Domino does the job

British-bred mares prove that breeding is no barrier to competing successfully, while another small tour winner flourishes in a new role

- POLLY BRYAN

ICE Horseboxes All England Dressage Festival Premier League, Hickstead, West Sussex

FIVE years after her last high profile grand prix victory, Anna Ross triumphed here with the exciting prospect Newton Domino. Anna and the British-bred De Niro x Rubinstein mare “Dotty” produced an attractive, mistake-free test to score a grand prix personal best of 70.54%, pipping Fiona Bigwood and Fame XX to the top spot by 0.14%.

The grand prix work has helped the chestnut mare morph into a real powerhouse and she impressed with solid piaffe-passage work and tidy pirouettes.

“Dotty has only done five tests at this level, and has been my winter project,” said Anna of the mare bred by Lorna Wilson at Newton Stud. “She’s a real pleasure to ride and very talented. There’s loads more in the tank; we have been working on that elusive clear round, and now we have achieved that there is a lot more to come.”

Anna’s business venture in launching Elite Dressage in Devon has meant her riding has taken a backseat in recent years, but she now has three horses coming through at high level in Dotty, Delgado and Habouche (Holly), who was well-placed here at small tour under Beth Bainbridge.

Both Dotty and Holly combine competing with breeding with embryo transfer, with Dotty giving a San Amour embryo just a few days before Hickstead.

“It’s been really good fun getting back into competing again,” said Anna. “Dotty and I have a mutual respect for each other – she is the sort of mare that you can’t tell what to do. She likes to be shown something the first time, then I have to let her think she’s the boss.”