Team Fairfax Children Win in Deauville
Saturday 25 May 2013
The Children on Horses Team, competing for Great Britain under the Team Fairfax banner, won their Nations Cup in Deauville, France this afternoon.
The competition went to the wire with a jump off for pole position between Belgium and Great Britain after both teams finished on a score of 4 penalties after two rounds jumping.
Brilliant double clears were produced by both 12 year-old Robert Murphy from Preston and Catherine Witt’s 10 year-old bay gelding Del Fuego in addition to Harry Charles, aged 13 years from Alton and Milord D’elle a 13 year old chestnut gelding.
Jodie Hall McAteer, aged 13 years from Hertfordshire with Mandy Hall and John Whitaker’s 12 year-old grey mare Dazzle II produced a great clear round in the first round, and finished their second round accruing just 4 penalties as they crossed the finish line.
Hannah Hughes, aged 14 years from Porth, Mid Glamorgan with Currafen, a 12 year-old chestnut gelding owned by Tracy Pritchard left all fences fences standing but incurred a time penalty in the first round. Their second round saw them also finish just outside the time allowed and accrue a time penalty to add to the 8 penalties they had collected on the course.. In a competition where only the top three scores count, it was Hannah who became the dropscore giving the team a total finish of just 4 penalties to mirror that produced by Belgium.
The nail-biting jump off saw all teams jump again with the same format of where only the top three scores would count. If both teams drew on faults, then time would become the decider as to the final position in the line up.
Jumping in the same order as their previous two rounds it was Robert Murphy who went first. Putting in yet another foot perfect clear in a time fast enough to put the other team under pressure he took the role of pathfinder with great success. Jodie Hall McAteer, put in the fastest time of the third and final round but an unfortunate 4 penalties were accrued when a pole fell. Hannah Hughes came through the finish on a total of 8 penalties.
Having watched the third rider for Belgium accrue 4 penalties, anchorman Harry Charles knew that he had to put in a fast round with no more than one fence being lowered if Great Britain were to win the title. Entering the arena, Harry looked to have the same calm focus under pressure that we have come to know of his father, London 2012 Team Gold Medallist Peter Charles. An unfortunate touch at a fence though saw them accrue 4 penalties, however his turn of speed had him break the finish line just a fraction of a second slower than Jodie’s leaving.
With all eight riders having completed their rounds and the drop scores duly removed, both Great Britain and Belium were on a total of 8 penalties apiece. It was an incredibly tense time whilst judges totted up the times achieved by the three scoring riders. But an enormous cheer went up by the British team that could have been heard back home when it was announced they had won with more than 7 seconds in hand.
Further wins were made for Great Britain today when Graham Gillespie won the Young Rider class with Veldheer an 11 year old bay mare, a class which Pippa Allen with Espoir a 17 year old chesnut gelding took 3rd in. Harry Charles with his fathers bay mare Cherona came 2nd in the Children’s class preceding the Nations Cup. The final class of the day was won by Jessica Mendoza with her mother’s (Sarah) 8 year old bay mare Balougio III with Millie Allen and the 9 year old gelding Filiokus taking 4th place.
The British youth teams are sponsored by Fairfax Saddles. It is Fairfax’s primary aim to improve the performance of the competition horse. All the saddles and girths are developed using the most advanced technology and are tested extensively. All research and design work is carried out under the direction of Vanessa Fairfax, an ex-International showjumper and University qualified designer. The company is based in Walsall and manufactures all its own products.
The GB Showjumping Teams are strongly supported by the UK Sport Lottery funded BEF World Class Programme. They Pony teams are further supported by Champion Hats, Next and Animo
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