WELSH MASTERS 2014
Monday 21 April 2014
Championships were hotly contested and deservedly won in nail-biting finishes at the David Broome Event Centre, Wales and West, with a couple of on-form riders retaining their 2013 titles.
The ultra-fast, ever-competitive Nicole Pavitt was on flying form to lay claim to three titles. After winning the ladies with Our Duchess, the winning partnership went to take the top-billed Martin Collins grand prix, worth £1,500 to the winner.
“She was awesome and did everything to clear the last but one vertical, I was so deep” said Nicole, who also won the ladies with a risky, breath-taking gallop to the double to retain her 2013 title.
“I was a long way off and she really helped me out,” said Nicole, who rides the 10-year-old for Marcela Curbishley.
Ben Dunning used his final draw with Alo Brake’s Uniek II to take the Gents title, improving on his second place last year.
“He’s quick-thinking and careful for such a big horse, he’s over 17hh,” said Ben, who set up a stud a year ago to try and breed his own showjumpers.
Adam Botham took the NAF 1.20m title with a positive, speedy round on Sharon Mynard’s Punta II.
“She’s scopey, careful and quick” said Adam on the eight-year-old acquired in February to sell on, “Toby Mynard has done a great job in producing her.”
Kieren Williams beat the rain and other competitors to take the 1.25m Welsh Masters championship on Sun View Star. They were on form, they had finished second to Adam Botham in the 1.20m the previous day.
Anglesey based Kieren, 19, who rides for Ned Pritchard, was the sole Welsh competitor to land a title.
The final round of Jude Burgess with Horsepower Motors’ Severly Hille earned the seven and eight-year-old Welsh Masters title.
The eight-year-old gelding stepped up to 1.40m in Portugal, and the experience was evident here, as tight turns to big, wide oxers were taken in his stride.
“He’s naturally quick, I just keep him balanced” said Jude.
Adrian Whiteway claimed the Welsh Master six-year-old with a flying gallop to the last on Dimple.
“He’s only recently started to go against the clock, but I had to risk it, I was drawn second of 26” said Bristol based Adrian, who has ridden the Lupicor sired Dimple for Hazel Stowell for two years.
Nicole Pavitt took her third championship of the week with the five-year-old on her mother Sandra’s homebred Gemmarco 16, a stallion son of Unbelievable Darco.
“He gained experience in Portgual and won their five-year-old final” said Nicole, “He can go on holiday now.”
Glynn Slater repeated last year’s win to take the Keith Price Garages 1.10m with Jo Lusher’s super-speedy mare Tubbercurry Lass.
“She finds going in the rain easy and this class suits her” said Glynn, who is aiming for the silver amateur league this season.
Already crowned Deebees Rosettes 1.05m champion, Beth Mantel tried her utmost to make it a double with Nicky Gillatt’s 15-year-old Truly Scrumptious, but had to settle for second on this occasion.
“She is so reliable, I know I’m going to be competitive” said Beth.
Julian landed the 1.15m championship with Natasha Hawkins’ Guhne Van Het Keizershof, a Belgian-bred eight-year-old bought as a six-month-old foal.
“She’s strong and loves to jump, but she has always been a winner” said Julian, who produced the mare through the British young horse finals and Hickstead’s age classes from a four-year-old.
Image: Nicole Pavitt and Our Duchess
NAF 1.20m FINAL
1 Punta II Adam Botham 0/0 41.62
2 Sun View Star Keiran Williams 0/0 43.61
3 Leva Z Gail Burchmore 0/0 45.31
LADIES
1 Our Duchess Nicole Pavitt 0/0 37.82
2 Rambo III Sian Edwards 0/0 38.96
3 Gemmaire Precious Nicole Pavitt 0/0 39.19
GENTS
1 Uniek II Ben Dunning 0/0 40.63
2 Verlindo Richard Barton 0/0 43.42
3 Ashton Dollipierre Mark Turnbull 0/4 39.35
7/8 YEAR OLD FINAL
1 Severly Hill Jude Burgess 0/0 37.12
2 Croklund Anna Edwards 0/0 39.00
3 Smirnov Philip Spivey 0/0 40.81
JENKINSONS FIVE YEAR OLD FINAL
1 Gemmarco 16 Nicole Pavitt 0/0 27.63
2 Warriors Gold Ben Bick 0/0 29.40
3 Elvis VI Harriet Taylor 0/0 29.67
HAZELDEN SADDLERY SIX YEAR –OLD FINAL
1 Dimple Adrian Whiteway 0/0 35.29
2 Fergus VIII Richard Barton 0/0 35.48
3 Don Carlos Jackson Reed-Stephenson 0/0 35.67
MARTIN COLLINS 1.40m GRAND PRIX
1 Our Duchess Nicole Pavitt 0/0 43.32
2 Zorland D Volo Nick Benterman 0/0 44.9
3 Art D’Usance Emma Slater 0/0 54.23
1.25m FINAL
1 Sun View Star Kieren Williams 0/0 30.99
2 UnbelievableEddie Mark Edwards 0/0 32.49
3 Zamiro Jordan Barnes 0/0 32.79
DEEBEES ROSETTES 1.05m FINAL
1 Truly Scrumptious III Beth Mantel 0/0 32.01
2 Didi Delia Victoria Rutter 0/0 32.26
3 Cara Anchises Chantal de Verteuil 0/0 32.90
KEITH PRICE GARAGES 1.10m FINAL
1 Tubbercurry Lass Glynn Slater 0/0 33.61
2 Truly Scrumptious Beth Mantel 0/0 36.18
3 Question D Amour Charlotte Rampton 0/0 39.98
1.15m FINAL
1 Guhne Van Het Keizershof Julian Mincher 0/0
2 Belle Fleur Chantal De Verteuil 0/0
3 Patent Norman Proffitt 0/0