Report – Area 5 Shines at Mounted Games Central Zone Competition – 20/07/25

Area 5 Shines at Mounted Games Central Zone Competition

Our Area 5 games community came together on Sunday, 20th July at Stanford Hall, Leicestershire, for the second Mounted Games Central Zone competition – and what a day it was!

Senior Teams: Grit, Determination, and a Golden Ticket on the Line

The seniors were first to take the field, all chasing that coveted ‘golden ticket’ – a first-place finish and a direct route to the Prince Philip Cup at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).  It was a tightly contested battle between The Wynnstay, Blackburn & District & North Warks, against a dominant Atherstone team, who ultimately claimed victory.

The Wynnstay now head to the Runners-Up Competition at the JCB Pony Club Championships, still in with a chance to qualify for HOYS. They’ll be joined by Berwyn & Dee and East Cheshire, both of whom put in impressive performances to earn their places.

Cheshire Hunt South will proudly represent Area 5 in the Intermediate Championship at the JCB Pony Club Championships and are shaping up to be strong contenders.

Junior Teams: A Podium Sweep for Area 5!

Area 5 swept the podium in the Junior competition with a clean one-two-three finish!
🥇 The Wynnstay
🥈 East Cheshire
🥉 Cheshire Hunt South

All three now head to the Junior Championships at the JCB Pony Club Championships – best of luck to our fantastic junior teams!

A special shoutout goes to the young team from Flint & Denbigh, who narrowly missed qualification but have made tremendous progress this year.  Their improvement has been clear, and their future looks very promising.

Pairs Competition: Neck-and-Neck Finishes and Lightning-Fast Gallops

In the ever-thrilling Pairs competition, Berwyn & Dee led the charge – quite literally – with multiple finishes coming down to just inches!  Three of their pairs qualified for the Pairs Championship at the JCB Pony Club Championships, joined by a strong Wynnstay pair. Another B&D pair just missed the cut, but not without a strong showing.

A huge congratulations to Berwyn & Dee B, who were the standout pair and winners of the competition – best of luck at the champs!

Final Results:

Seniors:
4th – Wynnstay
5th – Berwyn & Dee
6th – East Cheshire
9th – Cheshire Hunt South

Juniors:
1st – Wynnstay
2nd – East Cheshire
3rd – Cheshire Hunt South
8th – Flint & Denbigh

Pairs:
1st – Berwyn & Dee B
3rd – Berwyn & Dee A
5th – Wynnstay
7th – Berwyn & Dee C
11th – Berwyn & Dee D

Area 5 also made a strong impression in the Tack & Turnout competitions. In one event, we swept the board – though I must confess, I can’t quite remember which one! 😊

A special thank you to Claire Dawson, our dedicated Area 5 Mounted Games Co-ordinator, from me, Pennie Drummond, representing the Mounted Games Committee.  It was a busy but truly rewarding weekend supporting the organisers.

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to the Area 5 Games community – your help in the arena, especially with the equipment, made all the difference. Your fresh legs and fantastic team spirit were very much appreciated after a long and action-packed weekend!

Congratulations to all our Area 5 teams – outstanding performances all round, and best of luck at the JCB Pony Club Championships!