Tonto back on form
CLAIRE DEUTEN and the eye-catching coloured stallion, Ustinov Van Elsenham (Tonto), who is owned by Valerie Scott, stepped down a level to take the open novice (ON) honours on a finishing score of 28.6.
“It was a last-minute decision to bring Tonto,” explained Claire, who had been campaigning the son of the successful jumping sire, Utah Van Erpekom, at open intermediate and two-star level.
“He’s had a bit of an interrupted season — I didn’t run him on the wet ground at the beginning of the year and, since the weather has turned warmer, he’s been quite
wild. He was like a raging bull at Farley Hall, but today he was back to his normal, relaxed, rideable self.”
Claire and Tonto joined forces around three years ago.
The stallion was previously campaigned by Alex Hua Tian.
“He’s the nicest horse I’ve ever had to look after; he’s no hassle at all and everyone’s best friend,” said Claire.
Although Tonto is not currently standing at stud, this may change next year.
“We’ve had a few enquires about him, so there is a possibility he will cover some mares next year,” revealed his rider.
Another — somewhat smaller — stallion took the honours in the under-18 BE100open class.
Glencarrig Dolphin, a 14.2hh Connemara who had a busy spring combining competing with stud duties, was expertly piloted to the top of the leaderboard by 11-yearold Lucy Baguley.
“He’s been a brilliant pony so far,” said Lucy’s mother, Nicola, who used to compete at the highest level and went on to produce a string of home-bred offspring, most by Mill Law, that she owned and bred with her mother, Sue Browne. “My role is now chief dogsbody, but I did take Glencarrig Dolphin up to novice level before handing over the reins to Lucy. She’s doing a much better job than me now.”
Novice section F winner Harriet Falshaw is having a summer to remember. Last month, the 22-year-old won at Catton Park and graduated with a degree in real estate from Oxford Brookes University. This month, she added a win here and accepted a job offer from property consultants, Carter Jonas.
Harriet’s winning partner, Sportsfield Lexi (whose name has since changed to Shannondale Sharona), by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvn, came from dealer Graham Sugden’s yard.
“I spent the winter getting to know her, doing lots of simulated cross-country indoors,” said Harriet, who used to row competitively and still works hard on her own fitness. “When I stopped rowing, I realised I needed to keep working on my core balance, so now I have an exercise regime that focuses on that.”
Buckminster’s inviting, galloping courses and old parkland turf were extremely well received by the competitors.