Big Ben’s f inest hour
Greg Hill takes home top prize with Big Ben VI while British-bred horses lead the way to glory
PATIENCE paid off for Greg Hill when the eight-year-old Big Ben VI finally came into his own to take the £1,000 NAF Superflex area trial.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a prize-giving with him before,” said Greg, who bought the aptly named 18hh gelding as a five-yearold from Carron Nicol.
“Everyone told me big horses are rubbish young horses and he wasn’t the best five- and six-yearold. There were rounds where he’d have six down and his co-owner Mitchell Moor always said to me, ‘Don’t give up on him, even when he’s hard work’, and he was right.
“I love Hartpury, it’s 15 minutes down the road from me and it’s great to win a trial on home soil,” added Greg, who moved to nearby Newent in March.
Paul Connor’s track was wellpitched, producing four clears from 40 starters. The water and combination were predictable bogeys, while more surprising faults came from two identical errors of course when two riders turned the wrong way after the third fence.
There were a raft of fourfaulters, but the fifth jump-off slot went to an on-form Mark Edwards, who delivered the fastest of these with Montreux’s Tale. First to go in the decider, he produced a rapid clear aboard his father Martyn’s eight-year-old, leaving zero margin of error for those that followed.
Ollie Fletcher, freshly returned from his double silver at the junior Europeans, notched eight faults with Temple Rebus before Rose Moss delivered an accomplished but steady clear with Carlos F.
“Mark had a pole [four faults carried through], so I knew if I had a pole I’d be lucky to beat him. I thought if we beat Rose and had a clear, it would be the best I could do,” said Greg, who was next to jump. “I knew after that Mennell was following, but I only had to jump my round and let everyone else do theirs. The horse is only eight and 18hh, so there’s only so much he can do.”
Greg ably delivered a clear with the son of Lord Z, clipping a full 5.90sec from Rose’s time, with some more economical lines on the turns to five and 11.
“He has a lot of scope, he’s rideable, he shortens, lengthens and always does his best, which is the most important thing,”
Greg added. “He’s amazingly easy to ride. He’s light in the hand, quick off the leg — I ride him in child’s spurs.
“I’ve never had a horse jump as well as him and I would love to think he has big tracks in him.”
Mennell Watson and his uberconsistent 10-year-old stallion Whisper In The Wind were looming in last draw, and were certainly on-form again at this show, going on to clinch both of the schedule’s 1.40m opens.
But their luck didn’t hold in the trial as the keen dark bay flattened a little at the first part of the double and rolled a pole, leaving them 0.59sec behind Mark to take fourth place.
Although a bit disappointed to have played it safe in hindsight, Rose’s second place with Louisa Church’s classy 17.1hh chestnut Carlos F concluded a good show for her, where she also collected two wins with novices.
“I’m 5ft-nothing and he’s a big horse for me, so I’ve been riding him in second gear and I’ve got to start riding him in third to get more competitive,” said Rose. “A couple of the others had fences and I went for that clear. Greg had the benefit of knowing what he had to do — he went a little bit quicker.
“Carlos is a great horse and was third in the trial at Addington before being second here, so we’re building up towards winning one,” she added. “We drive to Belgium on Tuesday, so Hartpury was a great show to set us up for that.”
Sunday’s young horse finals showcased some great competition, with the six-yearold championship succumbing to a near-whitewash by the Billy Stud. Billy horses accounted for six out of 10 jump-off contenders, and went on to take five of the top seven placings.
Lucy Townley opened proceedings with a super round on the athletic Billy Take That,
surviving a heart-stopping moment when the chestnut tripped and crashed into the arena fencing after the finish. Fortunately, neither was seriously hurt, and their time held good enough for eventual fourth, with Lucy dusting herself off for her next two rides.
Their lead held until being usurped midfield by fellow stable jockey Josh Hutchins, who scythed 2.67sec with Billy Kiara. A smooth bid from Adrian Whiteway and Selina Milnes’ Cooley Network disrupted the Billy Stud dominance when they nipped into second place, while Lucy earned herself third with a neat late round on Billy Spiral.
“My ride wasn’t as tidy as Adrian’s because I was determined to win,” said Josh. “She’s a rangey mare with a good canter. She’s got plenty of blood and lots of quality, so she wasn’t having to generate too much out there. It’s William’s principle to breed them like this — it’s the third day here and it’s hot. That’s where they are so good, they have the quality and blood to keep going. ”
‘THE MARE WAS SHARP’
JOSH began riding for the Funnells four and a half years ago at the age of 16 and has been riding Kiara since she was a fouryear-old.
“I had her taken off me for a while by Pippa. The mare was a bit sharp, so she rode her for a bit and got her better on the flat — there is no one better to school a horse for you than her,” added Josh. “Kiara has been knocking on the door for a win for a while, and we’ve come here to prepare for Addington, which is our showcase.”
The dark bay mare is by Billy Mexico out of a Billy Congo mare, who Josh says has proved a great broodmare for the stud.
“Kiara was an embryo transfer, as a lot of them are now. Her full-sister, Billy Galleon, won the newcomers final at Pyecombe with Luke Hill last week — she’s a machine as well. We also have one out of the same mare by Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve who is five — she’s a serious jumper — and a three-year-old by Emerald,” he added.
The 14-strong jump-off of the Breeders Elite Studbook five-yearold championship seemed to suit the small and eager stamps, with Nick Edwards and 16hh Idodinus PP taking the win by 0.98sec over Julian Mincher and 15.3hh Solsborough Ziva.
The Dutch Idodinus PP, an impressively-bred Numero Uno x Burggraaf, was bought from the KWPN auction by Keith Tollick as a three-year-old and has been with Nick for a year.
“He’s not big, but he’s got a big heart and he always tries for me — I was a long way off the double, but he is as careful as a cat,” said Nick, who is based in Guildford. “He’s the best young horse I’ve ever had — he’s just quality. He’s jumped three rounds this show and had three double clears.
“He can be a bit of a handful in the stable, but he loves life.”
Second-placed Solsborough Ziva, by Luidam out of an Irish mare, was originally sent to Julian to sell by Holly Smith, but he liked the keen little mare so much that he persuaded Chad McGregor to buy her.
“She wouldn’t have jumped a track as big as that before — it was meaty, but she’s a game mare,” said Julian. “We call her the fat cob, but she’s a real jumper.”
BEST OF BRITISH
THE best British-bred went to third-placed Laura Charley’s eyecatching mare Ivory Roc, who is by Velini out of an Indoctro dam.
The Shaw Farm Stud fouryear-old championship was a fantastic result for British breeding with six of the final lineup born on these shores, including winner Smirnoff AP Silvio, ridden, owned and bred by Helen Rees.
A handy 15.3hh, the son of Silvio out of a Jalisco mare was able to take advantage of some inside routes to pip Nick Edwards and Lindsay and Katie Wood’s Hazelwood Baloubelle to the win.
“My partner bought eight mares in foal from Holland eight years ago, and he’s one of the last batch of four-year-olds we bred from them,” said Helen, who also won Friday’s five-year-old qualifier with fellow home-bred Bianca Du Rouet.
“I had a distinct advantage in there because he is so nippy — he rides more like a 14-year-old than a four-year-old, he’s so level and lovely.”
There were two 1.30m opens on the schedule, with the first going to Miles Pearson and Castiel and the second to Kathryn Ellison and Hanleen Sultis.