British Hat-Trick in Spain
Monday 24 March 2014
British riders did a one-two- three in the €100,000 CSI 3*Vejer de la Frontera 1.60m Grand Prix in Spain yesterday (Sunday 23rd March).
Out of fifty-three combinations only five jumped clear in the first round and four of them were British riders who again went on to jump clear in the second round. Jumping the only double clear in under 50 seconds was 25 year-old William Whitaker from Huddersfield with his partner Elisabeth Fredlund’s 11 year-old dark brown gelding Fandango III who stopped the clock in 49.27 seconds to take the top spot.
Not far behind him was William Funnell from Surrey with Billy Stud’s 13 year-old brown stallion Billy Congo who produced their double clear in a time of 50.55 seconds.
In 3rd place was another rider from Huddersfield, namely Robert Whitaker with his parents (John and Clare) Catwalk IV, a 10 year-old brown stallion with their double clear in a time of 52.58 seconds. Finishing in 4th was Robert Bevis from Clwyd with his own 13 year-old grey gelding Courntey 6 who also jumped double clear in 52.66.
Abbe Burchmore-Eames, from Hertfordshire and Wilandri E, an 11 year-old bay gelding owned by her father (Jack), took 2nd in the €2,000 Classic Tour Grand Prix. Abbe narrowly missed out on the top spot as she was just 1/10 of a second behind the winner, Francisco Jácome Vasques from Portugal who jumped double clear in a time of 37.81. In 3rd place was Switzerland’s Laura Nina Aschwanden in 37.98 seconds.
Pole position was also claimed by a British rider in the €2,000 Ladies Classic Tour Grand Prix in the form of Leicestershire’s Holly Gillott with Vanessa Alford’s 9 year-old bay gelding Vinny Douglas. Jumping the fastest double clear in a time of 36.65 seconds was enough to keep them ahead of Canadian rider Tatiana Dzavik who had to be satisfied with a 2nd place finish in their time of 37.28seconds and Alisa Danilova from the Ukraine who finished 3rd .
14kvaj7pl3106.jpg "Jonathan Egmore and Mollie Rose Smith are winners in the Equissage Pulse British Novice Second Rounds.")
1g50u2k8dpost.JPG "Lacey-Mae Russel seizes Victory in the STX-UK Pony British Novice Second Round at Felbridge Showground")
11dtw0hmsttk0.jpg "NAF Five Star Bronze and Silver League Qualifiers get underway at Speetley Equestrian Centre")
