Open and intermediate championships
Riders from four different branches join up to take the eventing championship, while an Irish team top the showjumping and last year’s dressage winner defends her title against the odds
Berkeley Group Pony Club Open Championships, Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire
A MIXED Area 9 team pulled together to squeak a five-penalty victory over second-placed, threeman Monmouthshire in the open eventing championship.
The team comprising Flo Finzi (Bonnie, VWH), Henry Hobby (Touch Royale, Old Berkshire Hunt), Honor McFarlane (Strattonstown Nico, Old Berkshire Hunt) and Tom Bird (Night Fury, Heythrop Hunt) got together at the last-minute for their area qualifier when there weren’t enough open eventing competitors from their respective branches to create a team.
“We never dreamt we would qualify, let alone win the championship,” laughed 14-yearold Henry, who was riding his father’s hunter and former advanced eventer, Touch Royale.
“We’re thrilled that between us we jumped four clears across country and three clears in the showjumping,” said Honor, eluding to the fact that just 40% of cross-country starters jumped clear, with 7% of those finishing inside the optimum time.
“We must thank all of our supporters, owners and trainers including Fran Bird and Max Warburton — we’re so grateful to them,” said Flo.
“We’re a young team and it’s great to win,” said 15-year-old Tom. “We’re all such good friends which makes it even better.”
A shocked Alice Goring of the Garth South was the individual winner of section B.
“I’ve never won a one-day event,” laughed the 25-yearold, who events her winning mount, The Little Frenchman, to intermediate and two-star level. The pair added 1.6 time-faults to a dressage of 31.
“We’ve not had the best preparation as ‘Finley’ got mud fever in the first week of July and so hasn’t competed or been cross-country schooling since,” explained Alice who fits in riding around her full-time job in osteoporosis research in Southampton, a 100-mile round trip from her Weybridge home.
“He was pretty awesome — he’s
only 14.3hh on his tip toes and I’ve had him for five years now so we have a good partnership. He does have a bit of ‘small man syndrome’ in that he knows he’s good and can be fresh, but he’s the most awesome cross-country horse.”
The Wilton Hunt’s Hope Pleydell-Bouverie dedicated her victory in section D to her late grandfather.
“I qualified to compete in the open eventing last year but didn’t have the best time,” explained the 19-year-old, who heads to Exeter University this autumn to study sports and exercise science. “My grandfather had come to watch but then sadly passed away
two weeks later, so this win was for him.”
Riding the eight-year-old Mullaghmeen, who she has borrowed from her brother this year, Hope added two time-faults to her dressage of 35.2.
“My horse is about 17.2hh and he has only just stopped growing,” said Hope, who trains with fourstar eventer Gubby Leech. “I was initially disappointed with my dressage mark, but he’s a machine across country so I knew I could put my foot down. Winning here was on my bucket list, so that’s mission accomplished.”
Saffron Osborne went one better than her second place last year when taking section E on the 14.2hh Red Dandy, finishing on 29.8, a whopping 10.3 penalties clear of her nearest rival.
“I’m so pleased,” said the 15-year-old of the Old Berkshire Hunt, who has just returned with team and individual silver at the European pony eventing championships. “I think my pony was annoyed that I left him behind when I went to the Europeans with my other one, so he wanted to show me what he could do here. I knew I had a bit of a buffer after the showjumping so I pushed but didn’t go mad across country.”
Section C went to Brier Leahy of the Flint & Denbigh Hunt, riding Kellen, who was paying his third visit to the championships.
They added 1.2 time-faults to their dressage of 27.3.
“His dressage performance wasn’t his best as for some reason he was calling all the way through it — I have no idea why,” laughed Brier who rides full time, producing young horses. “He then jumped a great double clear, trying his heart out.”
Brier has produced the 14-year-old in eventing from
80cm to intermediate, but he hasn’t always been the easiest.
“Before I started riding Kellen, he was a hack, but he kept bucking his old owner off,” explained the 21-year-old. “Although he can still be nervous, we’ve now built up a great partnership where we trust each other.”
SHOWJUMPING
ELSPETH JAMIESON, of the Eglington Hunt branch, made the eight-and-a-half hour journey from Ayrshire worthwhile when taking the individual showjumping championship, riding VIP Cooley.
Just three riders made it as far as the jump-off, after a tough first two rounds of competition.
Elspeth was drawn second to go in the jump-off, and when Diana Bevan of the Burghley branch had a fence down, Elspeth knew what she had to do.
“I saw Diana have a fence down and thought that I shouldn’t go mad and just go in and jump a clear round,” explained the 19-year-old sports therapy graduate. “I knew it would put pressure on the last to go too.”
When Katie Thomas, of
Polden Hills branch, had four faults with LLF Marbella, the win went to Elspeth.
“I’m so proud of my horse as he’s only six,” admitted Elspeth, who trains with Ali Boswell and John Geddes. “He hasn’t jumped on grass much and definitely isn’t used to jumping three rounds.”
Elspeth bought the 16.3hh Irish sport horse from Richard Sheane of Cooley Sport Horses as a rising five year old and they have since progressed to one-star eventing and British