Diminutive campaigners take the spoils

NEDIVA Z took her sixth consecutive win in three weeks to head the silver tour grand prix for Sarah Winterbottom.

The 15.2hh, seven-year-old mare by Nonstop was bred by the Hales family, but was sold to her owner Amanda Wilkinson as a four-year-old as she had barely reached 15hh.

“We call her Dotty as she’s just a little dot!” said Sarah, who rode the horse as a five-year-old before returning her to her owner for two years. She picked up the reins again last autumn, immediately hitting a winning streak, which has continued as soon as competition resumed.

“She’s a great little speed horse and has all her newcomers double clears, so we’ll step her up to Foxhunters next,” Sarah said.

Another diminutive campaigner, Laura Stephenson’s veteran Catherston Connor, took the win in Saturday’s 1.30m open.

The 19-year-old, 15.2hh gelding was bought from a showing yard as a seven-year-old, having never seen a pole.

“Because he didn’t jump until he was seven, he was quite spooky and has never really lost that – he does try to miss them sometimes! He’d jump trials if it wasn’t for the open water,” Laura said.

“We had quite a successful 2019 with a couple of good wins in grands prix, but with coronavirus we didn’t do a lot last year, so I am pleased that at his age he’s come back happy after that long off.”