From bridesmaid to champion: Michael Eilberg’s freestyle glory at the National Dressage Championships

After a run of second-place finishes, Michael Eilberg and MSJ Encore finally had their crowning moment in their class together at the 2025 LeMieux National Dressage Championships, winning the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I freestyle gold with 74.4% to secure the inter I supreme title.

They finished ahead of Matt Frost and Kerouac in second, with Jessie McConkey and Wilson Stensvang third.

“He’s been a bit of a bridesmaid this week,” Michael admitted. “He had a couple of mistakes in the other tests he’s done, and we’ve had a little bit of difficulty nailing the changes this week.

“But he loves the freestyle programme – it really suits him – and we nailed the changes and managed to put a clean test together, which was really rewarding.”

“The music was composed by Gary Patterson – and it’s a complete original composition. He plays all the instruments himself; nothing is taken from anywhere else.

“It was originally written for my former grand prix horse Half Moon Dynasty, who was very similar: powerful, rhythmical. The whole thing is built around the beat,” Michael explained.

MSJ Encore, he added, has been a long-term project. “He’s been with me since he was a foal, so we’ve done everything together. He’s such a lovely horse to have, such a presence – a real character on the yard.

“Everybody absolutely loves him. As he’s gone up the levels, he’s just got stronger and stronger. He knows a bit of the grand prix work now, so hopefully over the winter we’ll press on with that and see what next year has in store.”

This year’s nationals were a change of pace for Michael. “Normally, I have seven or more horses here, and I’m running around doing everything. But this time I really focused on the ones I thought could feature at the top end,” he said.

“It meant I could give them the time and do a proper job, and it’s nice it all came together at the end,” he said.

Two titles in two days at the 2025 National Dressage Championships

Gijs Van Vooren and Judith Davis’ British-bred gelding Hawtins Quattro made it two titles in two days at the 2025 LeMieux National Dressage Championships, adding the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I silver (71.29%) to the prix st georges (PSG) silver they won yesterday (12 September). Gijs also took third place on Hawtins Bellegra with 68.82%.

“I came to work for Hawtins Stud seven years ago, backing the young horses,” Gijs said. “Since then, I’ve built my way up to riding at PSG and inter I.

“It’s been such an exciting journey, and it’s all thanks to Judith. Without her, there wouldn’t be me. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and I feel a lot of pressure because I want to do her and the horses justice.”

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