Chantelle Duggan is crowned Events Through A Lens Talent Seeker Champion with Linton De La Chapelle
Thursday 05 October 2023
.jpg "Chantelle Duggan is crowned Events Through A Lens Talent Seeker Champion with Linton De La Chapelle")
Chantelle Duggan reclaimed her Events Through A Lens Talent Seeker incorporating the 7-year-old Championship title with her ‘Horse of a Lifetime’ Linton De La Chapelle to end the opening day at Horse of the Year Show on a high.
The pair won the 2020 Final held at the British Showjumping Championships at Aintree in 2020 after Covid lockdowns were lifted and finished fourth a year later.
“There’s nothing like winning at HOYS with the lights and the atmosphere,” said Chantelle, who considered the course “massive and technical with tough questions, especially as the combination rode long and the final fence was so square, I think some went too high and jumped it like a vertical.”
The L’Arc De Triomphe x Clinton 10-year-old was purchased from breeder and former British team rider Scott Smith and he has put Chantelle on the showjumping map with several notable wins. Their journey has not been an easy one, with Chantelle sidelined with a broken neck – now pinned with metal after a successful operation – but their unique bond has seen them return.
“We were totally unprepared and when I walked the course, I wondered what I was doing here. I competed at the shows I had planned like Great Yorkshire in the summer and he gave him a break after the British Showjumping National Championships, two weeks off with no riding at all the brought him back slowly. But due to work commitments, I could only jump two classes at Arena UK and we got in a quick trip to Vale View for a 1.30m before going down to HOYS. He was certainly fresh – he almost bucked me off after the first fence in round one, it felt really high!”
Only three of the 27 starters answered every question to go forward into the jump-off and all three jumped clear again, Leo Lamb and the super-consistent, eye-catching 7-year-old Gmail beating Chloe Winchesters opening round on Jupiter by 1.53 seconds.
“I knew I had to go fast but he is so quick through the air and he has so much belief in himself. I really didn’t have a stride to the last and we were so far off it I was pleading with him, please take off but he always believes he can get to the other side. He’s so unorthodox in every way but because I let him go his own way – and don’t have the strength to do otherwise – it works and he jumps better for it. I was still amazed to see we won by two seconds,” said Chantelle.
Celebrations were put off for 24 hours as Chantelle had to drive back home to be ready for work at the NFU Insurance arm the following day – “But it is also my Nan’s birthday so we are going out tonight!”
Leo Lamb, making his HOYS debut, deservedly secured the 7-year-old title on Gmail (Cornet Obolensky x Diamant De Semilly), who qualified for three HOYS finals over one weekend at Wales and West.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what this horse has achieved and as this was my first ever HOYS, it is even more special,” said Leo, who will return on Thursday night for the Foxhunter Final. "We think so much of him and I'm so lucky to have him. He's definitely one for the future and for the big grand prix classes; it's very exciting."
HOYS, NEC, Birmingham – Wednesday, 4 October, 2023
Events Through A Lens Talent Seeker incorporating the 7-year-old Championship
1st Chantelle Duggan & Linton De La Chapelle – 0/0 - 32.68 seconds
2nd Leo Lamb & Gmail – 0/0 34.65 seconds
3rd Michaela Scott & Eddie G Z – 0/0 36.18 seconds
Image: 1st Class Images
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