Former five-star eventer Emily Baldwin has won her first dressage championship title at the NAF Five Star Winter dressage Championships, riding her five-year-old horse Intello to a score of 73.6%. Initially planning to compete in the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships, a system error forced her to enter the regional qualifier at Wellington instead, where she earned a wild card to the championships. Despite Intello’s inexperience and nerves, Emily’s dedicated training and exposure work helped them deliver an impressive and relaxed test at Addington.

This victory marks a new chapter for Emily, who has recently shifted her focus from eventing to dressage due to the decreasing availability of eventing competitions in her region. She credits long-time mentors Maryanne Horn and Andrew Gould for their support during this transition. Emily remains grounded about Intello’s future, valuing his good temperament and willingness to try above all, while embracing the fresh challenge and joy of competing and training in dressage.