ABOUT

Badminton Trot Up 2023

GEORGIA BARTLETT

It was perhaps inevitable that Georgia would become an event rider. It was in her blood. Her Grandmother, Wendy Wybrew, was DC of the Chiddingfold Farmers’ Pony Club, a selector for the FEI Pony Event team for many years and in her later years became a superstar in the world of private driving. Her parents, Katie and Jeremy, first met whilst training for the British Junior European Event team with Gill Watson and Katie was National Junior Event Champion in 1987. Her Aunt, Charlotte Wybrew, represented GB in the FEI Pony Event team in Saumur in 1987 and then in Denmark in 1988, winning a team silver and bronze medal. Charlotte went on to win a team gold medal in the Junior European Team at Rotherfield Park, Hampshire, in 1991 and competed at Burghley.

Georgia was riding ponies before she could walk. Her eventing career really began with her phenomenal pony CRAYDON REUBEN. He won everything there was to win at Pony Club level, competed with Georgia at the Pony Club Dressage Championships representing the Vine Pony Club when Georgia was just 9 and won the Stonar Schools National Eventing Championships the same year.

MUNRO HIGHLANDER came next - an awesome 14.2hh bay gelding. He started her on the British Eventing pathway. They won their second BE100 together and 3 out of 5 BE100s in 2014 when Georgia was just 13. She went on to be selected for the South East team competing at the National Regional Eventing Championships at Weston Park in the same year. The following year they won the Pony Club Eventing Championships.

Craydon Reuben

Munro Highlander

Monarch of the Glen

MONARCH OF THE GLEN — jointly owned with Sarah Riley — joined Georgia’s team at the end of 2015. This phenomenal little pony - barely 14.1hh - was placed in the top 5 in every Pony Trial during the spring of 2016. Devastatingly at the National Championships at Brand Hall, having completed the cross country in 2nd place, he injured a tendon and was out for the rest of the season.

It was at this low point that Georgia found SPANO DE NAZCA (Nono at home), a 15.3hh chestnut gelding, from France. Georgia rapidly formed the strongest partnership with this little horse - their achievements together speak for themselves. In 2017 they won the Frickley National Regional Championships individually, competing for the South East. They went on to come 2nd in their first Intermediate at Bicton International and were then selected for the Junior Nations Cup team in Waregem where they brought home a team silver medal having come 10th individually at their first international event.

After a successful start to the season in 2018 and having come 2nd in the final Junior trial at Nunney, Georgia and Nono were selected to represent GB at the Junior European Championships in Fontainebleau. They won team silver and came 11th individually. On their first event back from France, they won the OIu21 at Wellington International.

2019 was an exceptional year for Georgia and Nono. In the 9 events in which they competed, they were only once out of the top 8 placings. They came 5th in the 3*S at Bicton International and 3rd in the 3*S at Rockingham International where they also won the National Junior Championship. Once again they were selected to compete for GB at the Junior European Championships, this time in Maarsbergen, Holland. They brought home another team silver medal and finished 4th individually, missing out on a bronze medal by less than half a penalty. The season ended with a win in the 3*L at Millstreet International and a 2nd place in the combination’s first Advanced event at Little Downham. The 2020 season was an extraordinary one, not beginning properly until July due to the Covid 19 pandemic, but nonetheless Georgia reaped huge success again with Nono. In a few short months they gained 68 points and despite moving up to 4* International level, were only once out of the top 10. They won the Youth Performance 3*S International at Cornbury, came 10th in their second 4*S International at Little Downham behind the very best combinations in the world and concluded the season with a 5th place in the 3*L at Bicton International.

The season started badly for Georgia in 2021. She broke her arm in a fall from a youngster in the spring and just as she was back riding, Nono picked up an injury which put him out of action for a few months. Georgia’s dream with Nono for 2021 was to compete with him at Blenheim in the 4*L. When he came back into work, time was very tight to get him fully fit for mid-September. After competing him at only one event in 2021, Georgia went to Blenheim with him—the biggest track either of them had ever faced. Incredibly, they jumped double clear and finished 11th. The highlight for Nono and Georgia in 2022 was a 3rd placing in the 4*L at Millstreet International qualifying them to compete at 5*.

With that qualification in hand and on the back of a 5th place in the 4* at Thoresby, Georgia and Nono set off to Badminton in 2023—a dream come true!  The weather conditions there, however, were the worst experienced in 20 years and drawn towards the end of the order was a disadvantage. Nonetheless a 31 dressage mark put Georgia just out of a top 20 placing going into the cross country. Nono was awesome!  He carried Georgia round 80% of the course, but the muddiest, most holding ground took its toll on him and sapped the energy out of his little legs at which point Georgia pulled him up. To have ridden around most of the track on her 15.2hh superstar who has taken her from BE100 to 5* was pretty special. Nono’s first event after Badminton was the OI at Upton which he won. He finished the season with a 16th place at Blenheim International—one of only six clear inside the time cross country.

Georgia also has three exciting youngsters: JALBA O is a 16.hh 2014 KWPN bay mare from Holland, owned by the Fabulous Friends & Family Syndicate—a stunning horse with enormous athletic ability. 2021 was a great year for Jalba O with three wins at Novice, Intermediate and 2*S level early in the season. She continued to grow on her Intermediate success with several good placings and then a 5th place in the 2*L at Hartpury. In 2022 Jalba successfully stepped up to 3*. Sadly she was sidelined by an injury which resulted in a season of consolidation in 2023. Georgia was rewarded with five top 10 OI placings and a 3rd place in the 2*S at Wellington.

LA PAZ W (Milo at home) is a 16.2hh, 2016 KWPN bay gelding, co-owned by Georgie Paske. He is a very elegant and athletic horse with beautiful paces and so much jumping ability. Following a sixth place at the National Nexgen 5yo Finals, Milo continued to show his exciting potential in 2022 with several top Novice placings, culminating with a win at the 2*S at Bicton International at the end of the year. Having won the ON at Tweseldown, Milo moved up to Intermediate level in 2023 with three top 10 placings.

DECO ROCKS (Cruz at home) is the most handsome 16.2hh, 2017 iron grey gelding from Ireland and is owned by Jo Boggon and Deborah de Groot. Cruz successfully began his eventing career in 2022 with five double clears at 100 level. Cruz has been Mr Consistent in 2023 with 8 double clears, a win at his first event of the season and five top 5 Novice placings.  He also successfully completed his first 2*.

Two gorgeous new four year olds have recently joined Georgia’s team.  ORLANDA K (Hope) is a beautiful KWPN bay mare by Il Est Balou out of a Cassini Gold mare.  CORRIEBEG BENJAMIN BUTTON