ROYAL WINDSOR SATURDAY
Saturday 17 May 2014
.JPG "ROYAL WINDSOR SATURDAY")
Beautiful weather, spectacular grounds, amazing views, top-class jumping and a royal visit – what more could you ask of a horse show. Royal Windsor had it all. Sun-kissed spectators were also entertained by displays, services jumping, endurance, driving, showing, world-class dressage throughout the day and evening. And trade-stands galore catered for the shopaholics!
Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly continued on his winning assault at this three star meeting. Already a winner of Friday’s big class with Andrea, Abdullah headed the Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes on Tobalio – the Netherlands’ Albert Voorn’s former five- star ride – and the Six Bar on Callahan.
The Kindom of Bahrain Stakes for the King’s Cup was not without drama, however. Celebrating going into the lead by waving his hat wildly at the crowd after he galloped through the finish, Abdullah’s horse Tobalio hit the perimeter fence and catapulted Abdullah into the post-and-rail fencing hard.
They were reunited for the prize-giving, but many riders were disgruntled as new FEI rules state riders must leave the arena mounted and wearing a hat or face elimination. These rules have been applied on previous, much-publicised occasions.
Dan Neilson was best British rider in fifth with a good double clear on Varo M.
“I’ve been building him up for Windsor since I received the invitation, and I deliberately didn’t jump him yesterday to save him for today and Sunday’s grand prix” said Dan on the Pierrot-sired 12-year-old.
The partnership has been picked for the British Nations Cup team in St Gallen after posting consistent performances in Italy at the beginning of the season.
“He’s solid at grand prix level now and I save him for these kind of classes, he’ll jump Windsor’s grand prix, then have a week off before I start building him up in preparation for St Gallen.”
Abdullah posted the sole clear in round five of the Six Bar to take the class on Callahan.
Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano and Corbanus went head-to-head with them in the final round, but one lowered pole pushed them into second.
Equal in third were two Brits – John Whitaker and William Funnell – along with France’s Julien Gonin on Soleil De Cornu CH, all with four faults apiece in round four.
John was pleased with Uni Stop, a 10-year-old by Nonstop owned by Benny Motmans he has only ridden for a week. Uni Stop was previously ridden by Benny’s son Nick, who tragically lost his life last December after suffering fatal head injuries in a schooling fall at home in Belgium.
The new partnership finished second in Friday’s 1.40m two phase class to John’s son Robert and Lucio BK.
“This is our first show and I’m pleased with him, he has his own way of doing things but he wants to do the job and he’s careful, I think he could be a good one” said John.
They shared third with William Funnell’s Billy Mexico, a stallion by Cevin Z and out of a Le Mexico mare and home-bred by William and Donal Barnwell. The nine-year-old already has wins at Olympia and Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, under his belt and is now coming of age.
The Falcon Stakes was a ‘winning round’ competition over a 1.55m track, with riders divided into groups. The winner of each group goes forward to the jump-off and ‘winning round.’ Five of the qualified eight were British, but a British win was denied when Hickstead-based Irishman Shane Breen found the quickest route on Farao Vant Vennehof, a Belgian-bred nine-year-old stallion son of Triomphe De Muze.
John Whitaker was a close second with Old Lodge’s Lord Of Arabia, also second on Friday in the 1.40m. Peter Charles was fractionally behind for third on Murkas Nevada.
Big Star made a welcome return. Gary and Beverley Widdowson’s big-jumping superstar posted a good but steady jumping clear here under Nick Skelton’s guidance.
Jay Halim was a winner in the National A and B with Jen Goodman’s German-bred Goodman Accobado, a 12-year-old by Acorado, with a two sec lead over Yazmin Pinchen’s Zodiac Z.
Results
INTERNATIONAL RESULTS
SIX BAR
1 Callahan Abdullah Al Sharbatly KSA 0/0/0/0/0
2 Corbanus Emanuele Gaudiano ITA 0/0/0/0/4
=3 Uni Stop John Whitaker GBR 0/0/0/4
=3 Billy Mexico William Funnell GBR 0/0/0/4
=3 Soleil De Cornu CH Julien Gonin FRA 0/0/0/4
THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN STAKES FOR THE KING’S CUP 1.60m
1 Tobalio Abdullah Al Sharbatly KSA 0/0 44.38
2 Caballito Andres Rodriguez VEN 0/0 44.88
3 Nouvelle Laura Kraut USA 0/0 45.46
FALCON STAKES 1.55m
1 Farao Van T Vennehof Shane Breen IRE 0/0 42.47
2 Lord Of Arabia John Whitaker GBR 0/0 43.61
3 Murkas Bevada Peter Charles GBR 0/0 43.79
NATIONAL A&B 1.40m TWO PHASE
1 Goodman Accobado Jay Halim 0/0 39.28
2 Zodiac Z Yazmin Pinchen 0/0 41.29
3 Frisbee Mark Armstrong 0/0 44.43
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")
