Amelia Walker (Dassett Rock Star) wins at CCI2*-S
A new event finally runs its inaugural fixture after Covid cancellations, and Tom Jackson scores his seventh win in a month
TOM JACKSON’S win and second place in the advanced sections at Cirencester Park added further fuel to the fire he has lit under the 2021 season so far.
The victory – in section I aboard Billy Cuckoo – was his seventh in a month, and was backed up by Capels Hollow Drift’s runnerup spot behind Alex Bragg and Quindiva in section J.
“All the horses are going well, and it’s so nice to be able to reward owners for their outlay and patience last year,” said Tom in his understated way. “Cuckoo’s dressage hasn’t necessarily been her strong point, but we’ve been working hard at it. She normally finishes on her dressage score, but today she was right up there in a competitive place after the first phase [with 28.1].
“Her showjumping was lovely, and she made the time across country without really trying.
She’s so nippy and easy to ride that she makes life easy for the jockey.”
Pippa Funnell passed on the ride on the Billy Congo mare, who is owned by Richard and Sarah Jewson, to Tom in 2017, but “is still very involved in her plans and her training,” said Tom, who hopes to take Cuckoo to her first CCI5* at Luhmühlen in June.
He finished 0.9 of a penalty in front of Ben Hobday and Shadow Man II in section I, while in section J he was 3.9 marks behind Alex Bragg after adding 4.4 crosscountry time-faults to a dressage mark of 30.2. Capels Hollow Drift, owned by Milly Simmie, Patricia Davenport and Sarah Webb, will aim for a first CCI4*-L at Bicton.
“It’s slightly frustrating that I didn’t go a little bit quicker and get the double, but I was actually aiming for a few more time-faults than I got on him; after Burnham Market I wasn’t intending to run quickly, but he’s fast without trying,” Tom explained.
Alex Bragg’s patience with the Roe family’s Quindiva is paying off.
“She’s a lovely mare whom I bought from Ireland when she was turning six,” said Alex. “She was quite a feisty character and didn’t take to eventing immediately.
She’s one of the best jumpers
we’ve ever had, but she was always quite careful across country and, being a sensitive mare, it had to be her decision as to when it was the right time to progress.
“The cross-country clicked, and she’s so athletic – she’s cat-like and springs off the ground.”
A PIVOTAL MOMENT
KITTY KING is another rider punching in the credits – she followed up CCI4*-S success at Burnham Market on Cristal Fontaine with an advanced win here. Camilla and Alex Wakeley’s Chef Rouge nine-yearold added nothing to his dressage mark of 26.3, and she was also third in section I with Ceylor LAN and seventh in section J on Vendredi Biats.
The latter picked up 13.6 cross-country time-faults, but Kitty explained: “It was always the plan to go slow with him, because he was quite keen at Burnham Market. But Cristal Fontaine is a much better horse if you ride him with your blood up. He gave me a fabulous ride.”
Second to Kitty in section K on her own Time For Harry was Nini French, with just 1.6 cross-country time-faults added to their 30.4 dressage score.
“For once, it actually went well!” said Nini self-deprecatingly. “We had messed up in the showjumping at Burnham Market and I thought about giving up, but we had the Cirencester entry. I gave myself a proper kick and thought, ‘s**t or bust’. This weekend was a pivotal moment.”
Nini rode Time For Harry’s dam, and broke him in for his breeders before buying him.
“He was a little 15.2hh rabbit and I thought he’d be a cute kids’ horse, but he’s now 17.1hh. He’s quietly come along; he’s not that brave or scopey, and is very insecure – he has to take his pony friend with him everywhere to keep him calm. He hates doing anything wrong and will dwell on it, but he wants to try really hard for me,” said Nini.
Nini’s sister Piggy March won two of the open intermediate (OI) classes on Brookfield Inocent and Sportsfield Top Notch, with the third going to Sarah Bullimore on Starbucks. Sasha Hargreaves took the under-21 OI on Woodlands Be Daring.
Bubby Upton finished first, third and sixth in the under-25 advanced class, completing on her dressage marks of 30.1 and 32.7 with Cola III and Cannavaro, and only collecting 1.2 cross-country time-faults on sixth-placed Magic Roundabout IV.
This was the first affiliated event in Cirencester Park since the 1970s, and organiser Alec Lochore was glad to get off the mark here at last after Covid-related cancellations.
“The Bathurst family and the estate have been super-helpful, welcoming and proactive,” he said.
Riders pronounced the going to be among the best yet of the year, although a couple of fierce storms meant that the early part of the advanced track, which runs straight up the side of the main avenue under the trees towards Cirencester town, got quite soft on Saturday.
A twisty-looking central section to the course flowed much better than it walked, and the combinations jumped well, with the possible exception of the second-last. After a long uphill gallop, narrow rails flanked a step up over the estate ha-ha, which horses didn’t always seem to read well – especially if their riders didn’t manage to collect them sufficiently yet maintain enough impulsion.
“I’VE never even been placed in an international, let alone won one,” exclaimed Sally James, who led from pillar to post in the CCI2*-S aboard Amelia Heffernan (née King’s) Regal Mix.
Sally, 27, who works at Somerford Park Farm, took on the ride on “Gus” last season when his owner, who had won Camphire CCI* (now CCI2*-L) with him in 2018, was pregnant.
“It’s a privilege to ride such a beautifully produced horse,” said Sally, who is trained by Amelia’s husband, Andy Heffernan – who won the open intermediate (OI) on Gideon II – and Amelia’s mother, Somerford proprietor Debbie King.
Sally acknowledges the steep learning curve she has been on since taking on the 15-year-old gelding.
“He has made me realise the importance of the finer details,” she said. “Being as accurate as possible and staying relaxed are the two things I really tried to concentrate on, although the latter was easier said than done going into the showjumping as I knew I was only a fraction of a penalty ahead after the dressage.”
The duo completed on their dressage score of 30.1 – less than half a penalty in front of Bubby Upton and Cooley As Ice.
Sally has three of her own horses to compete, and is planning to tackle her first CCI4*-S at Aston-le-Walls (2) with her top ride, Kapowairua.
Tom Jackson made the trek from Surrey worthwhile when he continued his brilliant run of form with a one-two in the CCI3*-S aboard HH Moonwalk and
Forrest Gump 124.
Ros Canter and Zenshera headed the advanced intermediate (AI), while Nicola Wilson (Hawk Eye) and Franky Reid-Warrilow (Dolley Phantom) took an intermediate apiece. The latter also finished second behind Nicola on Billy Bordeaux.