Keith and his Lady Hit Top Form
Thursday 13 June 2019
Keith Shore ensured British success in the feature jumping class on day two of the Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show.
Keith, who is based just 20 miles from Bolesworth, won the Bloomfields Horseboxes four-star two-phase competition on 11-year-old mare Iron Lady Van T Meulenhof.
It was an outstanding victory from 46 starters as he denied American star Laura Kraut top spot by clocking a rapid jump-off time of 26.51 seconds.
Laura, a member of the USA's gold medal-winning showjumping team at the World Equestrian Games in North Carolina last September, was runner-up with Vvaramog de Breve on 27.19, with Ireland's Kenneth Graham finishing third on George.
Britain's Matt Sampson, who proved a social media hit before the 2017 Bolesworth show when he made a series of videos singing a song he wrote to show managing director Nina Barbour in an attempt to secure a wildcard entry, was fourth on Valse de Pepinvast.
And an in-form William Funnell completed the top five on Billy Mccain, clocking 29.52 seconds, as he made a strong start to four days of top-flight international jumping.
Keith said: "It is a good start to the week. Normally, she ends up second in quite a lot of classes, so it's nice to win one.
"I didn't think I was quick enough when I actually finished the round, but she's quite smooth and things were in the right place, so I just kept going on what I had, and it worked.
"Bolesworth is a local show for me, it's only half an hour away. It is a fantatstic venue, and to win here is special."
A busy four-star schedule opened in the Castle Arena with the Rawson Digital two-phase competition, and it was Ireland's Shane Breen who emerged victorious.
Sussex-based Shane is one of world showjumping's most consistent performers, and he did not disappoint at the first opportunity on his latest visit to Bolesworth.
Riding Quintella, a time of 30.10 seconds proved too quick for a sizeable field, with Matt Sampson and Geneve R getting closest on 31.22, with Belgian challenger Andres Vereecke taking third on Zuckersuess d'Argilla.
For further information and full results visit www.bolesworthinternational.com
