NORTH Yorkshire RC, Yorks | Port Royal, Yorks
Kath Inman’s last-minute decision to affiliate paid off with a prelim win at Yorkshire Riding Centre.
Her ride, the five-year-old Power Blade gelding Cutting Blade IV, was bred by a friend of Kath’s, Judith Lonsdale, and is partowned with Chris McGrann.
“I’ve been riding him since last summer and he’s been going really well, but affiliating was a bit of a last-minute decision,” said Kath, whose sister is top eventer Jeanette Brakewell. “Once I’d registered, it was a question of looking for somewhere to go.”
The horse is bred to event and, ultimately, that is the plan.
“He’ll do some more dressage through the winter and then we’ll see how we go in the spring,” added Kath, who lectures in the equine department at Askham Bryan College alongside freelance teaching. “It is 12 years since I last evented and I now have two children, so I’ve bought myself a new body protector.”
Heather Hopkinson won prelims at both Port Royal shows during the week, riding her Broadstone Landmark gelding Land Quest I. The eight-year-old is owned by Wendy Greaves and was bought as a “happy hacker”.
“I went to give Wendy a hand with him and, wow, did he move. Wendy kindly said I could compete him if I wanted to,” said Heather, who is a property developer.
“He hasn’t been out a lot as he has been a little accident prone. He took the stable door frame for a trip around the village once, but, amazingly, managed to survive without serious damage.”