An East Devon event rider secured a top ten result in the prestigious Le Mieux Grassroots Championships, part of MARS Badminton Horse Trials, last week. Sport report by Kate Williams.
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Seen as the pinnacle for serious amateur eventers, the championships is a tough competition to reach but Jane Rogers, from Axminster, managed to qualify her two horses through the rigorous process.
Taking place on May 5th and 6th, prior to the famous international five-star horse trials in Gloucestershire, the Le Mieux Grassroots Championships brings winners of regional finals from around the country to contest the overall British Eventing championship held at BE90 and BE100 level.
No stranger to the competition, Jane has been a contender for eight years, securing second place in 2023 in the BE100.
This year’s competition saw the East Devon bookkeeper complete all three phases – dressage, show jumping and cross country – on both horses.
Corrieview Oscar started on a dressage score of 31 with a double clear in the show jumping and cross country phases to finish on an impressive eighth place out of over 90 starters in the BE90.
Jane’s homebred gelding, Corrieview Merlin Magic, sat in second place overnight in the BE100 with a dressage score of 26.1 but some unlucky penalties in the show jumping knocked the score to 32.1. A beautifully clear cross country phase inside the time brought them back up to 12th place overall, in a class of 69 starters.
Jane, well known locally as an inspirational trainer to riders of all ages, said: “I was very pleased with both horses.
“I was worried with Magic being 19-years young now that he might find it all quite tiring, especially as we had the most technical parts of the course at the end but Magic felt as fresh and forward as he did at the beginning.
“Oscar – we found a new bit for his cross country as I’ve been having trouble controlling him in that phase and this new bit was amazing.
“They both were fantastic. I’m so lucky to be able to compete at such an amazing event.”
