There was success for Team Jones in the 2023 British Eventing Pony Championship at Belsay International on Sunday 4th June.
Pupil Jessica McCaldin and her pony Baramona Lass were crowned British Eventing National Pony Champions having cleared the final show jumping round, adding just one time fault to their dressage score. To cap a perfect day for the team, pupil Clara Wilson also took fourth place on her pony Kildromin Banjo.
The McCaldins bought the Bay Roan mare 4 years ago and since then Jessica and her 15yo pony have been training regularly at Team Jones yard, together with local training near her home in Sussex. Richard worked with the family to put a training and competition programme together for Jessica, to bring horse and rider up to the next level – with Belsay and the BE championships always the target.
“We go for training at Team Jones as often as we can. They have all the facilities we need to bring on Jess and ‘pony Suzi’ as she is known at home”, said Jessica’s mother Sarah McCaldin.
“We all had a laugh when Jess and Suzi entered the show jumping ring for the final round of the championship. Richard often used to start off Jess' show jumping lesson with a ‘lets pretend it’s the last day on the pony championships at Belsay, you are in the lead, all you need is a clear round!’"
"We never believed it would actually happen! She had been well prepped!”
Victoria, who is coming back from serious Lyme disease illness, made sure she was fit enough to be at the event in Northumberland, not only giving Jessica a dressage schooling lesson the day before their test, but also insisting pony and rider were up at 6am on the morning for some final schooling.
“Pony and rider couldn’t have had better training or support for the big day,” said an immensely proud Sarah McCaldin.