Bradford on Avon based Dan Hammond rode Florentin to clinch the inaugural GLC5500 Medium Dressage Championship at West Wilts Equestrian Centre recently. The Championship is the culmination of a new series sponsored by American Thoroughbred Products Ltd, based in Kilmington, Wiltshire. Fourteen horses contested the Final having qualified in the preliminary classes held throughout the spring. Dan and Florentin came out on top in the Final earning an excellent score of 71.7% with the 7 year old, Westfalian, Florentin, owned by Gloria Robeson.

Dan commented, "I am delighted with the way he went. This is his first competition since we won the Winter Championships and he just keeps getting better. I started riding the horse when Gloria acquired him as a three year old, so having produced the horse from scratch is very satisfying".

Dan Hammond Riding Florentin, with owner, Gloria Robeson, and sponsors, Mr and Mrs Graham Cotton of American Thoroughbred Products Ltd
(Picture Credit: David Ward)

The pair has had an illustrious career to date, having been South West Regional Novice Champion in 2001 and then National Elementary Champion at the Winter Championships in April this year. As winners of the GLC5500 Medium Dressage Championships, Dan takes home a generous supply of GLC5500 joint supplement as well as rosettes and prize money. "The feed supplement will be very useful for our 11 year old dressage horse to ease his joints and keep him supple" said Dan.

A very close second place went to Alice Wilson riding Equilibra Niky, with 71.4%, with Clare Self riding Whitehall Napoleon, Lotte Christensen-Webster on Maximillian Medley, Mary Skelly on Next Contender and Jo Hadfield on Atticus all sharing third place on equal scores of 67.5%.

"We are delighted that American Thoroughbred Products have decided to sponsor this series and final at West Wilts" said Lindsey Rodwell, proprietor of the equestrian centre. "Sponsorship is a great help in staging these classes and I am sure that GLC5500 will prove popular with our riders".

GLC5500 is the latest development in joint care supplements in the UK. It is the first joint supplement to offer a combination of the full spectrum of bio-available glucosamine compounds plus chondroitin sulphate whose functions have already been clearly established.

GLC 5500 has already been hugely successful in the USA and is widely used by top trainers and veterinary surgeons. George Meichowski, president of the Canadian International Dressage Riders Association and World Cup finalist, says "I have seen a definite improvement in my horse's performance. GLC has helped my horse to regain elasticity and ease of movement so important in the sport of dressage". For more information about the product, call 01985 844589.

.