ROYAL WINDSOR HORSE SHOW SATURDAY
Saturday 16 May 2015
Despite being in the beautiful, very English setting of Windsor Castle grounds, A British win was denied on the penultimate day of Windsor Horse Show. Foreign riders took the lion share of the prizes, with a French win and two victories for the USA.
Warwickshire based American Laura Kraut commandingly claimed the Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes for the King’s Cup by five and a half sec on Nouvelle, an 11-year-old by Solitair.
Britons bunched behind over course-designer Kelvin Bywater’s 1.60m track, with Robert Smith taking second on the 10-year-old Balou Du Rouet mare Bavi. The pair had set the standard in the 11-strong jump-off, where only three double clears were evident. “I went at a reasonable pace, but I was the first clear and Bavi is inexperienced at this level,” said Robert, who is now based back in Warwickshire after living in Holland for several years.
“Laura was late to go and she was fast, but the track was big enough.” Robert is happy with Bavi’s progress. She jumped well for [my daughter] Chloe last year, winning the ladies in Eschweiler and jumping on junior Nations Cup, she’s not a complicated ride,” he said, “and she’s improving fast, she was placed [fourth] in Majis grand prix, but picked up a silly little injury out there, now she’s back on track and is perhaps will aim at Nations Cup and bigger grands prix.”
Dan Neilson slotted into third with Strides Simba, a nine-year-old gelding by Toulon and out of an Argentinus mare owned by Stacy Willsone. Robert Whitaker dropped to fourth, his quick time marred by a lowered pole on Catwalk IV, with Peter Charles and Stapleton Mist in sixth.
Robert Whitaker’s flying round on the exuberant USA Today looked set to win the Falcon Stakes. The class was run over a 1.55m track on a ‘winning round’ format, where the best combinations from seven groups of four accessed the jump-off. Robert led the way from mid-draw, demoting Laura Kraut’s early effort on Constable II into third by almost two sec.
However, last to go Adeline Hecart kept smooth and quick on Question D’Orval to snatch victory for France by more than a second. “I thought I was pretty quick to beat Laura Kraut, my turns were tight but he does buck and play around in between the fences,” said Robert on Mandy Hall and Clare Whitaker’s 14-year-old Heartbreaker stallion USA Today. “I was still pleased with him, and Adeline did a good round.”
James Fisher was fourth with his father Keith’s 11-year-old Kashmir Van Schuttershof daughter Zahra II.
A winner earlier in the week, Jordan Marshall and Unique finished in third in the CSI1* Martin Collins Enterprises Speed Stakes behind two Americans, Emily Moffitt on HHs Fafa and Emma Heise with Quentucky Jolly.
RESULTS CSI3*
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN STAKES FOR THE KING’S CUP
1 Laura Kraut & Nouvelle – USA – 0/0 39.78
2 Robert Smith & Bavi – GBR – 0/0 45.29
3 Daniel Neilson & Strides Simba – GBR – 0/0 48.14
4 Robert Whitaker & Catwalk IV – GBR – 0/4 40.24
5 Michel Hecart & Quatrin De La Roque – FRA – 0/4 40.94
6 Peter Charles & Stapleton Mist – GBR – 0/4 41.94
FALCON STAKES
1 Adeline Hecart & Question D’Orval – FRA – 0/0 36.86
2 Robert Whitaker & USA Today – GBR – 0/0 38.22
3 Laura Kraut & Constable II – USA – 0/0 40.85
4 James Fisher & Zahra II – GBR – 0/0 41.28
5 Karline de Brabander & Elvis Ter Putte – BEL – 0/0 45.59
6 Patrick Nisbett & Farah Van Klapscheut – BER – 0/4 43.95
MARTIN COLLINS ENTERPRISES SPEED STAKES CSI1*
1 Emily Moffitt & HHS Fafa – USA – 0 54.08
2 Emma Heise& Quentucky Jolly – USA – 0 55.20
3 Jordan Marshall & Unique – GBR – 0 56.32
4 Catherine Silfverling-Jansson & OMS Wendeliena – SWE – 0 57.61
5 Danny McGlynn & Ghana – GBR – 0 59.39
6 Sophie Fawcett & Dantos G – GBR – 0 61.31
1d4uw6apxk7ej.jpg "Alfie Diaper Delivers in Style with STX UK Pony Foxhunter Win Aboard PJV Bella")
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