Wednesday at the Alexanders Horseboxes Scope Festival (UK) Supreme Championships 2016
Wednesday 24 August 2016
.JPG "Wednesday at the Alexanders Horseboxes Scope Festival (UK) Supreme Championships 2016")
If your name was Paul, you were quids in on the first day of the International classes at the Alexanders Horseboxes Scope Festival (UK) Supreme Championships. Paul Barker notched up a double and British-based Irishman Paul Kennedy landed the big tour 1.45m.
Lateness of the hour saw the 1.45m jump-off class switch to a two-phase, with Paul and the 10-year-old mare Cartown Danger Mouse taking the class by 0.45 of a second.
Kerry Brennan was his nearest rival on Wellington M with Louise Saywell and Dassler in third.
Paul Barker got the International classes off to a flying start with a double of wins.
Angling fences and handbrake turns earned Paul and Happy Boy the top spot of the Safeway Scaffolding 1.30 medium tour two-phase.
The Kannan-sired 9-year-old, owned by Spring Equestrian Partnership, has been on form of late, winning at Shrewsbury Flower Show 10 days earlier. This was their first show since.
Graham Babes was just a quarter of a second behind for second aboard Boucheron with Chelsea Skelton and Millfield Baloney in third.
The Autostop small tour 1.25m speed proved very competitive with just 0.64 of a second separating the top four. Paul found the edge, nevertheless, and skilfully guided Sandors Legacy into a 0.13 of a second win.
The 11-year-old Legacy has also hit a recent run of form, winning at Burgham and Shrewsbury Flower Show.
Long-time leader Tegan Jones netted second on the 11-year-old gelding Apart EA with James Smith third aboard Cumina in the 60-strong class.
The amazing mare Dazzle was again the limelight in Scope’s championship arena. The Kannan x Cavalier Royale 15-year-old won the big Grand Prix here with Louise Whitaker in 2011, and five years on topped the Bliss of London international amateur 1.10m for Ellie Hall Mcateer.
Hollie Pearce took second with Ryans Hollie, 0.42 of a second in arrears, with third going to Jasmine Punter on Clio.
There was no doubt of victory in the Waddesdon 138cm championship, Madison Heath [11 years] won at the gallop on new ride Sonas Barney, who cleverly twisted his way across the vertical at two at an incredible angle.
“He anticipated the turn, so I said ‘Over to you, Barney,’ and he got himself out of trouble, it wasn’t meant to happen like that, it was a massive course,” said Madison, delighted with her new ride.
“I tried him in a class at Wales and West, finished second in a class at the National Championships and won here, we’ve clicked straightaway – he’s a bit bigger version of my 128cm Red Alert [2015 Graham Heath Construction 128cm champion].”
Faye Sutton finished second, in arrears by two and a half seconds on Fast Fun with Courtney Young on Darosa D’Amour taking third.
Abi Dorset [15 years] and Dark Aurora clinched the Direct Insurance Bright Star championship on her first visit to the Scope Festival. Their penultimate flyer won by almost four seconds.
“She can really open up but she’s good at turning as well,” said Abi, who finds the horse can be quirky and spooky. “But she didn’t shy at the fountain [a feature of the championship arena], though she’s used to water when we jump cross country.”
Hannah Barker rode a beautiful double clear on Ammanvalley Santino – 2015 European pony team gold medallist with Jess Hewitt – to take second with Michael Syme on the 10-year-old Lightening II in third.
Image: Paul Kennedy & Cartown Danger Mouse in action earlier on this year at Bolesworth International.
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