NICOLA Blandin has topped a remarkable season by winning a coveted title at the 2008 National Carriage Driving Championships.
Blandin was crowned this year’s intermediate pony national champion at the UK’s biggest carriage driving competition in Windsor Great Park.
With her Welsh pony Carrwood Acclaim, Blandin was required to complete three days of intensive competition with tests in dressage, cross-country and cone driving.
She said: ‘Our trainer Di Hayes had assured me that Acclaim was ready for this level of competition, despite being young and inexperienced, although I was slightly disappointed after the dressage. Acclaim was quite a handful so we did not achieve our best score, but that is part of the challenge – the horses and ponies have to be fit enough to complete a gruelling 19 km marathon yet remain calm for the dressage and cones.’
• Picture: Nicola Blandin, accompanied by husband Kerry, tackles one of the obstacles in Windsor Great Park. Picture by Peter Blackman Photography 2008
