Pony Squires Jodie to victory
29 July-2 August
JODIE HALL-MCATEER maxed on her final draw to take the pony showjumper of the year qualifier with The Little Squire.
Only four of the 45 starters jumped initial clears over course-designer Raf Suarez’s tough, technical track, with Jodie producing a deceptively quick round on the Irish-bred 10-year-old.
“He’s naturally upbeat and much easier to ride on a forward stride. This was our last chance and it was good knowing I’d qualified before the jump-off — I was able to do my own thing,” said Jodie.
The track impressed Jodie. “It was up-to-height with plenty of turn-backs to tall verticals, but it was a good track and got the right number of clears,” said Jodie, who has been selected for the pony European championships with Tixylix.
Ireland’s Ciaron Nallon rode a cool, professional round to take second on Tony Carrabine’s Sligo Little James.
“He was second in Galway’s premier and won the Cavan grand prix. He’s a money-maker pony,” said Ciaron.
Allana Clutterbuck — who has also been selected for the European team, with Sultan Du Bary — eased Sue Evans’ Frenchbred 10-year-old into third.
As Irish competitors are not eligible for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), the last qualifying place was handed to fourth-placed Drew Walton and Tequila Twist.
Allana swept into victory in the 102-strong Blue Chip pony newcomers second round with Atomic Du Bary. The Frenchbred six-year-old by Eric Navet’s former International ride Frascator Mail was purchased four years ago and is out of the same mare as Sultan.
“He hasn’t done much as I’ve been concentrating on [top pony] Sultan, but he’s naturally talented, careful, scopey, quick and nothing fazes him — he’s everything you need in a pony,” said Allana.
“It’s lovely to have the backing of the Elevage du Bary stud and Sultan’s owner Sue Evans, I couldn’t do it without them.”
Ryan Lockwood, 15, was just 0.6 of a second behind to take the second qualifying spot on Michael Whitaker’s Nelly III, a nine-year-old he has produced for two years.
“She’s super-genuine — not overbig, at 14.1hh — but she’s powerful and scopey, with a big heart,” said Ryan.
Ciaron, 14, also headed a hotly-contended HOYS 138cm 10-pony decider, his cool, calm demeanour again on display to take victory by 0.45 of a second on his ride of two months, Kate Wachman’s 11-year-old Kiltormer Hero.
“We clicked straight away and every time he comes out he gets better,” said Co. Mayobased Ciaron.
Shaunie Greig and the already-qualified Drumaclan Flight jumped into second over the substantial track, with Iwan Carpenter providing the only other treble clear for third on the inexperienced but talented six-year-old Follow Jazzy Lady.
Tahnia Jordan-Jones was fourth on another qualified pony, Thyme Flies, and the final, much-coveted HOYS tickets went to Faye Sutton in fifth on Fast Fun and sixth-placed Harry Wood aboard Rapkyns Paddys Day.
Welsh Home Pony International, David Broome Event Centre, Monmouthshire
Rich pickings for Ffion
FFION ROBERTS claimed the Squibb Group pony Foxhunter with Rich Faith in a six-pony decider.
“I was nervous but tried not to let the pressure get to me,” said Ffion, who also has Kantjes Bozzy though to the final.
The 12-year-old Faith was purchased locally in Holywell, North Wales and proved tricky to break.
“She’s quirky and gets bouncy when you ride her, I have to keep her settled and calm,” said Ffion, 14, who took on the ride from her brother Joseph in January 2014.
Ella Popely slotted the already-qualified Jethro into second with Joe Fernyhough, 15, taking third on Jenny and Graham Hudson’s Eastside Mirah, Hickstead winter JC finalists just days earlier.
“She’s had an unlucky season and to come out and jump treble clear was a surprise, but she pulled it out of the bag,” said Joe, who finished fifth in the Foxhunter final last year on the Irish-bred 11-year-old.
Kiarra Hulme netted the final qualifying spot with a steady treble clear to register her HOYS debut on “very honest” Bombay III, an 11-year-old also in the newcomers final.
Tatiane Mauree posted the only treble clear in the HOYS 128cm three-way decider to head to her HOYS debut with Colliyers Pal Joey.
“He helped me out at a few of the fences, he has such a lovely personality,” said Tatiane, 11, who got the Welsh-bred nineyear-old five years ago.
“He was a companion to a racehorse, but when they broke him in and loose-jumped him, he jumped out of the arena. We bought him because he’s a halfbrother to my first pony.”
Tatiane has progressed from unaffiliated to tiny tots, but was sidelined last summer with a broken arm and only started in top 128cm classes in the winter, qualifying for Hickstead.
Ireland’s Ryan Sweetnam took second on Silver Legend with a fast four faults, and Iwan Carpenter took third on Teylnau Royal Damask.
Iwan had recovered quickly from a rotational fall, in which Brookhall Glimpse rolled over him, when contending the
Home Pony International teams for England two days earlier. Both were sound the next day.
Iwan now has four ponies at HOYS — Glimpse and Damask in the 128cm and Little Boy De Carmen and Jazzy Lady in the 138cm final.
Enthusiastic spectators cheered on the Home Pony International teams in the sun, with each country taking a win. Scotland claimed gold in the 148cm section after a tense jump-off with England, and England took gold in the 138cm with an impressive zero score, one fence ahead of Ireland.
Ireland’s zero score took the 128cm gold from England on four, and Wales also posted zero in the under-10s for gold with England in silver, again on four faults. H&H