VALE VIEW PARA TRIALS
Horse & Hound
27/03/2008
Michelle Crunkhorn celebrated her new sponsorship with Wilkinsons DIY Stores with a win in the grade IV, riding her own Go Diamond.Michelle brought the son of Giorgione from an advert in H&H.
'I saw him in the spring and liked the look of him' said Michelle, who for the past few years has ridden her trainer Angela Weiss's grand prix horse, No Limit. He has now retired from the para ranks.
'Go Diamond has the most fantastic temperament and it's just a question of getting the mileage' said Michelle.
THE BEST OF BRITISH SHINES THROUGH AT HARTPURY FEI WORLD PARA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
All Horse
01/09/2007
Para athletes and support teams from thirty four nations arrived at the college's equestrian venue where they enjoyed two days of sunshire; dehydration and sunburn being the biggest concern! nothing could have prepared the College for what was to come. The torrential relentless downpour turned the outdoor arenas into swimming pools and the marquees into carpeted mud baths. However, the outdoor competition was simply moved indoors where Lee Pearson won team, individual and freestyle tests in grade 1b riding Anne Murry's British bred Altino, a horse he has only ridden for one month with the highest percentage of the show, 79.88%
Team first-timer Simon Laurens and Oceam Diamond (grade 3) won freestyle gold and Anne Dunham (grade 1a) and BB Call Me Caine won freestyle silver. The other team debutante Michelle Crunkhorn and No Limit 5 finished fifth in both grade IV team and individual competitions.
CRUNKHORN'S GOLDEN TOUCH
Nottingham Evening Post
02/08/2007
Notts para-equestrian dressage rider Michelle Crunkhorn helped the British team retain team gold at the World Para Dressage Championships at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire.
Riding Geoff Kroll's 16.3hh German-bred bay gelding No Limit 5, the 24-year-old Tollerton rider was fifth in the grade IV team test with a score of 68/71% and followed this with fifth in the grade IV individual test.
Crunkhorn said ''It was fantastic to win the team gold medal - I was so proud to have been part of the team. The atmosphere was brilliant and there was great camaraderie between us''
''I was a bit disappointed with my individual results. My horse didn't have the best preparation- we won the final selection trial but unfortunetely he then had to have some time off work. He was almost 'over the edge' and was showing off, trying to do grand prix movements.
''Now I'm aming to defend my grade IV disabled dressage rider title at the national dressage championships in September'' she added.
A total of 140 riders from 33 nations travelled to Hartpury for the world championships of a sport Great Britain dominate.
In addition to the team gold medal, the British contingent came away with five individual gold medals, three individual silver medals anf four individual bronze medals.
WORLD PARA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Horse and Hound
26/07/2007
Team member Michelle Crunkhorn had hard times at these championships. For the team test she had the worst conditions, riding through puddles in torrential rain - her jacket still hadn't dried two days later, because of the weather, Michelle also had pain in her leg muscles, For the Individual test, No Limit took exception to Hartpury's impressive new indoor arena and became tense and rushed.
''he thought he was doing a Grand Prix gala evening with his owner Angela Weiss'' said Michelle ''He went in, grew and went off he went''
The pair lost marks on submission and walk.
''I was disapointed'' said Michelle ''I worked so hard to get on the team, winning the final selection trial. it'll just make me work harder''
Their music test was an improvement outside, but No Limit was still distracted by the umbrellas. Michelle borrows No Limit from her trainer Angela, and is looking for another horse because she feels that, as a rider, she lacks regular competition experience.
BRITAIN RIDE TO THIRD TITLE
The Daily Telegraph Sport
23/07/2007
Great Britain won an impressive 13 medals at the FEI World Para Dressage Championships at Hartpury College, Gloucester, over the weekend.
Lee Pearson led the British team of Anne Dunham. Simon Laurens and Michelle Crunkhorn to gold, and achieved qualification for the Beijing Paralympics at the same time. Germany were relegated to second place by some 17 points, with Norway in third another seven points adrift. GB have now held the title for three championships in succession.
NO LIMIT TO PARA SUCCESS
Horse & Hound, Dressage Comment: Richard Davison
28/06/2007
THINK back to Horse & Hound's 7 June issue. Can you recall a half-page photograph of Para rider Michelle Crunkhorn? It really caught my eye. Riding the grand prix horse No Limit, she was a picture of elegance and lightness.
Michelle was competing in the final selection trial for the Para World Championships (Hartpury, 19-22 July), which will be held in conjunction with the able-bodied CDI.
The previous week, I watched No Limit's grand prix test with regular rider Angela Weiss at Somerford Park's Premier League. He looked full of go in the extensions and did some good, energetic work.
He's a horse I've enjoyed following over the years.
I was with Lady Barnford when she bought him as a four-year-old from the prestigious PSI Auction in Germany. My wife, Gillian, started his training and competed him in the novice national championship the following year. Later we sold him back to Germany. Then after being competed by a French team rider, the Seals bought him back to the UK for Sandy Phillips to ride. During his time with Sandy, he also had a run with German ace Hubertus Schmidt and scored 74.74% in the grand prix freestyle at Dortmund in 2004.
He is one of a number of high-quality horses making up our World Class Para squad.
British Para Riders have a blockbusting record of medals at World Championships and Olympics. They have certainly played their part in helping promote support for all equestrian sports in this country. I will be eagerly following their results and wish all our Para riders, owners, trainers and support teams every success.
WORLD'S THE LIMIT FOR CRUNKHORN
Horse & Hound
07/06/2007
MICHELLE Crunkhorn, 25, had the highest score, 73.55%, at the final selection trial for the Para World Championships - despite riding at the toughest level, grade 4.
Michelle rides No Limit when he is not doing grand prix with her trainer Angela Weiss.
"We have to be careful to fit everything in without asking him to do too much," said Michelle. "And it took us a while to convince him not to canter every time he came down the centreline, but he's such a pro and very consistent. Today he kept a nice outline and was really soft."
Michelle was born without the lower part of her left arm and says left shoulder-in has always been her weakness, but this came together well at the Unicorn Trust in Gloucestershire.
Judge Freddie Leyman said: "No Limit was an example of lightness and fluency, a happy athlete."
