Vanir Kamira, the double five-star winner, embracing new profession

Vanir Kamira, the famous person mare who gained Badminton and Burghley with Piggy March, is embracing a second profession in dressage.

Trevor Dickens’ 19-year-old “Tilly” and Trevor’s 13-year-old granddaughter are among the many combos lengthy listed for the youngsters on horses on the dressage youth European Championships, in St Margarethen, Austria (16-21 July). The opposite combos are Ella-Grace Dovey with Hannah Dovey’s Flaviano, and Evie Head with Rob and Nicola Lickley’s Gracia.

Tilly loved a stellar five-star profession with Piggy, profitable Badminton in 2019 and Burghley in 2022. The pair have been fourth at Badminton in 2022, second at Burghley in 2017 and 2019 and fifth in 2018, and third on the Bicton Horse Trials one-off five-star in 2021.

Piggy introduced Tilly’s retirement from five-star eventing in March final yr, stating that she was “nonetheless in nice type and having fun with her work as a lot as ever”, however that they needed to retire her from five-star degree “when she was on the high of her sport”.

A retirement ceremony was held for Tilly at Burghley in September, and shortly after Annabelle began driving her. The pair made their profitable British Dressage debut collectively in October, and have continued to construct a flourishing partnership.

Annabelle Wesley and Vanir Kamira.

“They gained the youngsters on horses staff take a look at at Vale View in January, after which she was invited to the CDI at Addington in March. And now they’ve been lengthy listed for the Europeans,” Trevor advised H&H.

“It’s fairly outstanding actually. Tilly simply goes on and on and on. It’s one other profession for her. She seems to be so effectively, you’d take a look at her and assume she must be doing Badminton once more.”

Tilly isn’t any stranger to shining down the centre line, having posted a profession finest five-star dressage rating at her last Burghley. Annabelle, who just lately loved two podium spots on the Petplan Winter Space Festivals Championships together with her pony Armada Dyffryncothi and Trevor’s eventer Caroline’s Air KM, trains with Jade Clark thrice per week.

“Annabelle has such a perception in Tilly,” stated Trevor. “She hacks her out on her personal, and at all times has completed. The repute of Tilly – she’s a proper diva isn’t she – however she lets Annabelle trip her, which is beautiful.”

Trevor stated Annabelle has at all times had an affinity with Tilly.

“She’s adored her all her life,” he stated. “When Tilly was doing the five-stars we’d be there all week and Annabelle would spend most of it within the steady together with her telling her what a very good lady she’s bought to be.

“They’ve at all times had a bond. She’s a particular horse, and I don’t assume we’ll ever see one other one like her.”

Annabelle and Vanir Kamira have one other couple of competitions deliberate forward of the ultimate staff bulletins being made in the end.

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H&H senior information author

Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and highway security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fortress Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting staff for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.