We had never been to the Dengie Champs before.  We went to the PC Open Dressage Championships last summer in Derbyshire but nerves got the better of me and I didnt do very well.  This time we went not expecting much and it all seemed to fall into place.

We went up on the Saturday so we could settle Louis (Fools Gold) in. It was a freezing night but on the Sunday the sun shone and the atmosphere was great.  We didnt really know anyone else there but everyone was really friendly and we soon got chatting to people from other branches.

After I had done my test I went to see my score and was delighted when I saw Louis had scored 72%! It was agony waiting for the rest of the scores to go up - I kept expecting to see that we had been beaten. When I finally realised that we were in the ride off I ran round to Louis' stable and he was sound asleep! I was sure that I would never get him going again for a second test!

In the warm-up he pottered about a little disinterested, he clearly thought he should be on his way home. However, as we went into the indoor school his ears pricked, we connected - and we were off. I would have been happy with any placing but it was completely amazing to win especially as the others in the ride off all seemed very professional.

I have been a member of the Ashford Valley Hunt Pony Club since I was 5 and have done a bit of almost every discipline there is with them. So I was proud to represent my Branch at the Championships and really proud when I told my DC that we had won.

It really was one of the best weekends of my life!!!

Kind regards

Imogen Elliott