Arianna Kuligowski and Emma-Jo Slater are Winners in this week's NAF Five Star Bronze and Silver League Qualifiers at Pyecombe Equestrian Centre
Tuesday 13 May 2025
1nev7d5squcu.jpg "Arianna Kuligowski and Emma-Jo Slater are Winners in this week's NAF Five Star Bronze and Silver League Qualifiers at Pyecombe Equestrian Centre")
This weekend it was the turn of Pyecombe Equestrian Centre to host the NAF Five Star Bronze and Silver League Championship Direct Qualifiers, where riders aimed to take one step closer to a spot in the Final at Horse of the Year Show.
Kicking off the competition, 51 competitors stepped up to take on the 1.05m Bronze League course, with 24 combinations progressing to the final jump-off. Credit to the talent on display, 12 combinations left the arena with the much desired triple clear, but it was Arianna Kuligowski who successfully navigated the shortened course and raced to top spot. Riding Horsepower Motor Centre Ltd’s Ivascalle, the speedy pair stopping the clock in the fastest time of 33.41 seconds to take first place.
With just 0.55 seconds between first and second place, Jodie Randall, riding her own 13-year-old mare Heralda, chased hard to take second place with Jassy Pyke and her own Paco Rabanne slotting into third place, 2.98 seconds in arrears.
Pyecombe Equestrian Centre – Saturday, 10th May
NAF Five Star Bronze League Qualifier
1st – Arianna Kuligowski & Ivascalle – 0/0/0 33.41 seconds
2nd – Jodie Randall & Heralda – 0/0/0 33.96 seconds
3rd – Jassy Pyke & Paco Rabanne – 0/0/0 36.94 seconds
NB: Results pending official grading.
With the Bronze League qualifier concluded, Sunday saw NAF Five Star Silver League riders take centre stage and tackle the 1.15m course.
Fifty-seven starters were whittled down to 21 who jumped two clear rounds to advance to the final jump-off, nine of these securing that coveted third clear round. It was a tightly contested battle, with just 0.50 seconds separating 1st and 2nd place where Emma-Jo Slater came out on top riding Kim Barzilay’s Kimba Time, crossing the finish in a time of 37.45 seconds.
Catherine Houseman and her partner of five years, the 18-year-old Contrichta, were hot on their heels and picked up second place whilst Georgia Darlington and her own Jara II were less than a second off the pace, taking home third.
Kim Barzilay, owner and long term supporter of Emma-Jo, commented: “She is a super mare. She qualified last year but we didn’t take her and decided to take another horse that had qualified instead, so she always seems to be the Bridesmaid so to say. We might take her this year depending on what else we qualify. She’s got as much chance as any other horse to do well.
“There was a particular turn in the third round which we discussed Emma-Jo doing but we weren’t sure as it seemed a bit tight. Our first horse in the jump-off, the one we thought would do the best of the three, had the pole down after the turn, and the second is young so we didn’t push it. With the third horse in, Kimba Time, we thought we had to do something, so I told Emma-Jo to just go round flat out and it paid off. She’s a homebred mare so its always extra special when one does well,” added Kim.
Pyecombe Equestrian Centre – Sunday, 11th May
NAF Five Star Silver League Qualifier
1st – Emma Jo Slater & Kimba Time – 0/0/0 37.45 seconds
2nd – Catherine Housman & Contrichta – 0/0/0 37.95 seconds
3rd – Georgia Darlington & Jara II – 0/0/0 38.74 seconds
NB: Results pending official grading.
Images: Spidge Photography
