Chepstow Summer International Round Up
Tuesday 30 August 2022
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The focus was on jumping as a delighted Anna Power claimed the feature 2* Grand Prix with the only clear round on her own and Bina Ford’s McQueen to receive the King Hussein Cup at Chepstow Summer International.
Fifty-six faced a testing 13-fence 1.45m track designed by Raf Suarez with riders finding problems in a combination with meaty oxer as the final element, an airy midway vertical and the final tricky line of double to oxer. But the ‘bogey’ was a narrow wall without wings which shocked several seasoned horses into a stop.
It seemed as though a clear could prove elusive but Anna used her 45th draw to jump a foot-perfect round on the scopey McQueen.
“I never thought I’d win with the only clear, although I must admit I was hoping for it. There were problems everywhere, not just one particular fence,” said Anna, who finished second with Blazer B to Mark Edwards in last year’s Grand Prix. “It’s great to come back and win it.”
The Cobra-sired 9-year-old was bought as a 6-year-old.
“We’ve always had high hopes for him but he did very little as a 7-year-old because of Covid, this has justified our belief in him,” said Anna. “He has it all, scope, he’s brave and careful.”
Mark Edwards has enjoyed a bumper August with five championship titles at the British Showjumping National Championships and sweeping the board at Shrewsbury Flower Show with another five wins. The Welshman carried his form to Chepstow, phenomenally commanding yet five more wins.
Fifty competitors came forward in the Big Tour 1.40m speed class but Mark had the win sewn up by sixth draw on Marlene Edwards’ Flying Tinker II, the Tinkers Tale 11-year-old matching Mark’s determination to win by 0.51 seconds. Sunday’s 1.40m speed also fell to the on-form pair with a commanding seven second win over their 21 rivals.
“He’s the most amazing little horse, such a trier; I’m having a lot of fun,” said Mark.
Mark scored a hat-trick in the Gold Tour with the Durrant nine-year-old Iron Man. The pair headed the 1* 1.25m two-phase, outpacing their 32 rivals by 1.22 seconds. They went on to head the 19-horse speed with more than seven seconds in hand and crowned their success in the final day’s Hazelden Gold 1* Grand Prix by 3.43 seconds in a 12-horse decider.
“He’d lost confidence and I’ve been building him up from 1.20m, in the last couple of weeks, he’s got better and better,” said Mark.
Ireland’s British-based Jessica Burke featured strongly in day two’s Big Tour 1.40m with two of the top three places. Sixteen of the seventy starters came through to the jump-off with Jessica’s competitive opening round on Inpulss just short-lived lead as Faye Adams powered Demograaf into the top spot. A determined Jessica returned to shave just 0.03 seconds off the time with the Future Trend x Condios 12-year-old Express Trend for the win.
Faye and the speedy Quasimodo Z 14-year-old Demograaf jumped to the top in the initial Medium Tour 1.35m single-phase with 1.51 sec to spare over their 40 rivals.
Harriet Biddick edged ahead of her 38 rivals by 0.40 sec in the Medium 1.35m Speed with the 11-year-old Carla X (Capriol x Pablo) and the partnership built on their success with victory in the Medium 2* 1.40m Grand Prix.
Eleven of the twenty-six starters came forward to a hot jump-off, Harriet securing the win by 0.24 seconds despite Robert Murphy’s final challenge on Lightning TW.
“She’s clever, careful, fun and very fast,” said Harriet, who acquired this mare as a 3-year-old.
Nicole Pavitt has carefully returned her home-bred stallion Gemmarco 16 to competition following time off for injury and the patience paid off handsomely with victory in the Small 1.35m Grand Prix.
Fifteen of the original forty-one starters qualified for the jump-off with Nicole and the Unbelievable Darco x Equador 13-year-old speeding into the top spot with 1.89 sec to spare over second-placed Alison Barton’s Saphir.
“He’s enjoying jumping at a lower level and will have a mini break now. I’m looking forward to taking him to Vilamoura,” said Nicole.
Gail Burchmore scored a handsome win in day one’s Small Tour 1.30m with the consistent Jakarta VD Hunters, the Scendix x Nonstop 13-year-old outpacing their 58 rivals by 1.51 seconds.
Second the day before, Helen Rees left nothing to chance in the 35-strong Small Tour 1.30m Accumulator with Bianca Du Rouet, the feisty Statinus x Balou Du Rouet 9-year-old securing the win by 1.86 seconds.
Helen doubled up with victory in the concluding 2* 1.35m Accumulator with Bart VI, the Lord Z 16-year-old recording a 2.23 second win.
Beth Vernon topped the final Small 1.30m speed on the 11-year-old mare The Movie Star (Diamant De Semilly x Cavalier Royale) with a 3.26 second advantage over her 25 challengers.
Glain Watkin Jones gained the upper hand to take the Silver 1.25m Grand Prix with the 7-year-old mare Calimera. Despite the forty-six entries, only two supplied first round clears to go head-to-head in the jump-off, last-drawn Glain jumping the only clear to be crowned champion over Israel’s Hadar Cats on Billy Make Haste.
“She always tries and she’s just getting better and better,” said Glain, who bought Calimera as a lightly-backed 3-year-old.
Abbie Bevan doubled up in the Silver Tour 1* classes with Genius Contender, heading day one’s 79-strong 1.15m two-phase by 1.72 seconds and repeating the feat twenty-four hours later. Sixty riders contended the 1.20m speed with Abbie and the Brainpower x Corland 11-year-old she acquired six months ago emerging triumphant with 1.87 seconds in hand.
Laura Davies enjoyed a great week with two wins to her credit on her ‘family pet’ Heermoes, a 10-year-old bought from Gail Burchmore. The pair topped the Bronze 1.05m accumulator and went on to take the Bronze 1.10m Grand Prix by an incredible 5.42 seconds in the 14-horse jump-off.
“He’s my only horse and the most talented but kind boy in every way,” said Laura, who is mum to a two-year-old daughter and works full time as a Chemotherapy nurse at a Cancer Centre in Cardiff.
Ryan Lockwood secured the 5-year-old Grand Prix with Mandy Harris’ Vitoria Z by two seconds in the seven-strong jump-off.
“She’s green but naturally very quick,” said Ryan, who has ridden the Vigo D’Arsouilles x Cicero Z mare for the past two months.
British-based Australian Chris Burton headed the 6-year-old Grand Prix by 0.11 seconds in a 20-horse jump-off with Qatar B.
“He’s an exciting new ride, this is only our second show,” said Chris.
Mischa Irving claimed the 32-entry 6-year-old Accumulator with tight lines on Polizzi, the Arkol x Peppermill mare scoring a comfortable win by 1.79 seconds.
