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It was virtually inevitable that Anna Value would pursue a profession within the saddle, given her horsey background. Her mom, Tricia competed at five-star degree, whereas her father Tim competed to three-star and her aunt is five-star rider Nana Dalton.
“Mum was 4 months pregnant with me when she competed at Burghley in 2004,” says Anna, talking from Australia, the place she is at the moment travelling.
2023 has proved to be a dream 12 months for 18-year-old Anna, scooping victory in each the younger rider CCI2*-L and junior CCI2*-L on the regional youth championships at Bishop Burton in July. She swiftly adopted this up with group silver and particular person fourth on the Junior European Eventing Championships.
“My fundamental purpose this 12 months was simply to not put any stress on it. I used to be doing my A ranges and I’m not the brightest, so I needed to actually focus,” laughs Anna, who’s from Bedfordshire. “We weren’t chasing something, we had been simply progressing with how the horses had been going and doing our personal factor.”
Anna’s two high horses are the 10-year-old mare Blakeney Shock and the eight-year-old mare Maintain Comfortable.
“We needed to journey them to Bishop Burton after which steady them there individually as they’re very hooked up, which I believe was fairly annoying for mum,” says Anna. “I didn’t have any expectations heading into the occasion – I simply needed to offer each horses a pleasant expertise. We knew they may go properly, however for Blakeney Shock to win the younger rider class and for Maintain Comfortable to win the junior class was fairly surreal. I used to be a tremendous feeling.”
Maintain Comfortable was then chosen to compete on the Junior European Eventing Championships in Montelibretti, Italy.
“It was Maintain Comfortable’s second lengthy format occasion and her first time going overseas, so that you by no means know the way they’re going to react,” explains Anna. “The environment was wonderful and 5 of my pals flew on the market to help me, which was so particular. It was so pretty to be a part of a group too – we had been all in it collectively.”
Anna and Maintain Comfortable completed on their 25.4 dressage and better of the Brits, simply .5 of a penalty from particular person bronze.
“If somebody had instructed us firstly of the week, that will have been the end result, we wouldn’t have believed them as Maintain Comfortable is sort of an inexperienced horse and delicate too, so it’s simpler stated than completed,” says Anna. “Clearly, I look again and know that there are issues to enhance, which then may have received us a person medal, however I’ll take fourth and group silver any day.”
Anna began affiliated eventing when she was 12, having beforehand competed repeatedly in working hunter pony courses. Her older sister, Lucy, produced Blakeney Shock till Anna took over when Lucy stopped using a few years in the past. Maintain Comfortable was bought as a six-year-old from Andrew Williams.
“Maintain Comfortable isn’t the best of horses attributable to her sensitivity, however she’s actually beginning to mature bodily and mentally and has come into her personal this season,” explains Anna, who says she has a superb working relationship along with her mum in the case of coaching. “It really works properly as a result of we don’t say an excessive amount of to one another – simply sufficient – and there’s no battle between us.”
Now on her hole 12 months, Anna flew out to New Zealand in October and is embarking on a visit up the east coast of Australia earlier than going to Asia for a few months.
“I received’t be dwelling in time for the beginning of the eventing season, however after I get again, I’m going to base myself with an expert eventer to get some expertise using completely different horses,” she explains. “We’re going to deal with subsequent 12 months as we did this 12 months and never put an excessive amount of stress on it, however I’d like to do some three-stars and attempt to get certified for the Younger Rider European Championships.”
You may additionally have an interest to learn…
Credit score: Future 
Credit score: Peter Nixon 
Credit score: Peter Nixon 
Credit score: FA van Oostenbrugge 
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