Team chasing Highlights
Team Ride Away 1 claim a 15-second lead over a challenging track, while the Boring Gorings follow in second
TEAM RIDE AWAY 1 won the final open qualifier of the autumn season, mastering the challenging track at Semer, which saw only half of the starters finish.
Under a strong lead from Charlotte Alexander and Saphir De Rheu, Joe Stevenson (Big
Pete) and Sophie Seymour (Marley) were foot perfect at the sequence of three road crossings, the second of which has a huge drop on the way out. Running in a tight formation, they flew over the big hedges at the top of the course and thundered down to the swollen river. A quick run over the final double of hedges saw them victorious by some 15 seconds.
Sophie, who endured a tricky ride on a “wild” Marley the previous week at the Berkeley, said: “He’s so much better over these bigger fences. I looked back after the third and saw that [fourth team member] James Sheppard had fallen and was a bit worried, but that’s team chasing.”
Boring Gorings have a consistent record at this event and posted a fine round for second when led by Joe Stevenson and Xucra, despite Charlotte Alexander and Kingy taking a dip. Roddy Stanning and Tyson also had a hairy moment in the water: “I only just clung on, the only part of me that is dry is my back,” he said.
Fox Grant Dot Com were absolutely flying when they came down to the water, but Zack Davidson’s Remarkable Man ducked out at the hedge in front of it and then Anna Stone and Boyce upended in the river.
They regrouped but it was costly, leaving them in third.
Chilled Out Chasers travelled from Somerset to take on their first open and were rewarded with qualification for next spring’s national championship – picking up an experienced lead in the form of Joe Stevenson and Warhorse.