New ride seals the deal for Sandy McLean in the Prestige Italia British 6 Year Old Championship
Monday 18 August 2025
Scotland’s Sandy McLean lifted the coveted Big Star Trophy today at Hickstead, after winning the Prestige Italia British 6 Year Old Championship at the Al Shira'aa British Young Horse Championships.
Thirteen of the 55 starters managed to produce a first round clear to guarantee a jump-off – but none could better the time of 22-year-old Sandy and Miss Contoulonia PS, who scorched round in 34.79 seconds, to go ahead of Thomas Pritchard and Ovorito (35.37 seconds).
“There were a lot of horses in the jump-off, so it was always going to be fast,” said Sandy. “I watched Tom’s round and I knew he was fast, as his horse has a big stride. Mine has got a smaller stride, but she’s quicker across the ground, I'd say. So I knew if I let her just keep running at the fences, that she would be there or thereabouts, and today was a good result.”
The Big Star Trophy is given in honour of Nick Skelton’s incredible Rio 2016 gold medal winning stallion, and it was fitting that McLean won today as he names Nick as a big inspiration. “I always said Scott Brash and John Whitaker were my main inspirations, but after watching the Nick Skelton documentary, it was amazing to see how much drive someone could have for so many years, to achieve their goals and not give up,” he said. “People aim all year round to try to win this Championship, so it's an honour to be able to go in there and win it, and especially on a new horse for me.”
He has had the ride on Miss Contoulonia PS for just six weeks. “This is maybe our fourth show together, but she's an unbelievable mare when she likes you, she's a real fighter for you in the ring,” he said. The six-year-old by Messenger is quite a quirky character though. “She likes going hacking, but apart from that she likes being alone, and she doesn't like to be told what to do, but when she gets in the ring, she's so careful that you just have to let her do her own thing, and she always delivers.”
Rising star Sandy has been on excellent form at this show, having already secured a win in Saturday’s Trojan Track 1.40m Open with Kolwa. It was also a great week for the TW Stables team of riders, with McLean’s win in the Six Year Old final coming hot on the heels of team mate Pippa Goddard (Seven Year Old final joint winner) and fellow TW Stables rider William Rekert, who won today’s Five Year Old Championship. “I’m delighted, the team has had an amazing week and to win the six-year-olds is fantastic, to round off a brilliant week for us three riders,” said Sandy.
Runner-up Thomas Pritchard claimed the £1,000 Big Star Bonus with Orovito, while the clear round British Showjumping bonus was shared by Adam Morgan (Othello) and Richard Howley (Emoraldi Terma Z).
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William Rekert’s win in the Al Shira’aa British 5 Year Old Championship came courtesy of Corinio Z (Columbus Z), who is owned by Kyle Williams.
“This class has been our aim for a few months, so I can’t believe it,” said William. “He’s a little horse but he’s got a really big stride, and he’s careful so I can trust him to just gallop to his fences.”
Corinio Z is a former eventer, and William got offered the ride on him because the gelding was a bit too careful for the cross-country phase. “He only did his first show with me a few months ago, and he’s come on so much in that time,” added William.
Rekert also shared the British Showjumping bonus for jumping double clear with Megan James (Chappido) and Ben Walker (Miami III), while Ben was also the highest placed British-bred finalist with La Sansa.
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The show drew to a close with a highly competitive TrojanTrack 1.40m Grand Prix, which saw a huge 64 combinations come forward. Fifteen came forward for the jump-off, which ended in the tightest of finishes when Nicole Pavitt (Casque D’Or) crossing the finish in a time of 34.73 seconds, one hundredth of a second faster than Robert Whitaker and Strike A Pose.
"He prefers going fast," said Nicole about Amber Bundock's nine-year-old stallion. "Because he's little, people don't realise how big a stride he has. He is my favourite - he's cheeky, but he's the golden child. He's a happy-go-lucky sort who always wants to please."
Two of Britain’s leading lady riders shared the win in Saturday’s Breen Equestrian British 7 Year Old Championship, after finishing on the exact same time in the jump-off.
With qualifying tickets up for grabs for the FEI Jumping World Breeding Championships in Lanaken, the competition at the Al Shira'aa British Young Horse Championships was fierce. Eight of the 53 starters produced first round clears to go into the jump off, with third to go Georgia Tame and BE Thiassi producing the first double clear in a time of 37.49 seconds to go into the lead.
Last year’s Prestige Italia British 6 Year Old winners Humaid Al Muhairi and Argentina De Kreisker Z were unlucky to miss out on another title after producing the fastest time, but the penultimate fence fell to cost them the win. It wasn’t until the very last rider to go, Pippa Goddard and PDZ Constanza, that another clear round was added – and the pair also crossed the finish in 37.49 seconds to share the title with Georgia and BE Thiassi.
It was the first time that either rider had finished in a dead heat in a showjumping competition.
“I’ll take that any day, as long as it’s a win!” said a delighted Pippa, who also received the £4,000 British Showjumping clear round bonus. “My plan was to go as fast as I can without going crazy."
PDZ Constanza is a relatively new ride for Pippa, but the partnership has got off to a flying start, with today's win coming just a few weeks after winning the Breen Equestrian CSIYH1* Final at the Agria Royal International Horse Show. "I’ve been riding her for three months now, and I cannot praise her enough," said Pippa. "She tries so hard every time. She rarely knocks a jump down and if she does it’s my mistake, not hers.”
Georgia bought BE Thiassi (Cuick Star Kervec x Andiamo Z) from breeders Shane and Chloe Breen in the Breen Equestrian Auction last year. “She was second here in the six-year-olds last year, so it was nice to get the win today,” she said.
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Louise Simpson made a triumphant return to the arena at Hickstead, with a sweep of wins at the Al Shira’aa British Young Horse Championships.
After nearly a year away from competition, Louise returned on dominant form, winning both the 1.30m Open on Friday and the 1.30m Grand Prix on Saturday, both with the 12-year-old gelding Z7 Regal Don.
The Sussex-based rider then followed up with victory in Saturday’s Billy Stud Auction British 4 Year Old Championship with the mare Bye Felicia 19.
The talented youngster, who is by the 2023 Al Shira’aa Derby winner Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve, produced a beautiful clear before gaining an impressive 35 marks out of 40 from expert judges Robert Lemieux and Alex Hempleman.
Louise had two four-year-old siblings qualified for today’s final, who were both born by embryo transfer from a former competition mare that Louise rode called Fiona. “Both four-year-olds were homebreds, and they were both out of a mare that I love that I had for years, and by the stallion that David won the Derby on,” said Louise. “They’ve both been so easy from the start, I think they’re quite talented, and it’s more special when you’ve bred them yourself.”
The Billy Stud Auction British 4 Year Old Championship has a unique judging format, where the horses first have to jump a clear round and then these go through to a second round, where they are judged for their jumping technique, natural ability, future potential, and rideability.
Judge Alex Hempleman praised the standard of today’s four-year-old finalists. “I thought the quality was really good today, with a nice mix of British horses and foreign-bred horses, showing that British breeding is really coming to the forefront.”
Asked why he and fellow judge Robert Lemieux had chosen Bye Felicia 19 as their winner, Alex said: “She cantered round with a fantastic attitude, her rhythm and jump didn’t change, and you could easily see her going on to jump big tracks in the main ring here at Hickstead.”
In second place was Carron Nichol’s stallion Rhapsody I, by the stallion Kardesh.
Michael Morrin and Lottie Tutt, owners of Billy Frisel, were the winners of the £5,000 bonus for the highest placed four-year-old horse bought at a Billy Stud Auction.
Image: Boots and Hooves Photography
