Emma-Jo Slater Wins the Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Addington Manor
Monday 18 July 2016
An on-form Emma-Jo Slater used her final draw to maximum effect to take victory in the Foxhunter Second Round at Addington Manor Equestrian Centre, Bucks, on Kim Barzilay’s home-bred Kimba Flamenco.
The pair had already secured their Horse of the Year Show qualification in the prestigious Foxhunter Championship Final at Birmingham’s NEC, and this was just gaining experience over bigger tracks with no pressure.
Sixty-six competitors initially contended the 12-fence track designed by London 2012 builder Bob Ellis, with twenty-one producing first round clears and an eventual thirteen accessing the jump-off.
Nevertheless, clears were scarce in the final round, and only two treble clears were produced. Emma-Jo, under no pressure to qualify, easily provided the quickest jump-off clear round on Kimba Flamenco, a seven-year-old by Je T’Aime Flamenco and out of the Heartbreaker mare Uttah Van Het Indihof – Emma-Jo’s former grade A mare and her personal favourite.
Simon Crippen took second with the only other treble clear on Judy Ross’s home-bred Rosgan So Divine, an eight-year-old sired by Couleur Rubin and out of the Galoubet A mare Divine Des Cabanes – who won the HOYS newcomer final herself with Simon in 1998 and was placed in the Foxhunter, grade C and seven-year-old finals the same year.
“This would be the biggest track she’s jumped – it was big in the last round,” said Simon.
The combinations in third to fifth narrowly missed out on a Championship place but will have another shot as they go through to the Foxhunter Masters at the British Showjumping National Championships, Stoneleigh, in August for another chance at qualifying for HOYS.
NB: Qualifications will be updated pending official grading of results.
