Team chasing Belvoir
Fox Grant Thrusters make a winning start to the season
THE Fox Grant Thrusters scored an impressive victory in the day’s intermediate class, which is traditionally a warm-up for open teams before the Skinner’s Pet Foods open qualifiers begin.
The substantial track had been scaled down somewhat due to the ground conditions (see box, right) but still took some jumping, with several taking exception to the third fence, the first of the hedges.
It held no such fears for the Fox Grant Thrusters, flat to the boards from the off, with Yvonne Goss’ Jaffa providing his usual storming lead. Heather Moodie, Will Grant and Greg Wright cut corners to stay on terms.
They took the tightest of lines through the Caterer’s Complex — where three riders jump the first element before the leader jumps back across the same line and turns again to make a complete circle back to the next fence.
Heading rapidly around the far end of the course, it was a slick performance to shave 21 seconds off the time of their nearest rivals.
“Will [Grant] said we needed to stick together at the Caterer’s Complex, so I told him he’d better kick on and keep up then,” quipped Yvonne, who had got in some practice when winning the hunt relay at the Moreton-inMarsh Show the previous week.
BACK IN ACTION
TEAM RIDE AWAY I ran the winning team closest, despite Tabby Prest suffering a crashing fall at fence seven. Stephen Clark, Joe Stevenson and Charlotte Alexander rode superb lines to the fences, covering the ground without appearing flat out.
“It’s great to be back in action and the Belvoir have done an excellent job with the course,” said Stephen.
Eternal Optimists have dominated the Foxdenton intermediate league this year and they showed the open teams a thing or two with a speedy round for third. Henry Chamberlain gave them a great lead on Abu, overhauled by Maurice Linehan on the latter stages of the course, with Prudence Bradley and Ella White kicking on to keep up.
“We thought it was going to be very close but then Fox Grant were way ahead,” said Henry. “It was a bit hairy at the last fence, especially for Maurice, whose horse went through it.”
Berkeley Balls made a sterling recovery after having two horses refuse at fence three and then losing Jonathan Baker a few fences later. Connor Baker kicked on in front aboard Cutie and they finished fourth.
Boring Gorings led for a long time from an early draw, with Charlotte Alexander setting a hot pace. Fred French survived a hairy jump at the bullfinch but tipped up at the next, while Geraldine Fisher and guest rider Joe Stevenson worked to keep up.
Team Ride Away IV — chasing the Eternal Optimists for league points — lost some time when Nim Spalding and Stephen Clark glanced off a downhill hedge, leaving Amber Bradshaw and the diminutive Bailey in front, but they were soon back on the pace for eventual sixth.