British Veteran Team win AJA Final and 2017 League title
Thursday 19 October 2017
Last Saturday, 14th October, the British Veterans Team of James Loffet, Keith Stockdale, Catherine Fowdrey and Lynda Birke won the AJA Team competition at the CSIV-B show in Barcelona.
The team finished with a zero score to beat Switzerland and also secure the Trophy for the leading team of 2017 having had victories at Fontainebleau, Balve in Germany, and Vinovo in Italy during the year as well as being placed in every other Inter-Nations competition on the tour.
James, who jumped in the role of anchor had already posted a superb clear in the first round and his second round clear was enough to secure the win without the need for a jump-off. Talking afterwards James commented “The excitement of jumping that last fence to cheers from the British supporters will live with me forever. Catherine had also jumped double clear with Lynda and Keith clear in one round apiece. It was a dream come true to win under the spotlights in the 1992 Olympic Arena, the site of the Furusiyya Nations Cup Final just a few weeks before”.
This is the first time in the 21 year history of the AJA and the FEI Veterans division that Great Britain have secured the overall title and the first time that a team from any Nation has won the final round in Barcelona as well as finishing top of the league. Germany was 2nd and France 3rd in the annual rankings and the awards were presented at a Gala Dinner at the Royal Polo Club.
AJA (Association of Jumping Riders Ambassadors) run an FEI show every month throughout Europe from March to October and Britain have been dominant this year with many class victories for GB riders, including winning the Grand Prix on 3 occasions. Having found themselves in the lead of the rankings before the round in September (at Swiss 5-star rider Jane Richards-Phillips property in Vinovo near Turin), the British riders made the determined decision to have a team at the show to try and ensure they kept the top spot till the end of the season. Continuing, James who is the UK Ambassador for the AJA said “I was unable to stay on for the whole show due to business commitments, Catherine moved all her work appointments around so as to be able to come at all and Keith rode with a recently healed broken wrist on a horse he had owned for a week! Keith and his daughter Sophie drove the team horses out and I flew out for two days of the show before I had to fly on to a work event in Malta. Amazingly given all the difficulties we managed to win the Team event sponsored by Longines and increase our lead in the league ready for the final round in Spain”.
Ignace Richards-Philips, Jane's husband, gave a speech at the evening Gala praising the horsemanship and sporting spirit of all the AJA riders and because of the efforts we had all made to be there he particularly singled out Great Britain for their patriotism and dedication to our team's cause”.
Next year the AJA tour visits shows in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain and for the first time, there is a round at the Valkenswaard home of the GCT visionary and organiser Jan Tops. Adding further comment James said “We are all looking forward to competing at these fantastic venues and as it is a year when the FEI Veteran European Championships are to be held we will all be trying hard to secure a place on the British Team for the Championships at Daghobertshausen in Germany”.
For further information on competing internationally as a Veteran rider or on the selection process for the Team GBR Veteran Championship Team next year please contact the Performance Team at British Showjumping via Jane.Hancox@britishshowjumping.co.uk or Anna.Garside@britishshowjumping.co.uk
1svujitxhxur8.jpg "Great Britain command victory in the Pony Nations Cup of Compiegne")
.jpg "Thrilling Weekend Kickstarts the STX-UK Pony British Novice Championship Second Round")