Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships 2022
Monday 11 April 2022
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Robert Smith lifted the feature Blue Chip Grand Prix in style to bring the popular Friday Gala night to a close as the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships made a happy return to Hartpury Arena in Gloucestershire after three years away. And the Covid-19 lockdowns proved a distant memory as the feel-good factor rippled throughout the five days of competition.
“He’s older, experienced and when he’s on point, he can win big classes and I knew he would be fairly close,” said Robert, who had confidently targeted this class.
Forty-one competitors faced questions on technical distances, rollback turns and big, square oxers as course-designer Nigel Jess tested with a 13-fence in the confines of the championship arena and just six elite found all the answers to reach the jump-off.
Mennell Watson and the game little stallion Whisper In The Wind made a supreme effort to take an early lead but they were immediately relegated by a determined Robert. Making use of Ilton’s long stride, Robert expertly cut the corners and cruised to the final Blue Chip oxer in the middle of the arena to wipe away 2.64 seconds.
Reigning National Champion Adrian Speight chased hard on Judith Whitham’s Millfield Baloney but despite a run to the final imposing oxer, they broke the beam 0.52 seconds behind for second place.
“The course was tough but it suited us although he is a better outdoor, big ring horse,” said Robert.
Holly Smith seized victory in the Blue Chip Pro Challenge Trophy with Kim Barzilay’s home-bred Kimba Castello.
Fifty-five tackled the 12-fence single-phase course but Holly had the win sewn up from sixth draw with a handsome 2.73 seconds to spare.
“It’s great to win at Kim’s favourite show,” said Holly, who won six four-star 1.40/1.45m classes on the bounce at Spain’s Andalucia tour with the Castello Overcinge’s Z x Heartbreaker 8-year-old who was produced by Emma-Jo Slater before moving to Holly’s Leicestershire base late last year.
“There were questions everywhere in the track and he’s come back indoors after the big rings Spain but it didn’t bother him, he’s competitive anywhere and always tries his heart out,” added Holly.
Mark Edwards was one of the favourites with two in the final 16-horse jump-off for the Blue Chip Karma Performance title and secured the win from the second draw on Dillinger NE although it was tight, just 0.10 seconds separating the top two.
“He’s so straightforward, still green but learning all the time against the clock. He’s a consistent clear round jumper and makes life easy for me,” said Mark, who now jointly owns the Diarado x Carsimo 7-year-old with breeders Ros and Dennis Palmer.
Mark was again in the mix in the 16-horse jump-off of the Blue Chip Dynamic B and C with Dillinger and Royale Tale, taking a brief lead on the latter but Jess Botham found a shorter route in the 15-strong jump-of on Jane Starkey’s home-bred Cevin Z x Gunner B 8-year-old Manzanita to claim the title.
“She’s spent time in the field since Onley’s Winter Classic in the New Year and while I was competing in Spain. She only came into work five weeks ago with Jane getting her fit but I knew she’d be good in the arena, she’s level and doesn’t spook,” said Jess, who secured the win by 0.88 seconds over Mark in second on Dillinger NE.
Rachael Connor was the sole rider to take a daring line inside the double from fence one to two on Fantastic and it paid handsomely with the Lister winter 1.25m title.
The initial fifty-five starters were reduced to twenty-two for the jump-off with Rachael maximising on her penultimate draw with the Casantos x Oklund 12-year-old mare to win by 1.87 seconds.
“She’s so careful but she tends to go too high over the fences indoors, especially over 1.30m, so I’ve kept her in 1.20m classes over the winter and she’s confident and I know I can trust her to gallop,” said Rachael, who opted to go round to the double with an oxer going in. “Again, it was because she sometimes goes high instead of stretching across but I’d made up enough time between the first two fences.”
Courtney Young outpaced all her rivals to take the Blue Chip Joint RLF Power Championship with Maxine Locke’s Gwen Stefani Sho Z.
The eighty-two entries were whittled down to twenty-two for the jump-off with Courtney’s sizzling target holding hard despite some serious challenges, the pair taking the win by 0.53 seconds.
“This is her first big championship show and she came here for a look round but she took the atmosphere, the flowers, all of it, in her stride,” said Essex-based Courtney, who acquired the 7-year-old mare from Jamie Wingrove two years ago.
Bex Mason emerged triumphant in a strong Joshua jones UK Discovery Championship on Suzanne Beddoes and Niki Caine’s home-bred Rarity.
A huge entry of one hundred and seven was reduced to twenty-seven for the jump-off, Bex and the Argento x Abdullah 7-year-old mare Rarity finding the tightest of lines with daring aplomb to land victory by 0.84 seconds from early leader Emma-Jo Slater on Kim Barzilay’s home-bred Kimba Time (Time Out M x Heartbreaker).
“Emma-Jo was very fast and I didn’t think I’d beat her but Rarity is deceptively quick even if she doesn’t look it,” said Bex, who got the ride in March 2021. “She’s buzzy and wants to get on with it.”
Windsor based Isobel Stenning, 18, decisively executed every tight turn to claim the Voltaire Design Winter Novice Championship on CSF Kilkishen by 0.44 seconds in a hot 17-horse jump-off from a huge one hundred and five entries.
“I produced him myself so this win is special,” said Isobel, on the Mylord Carthago x Lancer III 7-year-old she bought at auction online from Gorsebridge Sales. “He takes everything in his stride, I can’t fault him.”
Emily Morris and her loyal, ever-willing 11-year-old partner Bean Cruising (Mr Jumbojangles x Cruising) gave their all in the final stages of the 27-horse jump-off – yielded from 106 starters – to lift the FMBs Therapy Systems Star Championship to win by 1.05 seconds.
“She gave me everything, I couldn’t have gone any quicker,” said Emily, a MIND mental health charity worker who has ambitions for the HOYS silver league and Veterans European Championships this year. “We’ve moved up a level and been jumping some 1.30m classes – it would be a nice goal.”
A late round by Burton-on-Trent, Derbyshire based Ruth Tatum and her former Intermediate eventer Visual Impact secured the Heritage Insurance Diamond Championship by 2.46 seconds in a 13-horse decider.
“He’s a bit quirky and sharp but that gives him the edge in competition and he’s a lovely boy who tries his hardest,” said Ruth, on the Master Imp x Clover Hill 15-year-old she has ridden for the past 11 years.
Ponies
Ellie Koscinska claimed the Blue Chip Pro Sparkle JC/JA handicap championship with Carole Jones’s Ganty Wills Girl.
A start-list of twenty-four entries came forward to bid for this title with nine JC ponies joined by six JA ponies in the jump-off. The winner came from the less experienced JC section as Ellie executed several tight turns and a gallop to the final oxer to land the win by just 0.13 seconds on the Irish-bred 11-year-old mare.
“She’s the sweetest, most adorable pony who is genuinely happy in her job. The sky’s the limit with her, she has endless scope and has opened great opportunities for me, I’m looking forward to the future,” said Ellie, who qualified for the Hickstead winter JC at Arena UK with a win.
Daisy Scott-Watson made a special journey down from the Scottish Borders to compete at these championships and was amply rewarded with the Voltaire Design Pony Coral title with her mother Helen Scott-Watson’s Curravordy Builders Blue.
Sixteen of the thirty-nine starters contended the jump-off with Daisy claiming the win from mid-draw with a 0.23 second advantage with the 11-year-old Connemara bought three years ago.
“We’d seen him competing and always wanted him and bought him as soon as he came up for sale. He has a lovely personality and tries so hard to leave all the fences up,” said Daisy, 15, who attends St Georges Boarding School in Edinburgh and only rides at weekends.
Emily Irvine was crowned Eskadron Pony Discovery champion with Alison Irvine’s Bureside Personality, a 9-year-old 138cm pony acquired two years ago.
Twenty-six of the fifty-six starters accessed the jump-off with Emily winning by 0.40 seconds in their first proper attempt against the clock.
“The atmosphere and distractions didn’t worry him, he’s got a ‘look at me’ personality and loves attention and definitely loved going fast,” said Emily, a pupil at Stonar School.
Grace Soden from Uffington, near Faringdon in Oxfordshire, had led the way in the pony discovery with her mother Sarah’s Bonnie’s Lass until Emily flew into the top spot but gained a coveted sash and rug in the final day’s Voltaire Design pony sapphire championship with a devastatingly quick round.
Twenty-seven of the seventy-one starters contended the jump-off with Grace taking every tight line to the max on the nine-year-old dun mare to record a 0.89 sec win and her biggest win to date.
“She’s needs the adrenalin to jump at a show, I just have to trust her when she goes fast,” said Grace, 15, who trains with Olli Fletcher.
Darcie Nobles and her mother Emily’s Wainfelin Starlight thoroughly enjoyed scooting round with ever tighter turns to be crowned Pikeur pony novice champions, marking Darcie’s first big win. Sixty-four riders came forward in this class and they claimed the win in the 22-pony decider by 0.07 seconds.
The 18-year-old 136cm mare came to Dorset-based Darcie, 12, three months ago as an unsettled, unhappy pony but Darcie – who finds horses very therapeutic – hacked out every day and quickly built up a special partnership.
“She’s much more relaxed and trusting now and she’s got a home for life,” said Darcie, who has finished in the top three in every competition since January, winning the last five consecutive classes.
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