Jackson to the fore
Tom Jackson and Georgie Spence both score two wins as the season kicks off
Tweseldown (1), Hampshire
TOM JACKSON hit the ground running on the first full weekend of eventing in the Covid-modified calendar. He clocked up two wins and seven top-10 placings, while seven of his eight rides posted double jumping clears. This stellar weekend’s work followed swiftly on the heels of three open intermediate (OI) second places at Aston-le-Walls elite event the previous week.
“I did joke to the team that maybe we should wind up the season here as the only way is down from now on,” laughed Tom, who won intermediate section N on a relatively new ride, Iain and Anne Slater’s Farndon.
The 11-year-old gelding was produced by Francis Whittington to four-star level before joining Tom’s team in February this year.
“He’s a lovely horse to ride and he’s been beautifully produced by Francis, so I’m very lucky,” said Tom, who has earmarked Burnham Market (1) for a first advanced run for the partnership.
Tom also topped a BE100 section with the exciting sixyear-old Plot Twist B, who is by the international showjumping stallion Plot Blue.
“He won his first and only event as a five-year-old and has come out and done the same here,” said Tom, who admitted to being a little nervous on walking the beautifully presented but challenging cross-country tracks at this popular seasonal opener. “I was more concerned about the BE100 horses than the intermediates. There was a lot to think about and there were some seriously beefy fences out there.”
This was a sentiment echoed by OI winner Georgie Spence.
“Gone are the days when you came to Tweseldown to ease you into the season,” she said. “Now, you have to be really on your A-game to have a good ride.”
Georgie’s winning partner, the cat-like Feloupe, who is by
“There were some seriously
beefy fences”
the advanced eventing stallion Ustinov Van Elsenham, was on form from the off, adding just 3.6 time-penalties to her dressage score of 25.7.
“She had a rare rail down in the showjumping at Oasby elite, but she was foot-perfect here and felt ready to win,” said Georgie, who teamed up with the mare, who is owned by Nicky Cooper, Suzanne
Doggett, Joanna Spence and Lucy Fleming, nine months ago. “She had competed to advanced level with her previous rider with slightly sketchy results, but she was one of those horses I clicked with instantly. She’s totally unmareish and a very good jumper.”
Georgie also took top spot in one of two hotly contested open novice sections with Fanta Boy.