Showjumping Royal Berkshire and Bury Farm
Will Fletcher takes the area trial and brother Olli follows up by claiming the show’s top prize in the Stairway
“I THINK you’d have to go back to the days of John and Michael Whitaker to find a similar result for brothers at a county show,” said a proud Graham Fletcher after his teenage sons won both major classes.
Nineteen-year-old Will set the ball rolling with a superb round to win Saturday’s area trial then,
not to be outdone, 15-year-old Olli triumphed over riders three and even four times his age to take the show’s top prize of £2,500 in the British Showjumping Business Partnership International Stairway class.
Phil Ashworth’s tracks on both days proved spot on. Neither were overly big, but he made clever use of the undulations in the huge main arena and some horses appeared to tire towards the end of Sunday’s course.
Fences fell everywhere in the Stairway, with a line of planks set downhill, followed by the combination and a big oxer proving quite influential.
Just three riders — all on British-bred horses — were clear in round one and Olli Fletcher (Temple Rebus), Mark Edwards (Tinkers Tale) and Helen Tredwell (Larksong) were joined in the jump-off by the fastest fourfaulters, Paul Bevan (Deangelo II) and Mennell Watson (Whisper In The Wind).
The stands and ringside were packed throughout the class and the jump-off didn’t disappoint. Paul Bevan and Deangelo II must be among the most consistent combinations on the national circuit and they were clear and quick second time around.
When Mennell Watson and Whisper In The Wind, whose results this year have given them a place in the international classes at the Horse of the Year Show, finished on an eight-fault total, Paul added fourth spot to his third-place finish in the previous day’s area trial.
Mark Edwards was next on his father Martyn’s home-bred Tinkers Tale. They had already jumped a fabulous clear and they repeated the feat, though Mark did take his time to make sure of the final two fences. Helen Tredwell and another home-bred horse, Larksong, looked quick enough until Helen didn’t get the stride she wanted to the last and settled for third place.
Then it was the turn of Olli Fletcher to finish the jump-off. This was by far the biggest test he and Temple Rebus had faced together, but the athletic 11-yearold gelding bounced round the fences, never looked like he was close to touching anything. Olli rode with maturity beyond his years to win by almost 1.5sec.
As he galloped through the finish and glanced at the clock, Olli’s joy was evident and he delighted the crowd by waving his hat throughout an impromptu lap of honour. He also broke the record previously held by his brother for the youngest-ever winner of a Stairway class.
“He’s only beaten me by four
years!” joked Will.
“I’m so chuffed. That’s probably the best-ever win for the horse and me,” said Olli.
“He was incredible and every time he comes out he seems to improve. We knew he was a good horse when we bought him, but he wasn’t quite right and we gave him a year off in the field. It’s taken a while, but he was worth waiting for.”
Mark Edwards was gracious in defeat.
“I was a bit too careful, but I can’t be disappointed,” he said.
“And hat’s off to Olli. I’ve beaten him a few times this year, so it was his turn.”
YOUNG ONES DOMINATE
THERE were again only two double clears in the area trial, which was dominated by young horses after Will Fletcher and the nine-year-old Emmerton II took the top spot from Helen Tredwell on the year-younger Galtur.
This was a first area trial win for Will, whose year is still getting better.
“I’ve had an incredible season. I’ve won my first Stairway, been on my first European team, won my first gold medal and I’m soon going to jump on my first senior team in Morocco,” he said.
Emmerton, a Dutch-bred son of Verdi, has risen through the ranks quickly, as the former eventer competed in his first 1.20m class in May.
“He was sent to us to sell and found a home, but he jumped his new rider off a couple of times. He came back and Judy Peploe kindly bought him for me to ride,” explained Will.
“He’s such a cool horse and has as much scope as anything I’ve sat on. He’s definitely one to watch.”
With more than £17,000 in prize-money on offer over the two days, all the classes were hard fought.
The on-form John Crippen took the £300 prize in Saturday’s 1.30m open on Patricia Brown’s Loughnatousa OB, adding this to fifth place in the area trial with his ride of only two days, Basic. Paul Crago triumphed in Sunday’s equivalent with a flying round on Ultimate Risk.