Showjumping
Bath and West, Suffolk County, Surrey County, South View and more
“HE’S just effortless at the moment,” said Harriet Nuttall as A Touch Imperious cruised to the sole double clear of the area trial.
The scopey 13-year-old made Andy Palmer’s track look like a newcomers, navigating the gradients of this demanding main ring without touching a pole.
“The first round was trappy in places and the combination down the hill was catching people out, but he’s big and scopey and you can take a pull on the way in and he’ll jump out,” said Harriet, who was collecting her second trial win in a week, having also headed Bicton with Galway Bay Jed.
Along with Bolesworth, Bath & West was forming part of the gelding’s preparation for the Hickstead Derby, where Harriet is still chasing victory after finishing third once and second three times in recent years.
“Everything at the moment is building up to that,” said Harriet, who jumped “Henry” on the Nations Cup team in Drammen, Norway, last month, also finishing third in the three-star grand prix.
“We’ve come back local as he doesn’t travel well and he’s been travelling a lot. He did the sunshine tour in Spain— he’s been really consistent this year and still feels fresh.”
A pacey first round had earned Rupert Nuttall’s son of Touchdown the penultimate jump-off slot, sandwiched between Mennell Watson’s two stallions Outcast and Whisper In The Wind.
Alex Thompson, riding Cathalina V, opened proceedings with one down in a conservative 56.65 seconds, before Alec
Trickett swiftly reduced the target by more than five seconds when he jumped a four-fault round on One To Watch II.
A fractionally slower four faults from Outcast was followed by Harriet’s breezy clear, leaving Mennell and the consistent Whisper In The Wind as strong contenders in last to go. But the son of Cobretti slipped on the way into an oxer three from home and paddled the fence, also adding the last to drop down to fifth despite clocking the fastest time.
It was Alec — on his first appearance at Bath & West for 21 years — who collected the £750 second prize, on what was only the fourth outing this season for the Shropshire trainer and his sole ride.
“I’m very part-time these days
as I’m doing lots of teaching; it’s definitely a pastime for me now,” said Alec, who had only come to the show that morning after taking a British Showjumping area 22 clinic the evening before. “It’s nice to have a horse good enough that you can pick up and say ‘let’s go there son’.”
The chunky 11-year-old, who is referred to as “the cob”, lives out at home, where he nannies the youngsters.
“The first thing he’ll do when he gets home is check the twoyear-olds in the field next door are there and all behaving,” added Alec.
CHABLIS TAKES THE CHAMPAGNE
WHILE the area trial proved very much a jumper’s track, the Champagne Cave’s £1,500-to-thewinner grand prix was all about the clock. Only two of 11 jump-off contenders failed to produce clear rounds, with the contest decided in the final throes.
Rob Bevis and the “inexperienced” nine-year-old Chablis ET stole the class from final draw, denying a double victory for Harriet Nuttall, who had held the lead from midfield with the huge-striding Galway Bay Jed.
“I’m chuffed with him as I didn’t think we’d be as fast as Harriet,” said Rob, who was an impressive two seconds up on the clock. “The only place I could see where we could make up the time was on the turnback to number two, so we cut in there.
“Once I got through the double [three from home], I just let him go and thought, ‘I’ll see what happens’.”
The gelding is owned by Rob’s long-term supporters Nigel and Kate Mustill, who also formerly owned his top rides Courtney and Pebbles.
“He’s taken a while as he can be a bit of a baby at times — he still needs more experience, but he’s coming. We’ll keep doing the county shows with him now,” Rob added.
Alice Watson had a strong show, picking up the opening 1.30m class with Jenny Dowling’s E Pilotta before adding a take your own line victory with her own
KEC Havana.
Jenny’s chestnut Baloubet De Rouet x Pilot gelding,
E Pilotta, who is now eight, was originally bought from a dealer’s yard after she saw him and “felt sorry for him”.
“She loves him to bits and would never sell him — he can be quirky, but when he’s good, he’s good,” said Alice.
Bought as a “fun” horse last year, 14-year-old mare KEC Havana has proved a consistent investment for Alice.
She added to her win with a second place in the accumulator and had also looked on track for victory in the stick or twist stakes when she slipped up on the flat.
“She’s a great speed horse, but if I don’t run her all the time,
‘I just let him go and thought, “I’ll see what
happens”’
ROB BEVIS ON CHABLIS ET
I can also build her up for bigger tracks,” said Alice. “I’m thinking of running her in the speed
Derby at Hickstead as she is so quick.”
While the riders were unanimous in their praise for the ground — and the efforts of both Bob Ellis’ coursebuilding team and showjumping coordinator Rupert Nuttall — rain and use of the main ring had taken a bit of a toll by
Friday afternoon.
Although it walked perfectly, there were some worn areas of grass cover and three horses slipped up across three classes.
Riders were having to negotiate the arena intelligently in the final day’s Port Regis national accumulator and clears were sparse, with the quickest being delivered by Keith Doyle and his own and Gill Boyd’s eight-year-old Elmo Brown.
“We should have won last night but we had the joker down [in the stick or twist] so we weren’t making up the numbers today,” said Keith. “There were a handful of slips out there, but that’s what brings interest to the county shows — the slopes and having to balance horses.
“Where it was greasy I jumped across fences five, six and seven [on an angle], so I saved a bit of time there and I didn’t take a check to the joker. He’s a brave, careful and straightforward horse to ride and we have high hopes for him.”
OBAMA’S REJUVENATED
THE previous evening’s stick or twist class was a variation on the accumulator theme, with riders given the option of tackling a joker after crossing the finish to deduct six seconds from their time, or “sticking” with what’s on the clock.
Paul Crago headed the line-up from late in the field with Rebecca Allison’s Lux Z nine-year-old Obama JD, whom he has been riding for four months.
“Everything had gone pearshaped with him, but, thanks to Paul, we’ve got him going again,” said Rebecca, who originally bought the horse to jump 1.20m and 1.30m tracks on, but found he was more of a “man’s ride”.
“He qualified for Horse of the Year Show last year, got there and threw in the towel,” she said. “We weren’t sure what we were going to do after that, but Paul has been slowly working away at him.”
Paul explained: “I’ve been trying to get him to enjoy life again. I work him mostly out hacking or in the field and we don’t do much in the school.”
Last year’s area trial victor Adrian Whiteway has been reduced to one experienced horse this year, with one ride sold and two others facing a lay-off.
His remaining contender Carambow nevertheless delivered the goods, following up on a power and speed victory here in 2016 with a win in Thursday’s 1.40m open.
The 10-year-old produced the quickest of six jump-off rounds thanks to a gallop to an oxer at the last.
“I have two nice eight-yearolds and some young horses, but he has been left flying the flag for the older ones,” said Adrian, who has been producing Hazel Stowell’s Contendro gelding since he was five. “I took him to Spain this year to jump his first rankings classes and he was clear and placed and then finished by winning a three-star 1.40m, so he’s been keeping me up there.”
Rowan Willis may also have been without his two best horses at the show, but he still snatched a 1.40m win with up-and-coming nine-year-old Doulita II.
Owned by Australian Ali Foye, the mare is just stepping up to larger tracks.
“She’s very competitive,” said Rowan. “She’ll jump some bigger classes on the county circuit and then we’ll take her first four-star in Šamorín [Slovakia].”
‘Carambow’s flying the flag — he’s keeping me
up there’
ADRIAN WHITEWAY