French Event Rider Gaspard Maksud wins the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter at Felbridge Showground
Tuesday 04 June 2024
v0hlntm072ug.JPG "French Event Rider Gaspard Maksud wins the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter at Felbridge Showground")
The Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Second Rounds continued this week at Felbridge Showground, with riders fighting it out for the two coveted HOYS tickets on offer.
Sixty-one competitors initially took on the 1.30m track designed by Ben Townley, and 16 produced first round clear with an eventual six contending the final jump-off in this three-round competition. With no-one able to secure an all-important triple clear, results would be decided by the clock.
Event rider Gaspard Maksud, riding Jane Young, Laura Smith and his own eight-year-old Ballypatrick Tiberius, used his penultimate draw to maximum advantage and, galloping to the final fence, edged ahead with 3.28 seconds to spare. Katie Speller took second place aboard Breen Equestrian’s BE Alcantara.
Gaspard – who is originally from France but now based in Surrey – is no stranger to top level competition. This year he contended his first Badminton Horse Trials as well as being named on the French Eventing long list for Paris 2024.
Notably, Gaspard also finished sixth individually at the 2022 Patroni Eventing World Championships, as well as being a part of the French Bronze Medal winning team and finishing eighth at the 2023 Pin Au Haras European Championships.
Reflecting on his win, Gaspard commented: “It was a good class. I was expecting it to be big but the horse is jumping well and so we knew the height would not be a problem. It is one thing to hope things will go your way but another to actually do well.
“We bought him for eventing, but he couldn’t do the dressage and we was a very good jumper,” continue Gaspard. “He is a very sensitive horse. It is not the first time he has won a class, but we can’t put the rug on him.
“I am looking forward to HOYS. It will be my very first time there, so it is very exciting.”
Felbridge Showground – Monday, 3 June 2024
Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Second Round
1st – Gaspard Maksud and Ballypatrick Tiberius - 0/0/4 38.96
2nd – Katie Speller and BE Alcantara - 0/0/4 42.24
3rd – Bryony Crippen and Catyana MDS - 0/0/4 43.16
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image: Felbridge Photography
