Busker makes sweet music with Medcalf
A ‘fun horse’ returns from injury to take the 1.30m qualifier, a responsive mare dazzles to land a glittering prize and ‘a comfy pair of slippers’ takes two titles
LAUREN MEDCALF may be laid-back about her competitive ambitions with her “no pressure, fun horse” Busker IV, but once they were in the ring, they trounced the opposition in the 1.30m Blue Chip Dynamic
B&C qualifier.
Course-builder Matt Hoskins’ second phase required some attention from the six jumpoff contenders, asking for good judgment on two critical turnbacks to oxers as well as demanding a weaving route through the wings.
Lauren’s penultimate draw round was brilliantly fluid despite the twists, with the 14-year-old bay answering dares at both the oxers to establish a 1.77sec headway over early leaders Thomas Roche and Tincabel.
“At the first fence, he spooked and I decided to kick,” said
Lauren. “After that it went well as I was still kicking from the first fence! He’s the sort of horse you have to dare a bit because if you come in quietly, he thinks you’re not committed and he’ll stop.”
The gelding was bought while he was recovering from an injury and, having had a year off, spent “another six months in the field to make sure he was right”.
He started back in work last year and has since established a decent track record with Lauren, including appearances at Royal Windsor and Keysoe two-star.
“He has the occasional moment — he doesn’t like water trays and tries to send me flying, but on the whole he’s been very good,” said Lauren, who runs Busker alongside her twostar eventer.
“This is the first time we’ve been out for a month or so, as he’s been on the back burner for a bit. I’m a bit disorganised so only tend to enter when people tell me to,” added Lauren. “I came with Flossy [Bellm] today — I tend to turn up at shows when I get taken!”
MARE TAKES CONTROL TO WIN
MATT likes to build a track that sees a “proper jumping horse” come out on top, and that was certainly the case in the popular Blue Chip Joint RLF power qualifier.
Thirty-eight starters were reduced to 12 in the decider, with Kerry Grimster and Gabrielle Williamson’s eye-catching grey
mare, Diamond Cruise Control, coming out on top, just over one second ahead of Nick Edwards and the consistent Idodinus PP.
The six-year-old by Ringford Cruise (Cruising) out of a Puissance mare has excellent rideability for a young horse, which proved to her advantage in this indoor arena.
“I wasn’t trying to win, I just wanted to qualify and as I was fifth to go and there were quite a few clears,” said Kerry. “I thought I’d better go a bit quick so that I didn’t come ninth [with eight tickets available].
“She’s quite fast but what she’s really good at is turning. She goes in a little rubber snaffle and even though she’s not massive she has loads of stride, which makes her easy against the clock,” added Kerry. “She’s so adjustable — she moves off the leg so quickly and comes back so easily.”
Kerry bought the mare in March and sold her to Gabby, who had been searching for a horse for a while, last month.
“Gabby has had two children and has had a couple of years off. We’d been looking for a nice seven- or eight-year-old typical girl’s horse to get her back into it,” Kerry said. “This mare has just been getting better and better and in the end, I suggested she tried her instead — sometimes what you are looking for is right on your doorstep.
“She’s stayed with us and I’ll carry on competing her at some British Showjumping shows,” added Kerry, who plans to aim for second rounds next year.
‘SHE’S HAD HER QUIRKS’
ANNA BECK had a great show with one of her yard favourites, 10-year-old chestnut mare Darina Vina. They took the opening day’s 1.20m open, following up with a third in the Blue Chip Dynamic B&C before landing the DDS Demolition 1.25m winter championship qualifier.
The mare is one of a few Anna competes that isn’t home-bred by her mother, Gerda Weston.
“She was bred by Morgan
Kent and is out of the same mother as C Serendipity, on whom I won the six-year-olds at Zangersheide,” Anna said. “She wasn’t straightforward at first and had her quirks — I was asked if I wanted to ride her and she’s been with us three years now.
“She’s a brilliant diesel money horse at 1.30m level,” Anna added. “I said to Mum last night, ‘I know they’re all for sale at the right price, but can we not sell Darina?’ She’s like a comfy pair of slippers — I ride a lot of horses, but I can get on her and let my guard down.”
Anna likes the mare so much that she had an embryo off her this year for her 40th birthday.
“My mum arranged it for me — it will be by Tangelo who is my favourite stallion and is due next summer,” she said.
“I’m hoping for a chestnut filly as I’m a bit of a sucker for them.”