Lancashire vs. Yorkshire: A Rivalry Rich in History
“A horse, a horse,
my kingdom for a horse!”
According to Shakespeare, the famous last words uttered by Richard III, defeated by Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster at Bosworth in 1485. Fast forward to 2018, and Eccleston Equestrian Centre would serve as the field on which the historic houses would once again come together to do battle. (At equestrianism [minus the swords]).
The stage was set: after a successful season of competition, including an individual qualification to, and placing at, regionals, Lancaster felt on fantastic form, and ready to prove that roses are indeed, red. Dressage came first. A historic discipline utilised by the militaries of history to train their horses to perform movements intended to attack or evade the enemy, it certainly proved influential today. Horse and rider are required to perform a series of memorised, pre-determined movements, with their accuracy, the horse’s submission and athleticism and the rider’s performance subject to intense scrutiny.
After a nail-biting 16 tests, the unthinkable had occurred; York’s A team had managed to achieve that which Richard never could: a win on three out of four horses! This performance put them 10 points ahead of Lancaster’s A team, and meant they had some work to do in the Show Jumping phase. Designed to test the horse’s athleticism, and the rider’s accuracy and ability to place their horse to a fence, the show-jumping is by far the most exhilarating phase of the Roses Equestrian Competition. To ensure victory, Lancaster would have to take back the lead from York, and give them enough penalties to nullify their advantage from the dressage.
This would be no mean feat: jumping can be much closer than dressage, so they would need to pull out all the stops. This they did in style. With Kate, Hina and Charlotte all jumping fantastic rounds on their horses, much rested on the shoulders of A team captain, Meagan. Riding Merlin, who had consistently knocked fences with his other jockeys, Meagan knew she couldn’t afford for him to do the same with her if Lancaster were to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. After a nail-biting round, with only one fence down, the crowd erupted as she finished her round and saluted the judge. The nearest to a clear round on Merlin, she had not only won on her horse, but given York’s A team rider 22 penalties.
533 years after the Battle of Bosworth and the War of the Roses ended, Lancaster once again showed what happens to those who would presume to take the Rose from Lancaster.
