Danielle Dunn To Make First Senior Team Debut At Nations Cup
Wiltshire rider Danielle Dunn, 24, is one of three British Senior team debutants receiving a call up for the first leg of the 2017 Eventing Nations Cup to be held at Strzegom, Poland from the 17-21st May.
Alongside Alexander Bragg, Olivia Craddock and Franky Reid-Warrilow, the young rider will head to Poland with her own and Mr Stuart Hodder’s 12-year-old gelding, Grandslam.
“This is such an exciting time, I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for the Nations Cup team. It is a huge honour. I can’t thank my co-owner Stuart Hodder and his family enough for their help and support.” – Danielle Dunn
The call up follows a first CIC3*** completion for Grandslam at the Barefoot Estates Burnham Market International Horse Trials, in Norfolk, across the Easter weekend, in which the pair finished in 14th place, as only 1 of 3 combinations to finish on their dressage score.
The news comes at a very exciting time for Danielle as she embarks on her first CCI**** at the world famous Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, the first weekend of May. Co-owned with Jenny Lockyer, Danielle will pilot Zocarla BLH around Eric Winter’s 4* track, following in her mother’s footsteps who also completed Badminton in 1984 with Finisterre II.
Danielle added, “To be going to Badminton is an absolute dream, any horsey girls dream, but it’s been more than that. I have always believed I would ride at Badminton, and my whole life so far has been about training to get to this stage. My mum evented and has ridden at Badminton and Burghley. I think I am incredibly lucky to have a mum who is so knowledgeable and understanding of the sport. Mum has always taught me that correct riding comes first, through my journey so far it’s always come down to that. I definitely do not feel any pressure from mum, she is a fundamental part of the process and to be honest I’d probably be lost without her!”
Danielle has recently gained further support from The Horse Trials Supporters Group, Equine Construction and Keyflow Feeds.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.