Chepstow International CSI2* - Round Up
Tuesday 01 May 2018
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Crowd favourites Kerry Brennan and her mother Liane Smith’s ever-eager Wellington M lifted the 2* Grand Prix title at a gallop in an exciting jump-off.
It was no fluke. Portugal’s course-designer Bernado Costa Cabral used technical lines, big square oxers and a restrictive time encouraging forward riding for the fifty-eight starters. And only four came up with all the answers, although a further three left all the fences up but returned on one time fault each.
“It was a strong, technical course,” said Kerry, who had fired a warning shot in two earlier 1.40m classes with second place in both.
Here, they set the standard in the jump-off from second draw, ‘Wellie’ jumping out of his stride with his ears pricked all the way.
“There were a couple of tough lines in the jump-off so I had to take care, but then thought I hadn’t done enough. Wellie’s 15 now so we look after him, but he keeps finding that bit more,” added Kerry, “And we’re going home in profit!”
It was tight. Tracy Priest took advantage of the Silverstone x Quickstar 11-year-old Caristo VDL’s big stride to cover the ground and gave Kerry a run for the money but broke the beam just two tenths of a second shy of the target.
Sammie Jo Coffin returned on four faults with Bellamy II for third and Will Fletcher finished fourth on Persimmon.
Tracy returned triumphant in the Medium Tour Grand Prix with Caruso D’Eres Z.
Only eight of the fifty-six starters reached the jump-off with Tracy’s rousing gallop to the final oxer taking the title by 0.21 seconds over Dan Neilson and second-placed Cirrus.
“He is so careful and these forward-going tracks suit him,” said Tracy on the Calvaro Z 9-year-old Caruso.
Matt Sampson hit the ground running to take the opening day’s Big Tour 1.40m by 0.93 sec in a 27-horse jump-off with Dy Korette.
“She’s so careful and improving all the time,” said Matt on the 10-year-old mare, winner of four classes on the Spanish sunshine tour.
Jude Burgess secured victory in day two’s 1.40m two-phase on Comeback De Fremis, a Ugano Sitte 10-year-old he has produced for the past five years.
“He’s ready to step up again,” said Jude.
Paul Barker claimed a double of wins with the Big Tour 1.40m speed and Small Grand Prix.
His early round on Sovereign Equestrian’s Kannan 11-year-old Happy Boy in the 1.40m proved unbeatable, the pair claiming victory by 0.55 seconds over Kerry and Wellington M.
Sandors Legacy stepped up to the plate for Paul in the Small 1.35m Grand Prix in a hot, eighteen horse jump-off, beating Lance Whitehouse’s opener on Bazento.
“I watched Lance and the only place I could beat him was being tighter to the oxer before the double,” said Paul, after securing victory by 1.07 seconds.
Lance went one better in the final day’s Small 1.30m Speed class to take the top spot on Giorgia and Sandra Distefano’s Cartino III, guiding the Cartano x Topas 11-year-old into a 0.73 seconds win.
“He’s naturally quick and a real trier,” said Lance.
Joss Williams enjoyed a successful show with four wins, round off the show with victory in the Silver Grand Prix on owner-breeder Penny Roberts’ Think It Over in a twelve strong jump-off.
“He’s cheeky but Penny evented him as a 5-year-old and now competes at dressage – and it makes the world of difference in the showjumping ring,” said Joss.
Joss had started the week with a double of wins on the 16-year-old Zandokan Z in the Silver Tour series – “He’s easy and loves the job.”
And seasoned campaigner Culmore Prospect – now aged 18 – headed the second day’s Medium Tour 1.35m Speed class with 1.93 seconds to spare.
“When she slows down I’ll know it’s time to finish, but there’s no sign of it yet,” said Joss.
Paul Crago risked a gallop to the Joker – tall, skinny black planks – to secure victory in the Medium Tour Accumulator on Dawn Cooley’s 16-year-old Valentino IX.
“He’s quick and super-careful, I could trust him to run down to the planks and jump them,” he said.
Chelsea Skelton raced to a win in the opening day’s Medium 1.35m two-phase with the Dutch-bred 11-year-old Caramba, claiming just 0.23 seconds over Mark Edwards in second on Antony Hill’s Quidde Du Buisson Z.
Sophie Slater (nee Heaven) topped day one’s Small Tour 1.30m two-phase by 0.34 seconds on a new ride, the Lupicor 11-year-old Colien, and Daisy McKinlay headed day two’s accumulator with Ciara Ballerina, a 9-year-old she acquired in January.
Julian Mincher claimed a hat-trick of wins in the Gold Tour on the 12-year-old Calvaro FCS daughter Calista. The pair looked en route for another win in the Grand Prix, but their quick target was eclipsed by Olli Fletcher, 15, and the 10-year-old Dahar – who shares the same sire, Quasimodo Van DE Molendreef, as Scott Brash’s London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Hello Sanctos.
“She’s very careful and rarely has a fence down,” said Olli, who galloped to the last to secure the win.
Zac Beesley topped a hotly competitive 6-year-old Grand Prix on John and Laura Renwick’s Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve mare Hermione.
“She’s the nicest, easiest horse with a great attitude, it’s fantastic to ride a horse like this and to jump at a super show like this – they are needed to produce horses to the top,” said Zac.
Ronnie Jones topped a three-way decider to take the 5-year-old Grand Prix on Ruth and Ian Dowie’s VDL Arkansas mare GRC Crimson.
“We never thought we’d win but she’s brave and confident,” said Ronnie, who has found jumping at shows in Belgium earlier in the years has brought the mare on considerably.
Ponies
Shaunie Greig landed the 148cm Grand Prix with a breath-taking turn into the penultimate oxer with the 15-year-old Casino Royale VIII to win with 0.45 seconds in hand.
“He’s sharp and has the scope and confidence,” said Shaunie, 15, on her HOYS Pony Showjumper of the Year champion.
Nicole Lockhead Anderson had set a sizzling and seemingly unbeatable target with the Irish-bred nine-year-old Gangnam Style, but had to settle for second place.
“I’m over the moon with the way he’s progressed,” said the consistent Nicole, who had doubled up with the previous 148cm European viewing trial classes, winning the two-phase on Gangnam Style and the speed leg aboard Killack King.
“The riders were very competitive and consistent over the three days,” said European selector Clare Whitaker.
Children on Horses
Els Simpson, 12, provided the sole clear round in the Children on Horses Grand Prix to convincingly command victory on My Lucky Day, a nine-year-old she only started riding in February.
“We clicked pretty quickly,” said Dartmoor-based Els, who followed trainer Justin Tuff’s instructions to “keep my leg on, keep forward and level.”
Jake Myers almost made it a jump-off after leaving all the fences standing, but one very frustrating time fault on Premier Etoile kept him in second place.
Els had won day one’s two-phase with ‘Lucky’ but finished third on day two when Atiya Bussey forged ahead to take the top two places in the speed section on the 16-year-old Westwinds Ego and new ride Chesterfield Z, a 12-year-old previously ridden at International level by Anna Power.
NB: Qualifications will be updated on the website pending official grading of results.
1weon0iftwu19.jpg "Scott Brash makes a long-awaited Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix win in Shanghai")
1xtpsebafdw52.jpg "Sienna Hutchings and Mia Pearson Soar to Success in the STX-UK Pony British Novice Second Rounds")