Nicole Lockhead Anderson finishes 2nd in Mechelen Pony World Cup Jumping Trophy Qualifier
Wednesday 22 November 2017
The long trip from Banchory in Aberdeenshire to Stuttgart in Germany was definitely made worthwhile for 15 year-old Nicole Lockhead Anderson over the weekend.
Finishing 2nd in the Pony World Cup Jumping Trophy qualifier with her mother Claire’s 8 year-old bay gelding Gangnam Style saw her not only further raise her profile across Europe but also secure a place in the Pony World Cup Jumping Trophy Final which will be held at the CSIO 5* World Cup show in Mechelen at the end of the year.
It was eight combinations from the twenty starters that managed a clear in the first round to qualify for the timed jump-off. Delivering an incredibly fast jump-off round to stop the clock in a time of 31.03 seconds saw Nicole and Gangnam Style take an early lead, however it was the final rider Molly Hughes Bravo (POR) with Carrickaduff Pet that saw her relegated into 2nd place. Knowing the time they had to beat, Molly managed to shave 12/100th of a second from Nicole’s time to take the title in her time of 29.51 seconds.
It was an incredibly hard fought class in which Nicole was the sole rider flying the flag for Great Britain. The Pony World Cup Jumping Trophy qualifier classes, which were introduced this year, see league points allocated which count towards the final where the top 20 riders will come forward. Great Britain now has two riders eligible for the Final with Claudia Moore also joining Nicole following her 2nd place in the Lyon qualifier.
For full results: http://bit.ly/2zrobSH
11dtw0hmsttk0.jpg "NAF Five Star Bronze and Silver League Qualifiers get underway at Speetley Equestrian Centre")
