We are delighted to announce that three LJT combinations have been selected to compete at Deauville;

LJT Akilles with Deb Criddle

LJT Lucas Normark with Anne Dunham

LJT Engaards Solitaire with Ricky Balshaw

Ricky Balshaw & LJT Engaards Solitaire

It’s great to have been given the opportunity to work with LJT and really exciting that they have bought such a fantastic horse.

LJT Solitaire is an 8 year old Danish Warmblood gelding and so far has been a real gem! He has three fantastic paces but more importantly to me, he has a real level head on his shoulders. Temperament is so important to us para riders, in particular the lower grades, so to find this horse that seems to have it all is quite rare.

We have been out a few times already and scores are increasing each time. We have taken him to squad training, where the team selectors seemed to be a real fan of his and have already been selected for a three star in France at the end of March. It normally takes a long time to get to a standard where we can compete internationally so I’m really pleased with our start together. We will be going for European selection trials later in the year and WEG next year, all in the run up to the big one in Rio 2016! I can’t wait!

Anne Dunham, LJT Lucas Nomark, September 2012

Anna Dunham writes:

The National Championships were a good experience for LJT Lucas Nomark.

The Lady Joseph Trust have given me a lovely ride in this Knabstrupper Stallion. Lucas, Amber and I went up to the venue the night before and we had a great competition, winning the Grade 1 class with a score of 69.72%. He found the Stoneliegh atmosphere stimulating, but he behaved immpecably, although unfortunately showing some tenseness throught the test in the arena.

The whole experience was a very positive and encouraging outing as we move towards the new year 2013 and the European Championships in Denmark.

Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles at London 2012

The Trust is delighted with the performance of Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles at London 2012 in August, this partnership won team gold and 2 individual silver medals. This is a relatively new partnership and we are sure that we will see even better results over the coming years.

Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles at London 2012

The mare was bought for Lee Pearson to produce but sadly was too small for Lee. Silhouette is now at LJT Trustee Henrietta Cheetham’s LJT  yard for training and is being produced by Theresa for the trust.

Deb Criddle Para European Championships 2011

At the Para European Dressage Championships Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles were part of the gold medal winning GB team. They went on to exceed expectations and win an individual silver medal in the grade 111 individual championship and a gold medal in the grade 111 freestyle championships.

The Europeans were the culmination of a whirlwind 6 months training and competing. It is a fairytale ending with 2 gold and 1 silver medals. Akilles has excelled himself and puts us in a strong position for team selection looking forward to 2012. We are still learning about each other and I believe there is so much more power and expression to come, all very exciting.

Duchess of Cornwall meets para riders

The Lady Joseph Trust is delighted to announce that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted the invitation to become President of the charity.

Trustee Henrietta Cheetham said:

The Trust is delighted that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted our invitation to become the charity’s president. The Duchess receives many requests from organisations and charities requiring her time and commitment and we are honoured that we have been accepted.

The invitation was issued following a visit by The Duchess to a para world class team training session. Our riders were thrilled by the interest and enthusiasm shown by The Duchess.

LJT Normak Lucas

The Lady Joseph Trust has bought another horse for Lee Pearson. The 10 year old Knabstrpper stallion LJT Normak Lucas was sourced by Metter Assouline in Denmark. A delighted Lee said;

My reaction when told about Lucas was yes yes yes, or at least lets try! Just at the same time I had my accident and broke my back, so its been a very long wait to try him and bring him to my stables.

He has the best of temperaments so far, in-fact I have geldings that act up more! The walk is very good, correct with a great over track, the trot is good and a pace I can hopefully easily improve over the next year, the canter is a little weak but this is not a pace I need for Paralympic tests. The aim will be to get him a little more responsive of my light limited legs aids, accept the contact correctly and behave in all environments!

I really didn’t want a stallion but to follow in Blue Circle Boy and Gentleman’s shoes I think I need to be riding something both correct and flashy, he certainly fills those shoes!!

LJT Akilles

Deb Criddle writes on her experiences with Akilles.

I have been lucky enough to have now had the ride on L J T Akilles for 5 months and we seem to have packed an awful lot in during that time.

In April we travelled to Deauville in France to get a taste of international competition and were members of the winning GB team.

Once home we set out to achieve qualification for the British Para-Dressage National Championships which was also the first stage in the European Championship selection process.

Akilles seems to revel in the bigger events and just wants to get on with the job at hand.

At a competition he gives the rider a lovely feel but I’ve found I have to keep his mind occupied or he starts to take charge. At the Nationals, held over 2 days, we entered the warm-up class (the ‘Team Test’) and the Individual Championship class; Akilles performed well and took the honours in both classes with scores in excess of 70%.

The win in the Individual class took us forward to the Freestyle to Music where the winners from each classification grade rode off for the Supreme Champion title. Akilles rose to the challenge and put in another great performance to win on a score of 76% to become British Para-Dressage Supreme Champion.

July saw us competing at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage in the 3* CPDEIO, also the final Selection Trial. Consistent performances saw Akilles make a clean sweep of the three Grade III classes which has led to our selection for the European Championships to be held in Belgium 1st-5th September 2011.

The really exciting thing is that our partnership is still in its infancy and I have only just tapped the surface of the quality of work that he is capable of producing.

LJT Silhouette wins Shearwater qualifier

LJT Silhouette qualifies for the Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse Championships, winning her qualifier at Keyso with a score of 40.7 ridden by Artur Nicpon who works and rides for Lee Pearson. Lee stated;

I am delighted with LJT Silhouette; one of the first horses I’ve been bought to produce and what an amazing horse she is. Calm and very sweet in the stable and field but once mounted she has more horsepower than most sports cars I’ve driven! and an outstanding walk, trot and canter.

Since my accident I have been training my horses with my staff onboard and Artur did not let me down. The warming up was very busy and ‘Cilla’ was a little nervous at first, she settled quickly and once in the competition arena she shone.

I was very very tempted to enter myself to ride her at the National Championships, but with London 2012 next year I’m forcing myself to stand at the sidelines and not risk any unnecessary incidents, she’s a star and have to remember she is only four years old.

Akilles ridden by Deb Criddle

The Lady Joseph Trust, formed in 2009 to buy horses for our elite para dressage riders, has bought their second horse. Akilles an eleven year old Swedish warmblood will be ridden multi medal winning grade 111 rider Deb Criddle. A delighted Deb said;

I am very grateful to The Lady Joseph Trust for offering me the ride on such a high calibre horse as Akilles. It is a tremendous privilege to be chosen and I am looking forward with anticipation to developing a successful partnership with him. He is a joy to ride, being very forward thinking and so light off the aids.

Trustee Henrietta Cheetham said;

The trust is looking for horses for several of our top para riders with a view to 2012 and beyond. Akilles and Deb immediately bonded and I am delighted to be able to purchase this lovely horse for such a talented rider.