Equestrian Life December 16 - January 17

A well-deserved pat for Cara
Lily being led in by the Chief Steward
“THE PAIR SIMPLY
GELLED, THERE’S NO
OTHER WORDS FOR IT
AND ITS AT THAT POINT
ANN VERY KINDLY
OFFERED LILY THE RIDE.”
unstoppable ever since, scooping
various regional and national
qualifications over the last year.
Initially the mare arrived at Sheepgate
for some training with Sarah however
when owner, Ann, mentioned Sarah
letting Lily have a go sometime the
wheels were soon firmly set in motion.
“The pair simply gelled, there’s
no other words for it and its at that
point Ann very kindly offered Lily the
ride.” Commented Sarah.
“Lily and the young mare just exceeded
all expectations whilst out in Le Mans.
The pair of them kept their cool and
simply did amazingly.”
Not shy to the competition arena herself,
having competed internationally several
times over, including being a British
Pony Team Member, Sarah feels she did
all she could to help prepare Lily for the
electric and nerve-wracking atmosphere
that comes with competing abroad in a
completely different atmosphere.
“Having competed internationally myself
I did all I could to prepare Lily for the
arena which involved Pilates sessions in
the lorry before her tests each day and
help her feel as confident as possible to
go out there and ride a good test.
“There was no pressure on either them,
but they both stepped up and simply
couldn’t have done any more than they
did.
“I’m so proud of both her riding and
determination - it’s a lot for a young
rider to take in but she went out there
and proved to be wise beyond her
years. The harmony between horse
and rider throughout all the tests were
simply outstanding. Standing at the
side watching, I honestly thought she
couldn’t have done anymore than she did
- Lily put her all into it and I’m so proud.”
With owner Ann Savage
added Sarah.
When asked about her own competition
schedule, Sarah, who became one of the
youngest Listed Dressage Judges at the
age of 17, is keen to express her interest
in taking a back seat and instead helping
Lily get to where she wants to be. She
explains that it’s time for her to play
‘mum’ for a while in the Grant/Payne
household.
“My priorities changed when we sadly
lost mum last year - it involved a huge
shift in the household; We moved in with
Dad, back to the family home that I grew
up in and now my role has significantly
changed looking after the needs of the
house and everyone in it!
“Lily had expressed a real interest in
furthering her dressage career and it
seemed the right time for me to shift the
focus to helping her achieve her dreams.
Who knows what the future will hold in
terms of my own career, but for now I’m
happy to stand on the sidelines watching
Lily.” added Sarah.
When asked where Lily wants to go from
here she didn’t hesitate in saying the
Europeans and maybe even beyond.
“It’s everyone’s dream to ride at
competitions like the Olympics or the
Europeans and next year I’d really like to
get selected for the Europeans with Cara,
but you just never know and we’ll just
have to see what happens. It’s definitely
where I’m aiming for though!”
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