, who competed at Aintree in the Big Pony Prem show. 

It was Arabella's and Mabel's first attempt at the JC/JD class which is a qualifier for royal Hickstead, unfortunately they had a pole in each of the classes but jumped some super rounds in great company.

They did however win the Coral qualifier on the Sunday qualifying the for the blue chip final in March at Hartpury college. 

Arabella and her pony Phantom went out for a casual outing to prepare for the upcoming season and picked up a 3rd place and qualified for arena eventing championships in April. 

 

 

 

12 January

Following the Pony Club Area 7 competition at the weekend, sisters Tillie and Purdie have both qualified for the Spring Festival National Championships in Lincolnshire next month. Purdie has qualified for the showjumping classes at both 85cm and 95cm at only her third competition on this horse. Tillie has qualified at 1.10m for the second consecutive year.

 

6 January 2023

Leafy competed in the NSEA Pop-Up Dressage series for November 2022 with her horse Red Sonia.  They achieved a score of 67%, resulting in a 6^th place finish.  This is a fabulous result, and we can't wait to see how Leafy does in the new year! 

Liv competed at a training show with her young horse Gambi, on 3/12/22 at Addington Equestrian.  In this competition Liv and Gambi stepped up to a bigger course, jumping a double clear in their first 1.20m class together.  This is a fabulous achievement for them both.

Despite the challenging training conditions over the festive period, Tillie had a successful holiday showjumping, winning her 3rd consecutive 1m class  just after Christmas and then going on to secure 4th place in a strongly contested 1.15m at Onley Grounds Winter Classic show on Monday, where she was the youngest competitor!