Graham Lovegrove and Alfie 192 win the opening leg of the 2014 International Stairway Series
Friday 30 May 2014
Graham Lovegrove from Retford, Nottinghamshire with his own 9 year-old bay gelding Alfie 192 stormed to victory in yesterday’s opening leg of this year’s International Stairway series held at the Suffolk County Show in Ipswich.
Despite the recent wet weather and the ongoing drizzle throughout the day, the arena offered perfect going for the twenty three competitors coming forward to contest the 1.60m course which had been designed by Kelvin Bywater. Spectators lined the arena, refusing to let the damp weather deter them, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been better for those coming forward to showcase the sport.
It was nine combinations that managed to jump clear in the first round with many of the other competitors faulting at a fence which replicated the local ‘Orwell Bridge’. The fence which had a vast open space underneath it caused many to back off and subsequently incurring penalties with one rider finding herself deposited on the floor the other side of it when her horse put in such a big jump over it!
With the nine coming forward for the jump off in reverse order based on their time in the first round it was and Alfie who found themselves in the unenviable position of going first. Deciding to lay down the gauntlet with a fast time, his strategy paid off with them stopping the clock in a time of 47.91 seconds and a foot-perfect clear.
There wouldn’t have been one rider that followed who wasn’t prepared to ‘give it a go’ and secure the class for themselves. As a result, many faltered with only two other riders managing to achieve a second clear despite finding they couldn’t catch his time. The closest to Graham’s time of the two was Tim Davies from Bury St Edmunds with Barrett Watson’s 12 year-old bay gelding Valentijn O with their time of 48.83 seconds. Just behind them in a time of 49.05 seconds was Tim Gredley from Newmarket with his own 12 year-old bay gelding Unex Omega Star.
Phillip Miller from Harpenden, who won the series for two consecutive years in 2011 & 2012 was extremely unlucky to incur 4 faults when he rolled a pole with Nigel Eccles and Di & Pennie Cornish’s 14 year-old grey gelding Caritiar Z in the jump off. Breaking the finish line just 3/100th of a second slower than Graham saw them the fastest of the faulters and sloth into 4th place.
5th place went to 20 year-old local rider Chloe Winchester from Eye, Suffolk. Having won the main class the day before, she would have been set to win the car that was on offer to any horse/rider combination that managed to win both classes across the two days. Coming in last to go, having produced the fastest time in the first round, the pressure on her must have been immense. With the crowds all cheering her on, wanting nothing more than to see a local rider win the class and drive off in the car, you could have heard a pin drop as she started her round. Turning incredibly tight she looked set to be taking Graham head on for first place, but an unfortunate two fences down saw her incur 8 penalties and drop into 5th place despite being the only rider to manage a faster time of 46.53 seconds.
The second leg of the series now moves to the South of England Show next week. The International Stairway offers £7,500 of prize fund at each of the legs that take place throughout the summer season with the winner of the league also receiving £10,000 of ranking points. In addition to this, the top eight in each of the competitions also receive league points that count towards to the HOYS Wild Card League for which points are also accrued via the International Trial classes that take place. The HOYS Wild Card League offers the competitor who tops the league based on their six best results the opportunity to compete at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show in October 2014 at the NEC, Birmingham.
British Showjumping Business International Stairway
Suffolk County Show – Thursday 29th May 2014
1st Graham Lovegrove & Alfie 192 – 0/0 47.91 seconds
2nd Tim Davies & Valentijn O – 0/0 48.83 seconds
3rd Tim Gredley & Unex Omega Star – 0/0 49.05 seconds
4th Phillip Miller & Caritiar Z – 0/4 47.94 seconds
5th Chloe Winchester & Avoca Valkyrie – 0/8 46.53 seconds
6th Nigel Coupe & Golvers Hill – 0/8 48.63 seconds
7th Caron Nicol & Mr Visto – 0/8 50.68 seconds
8th Louise Saywell & Mr Darcy – 0/8 51.22 seconds
The International Stairway series is aimed at identifying and assessing both potential and existing British Team competitors, taking in eight of the largest County Shows in the country. Funded jointly by the British Showjumping Business Partnership and the County Show venues hosting the classes, the series has a purse of £60,000 prize fund. In addition to the prize fund available there is also the bonus of £45,000 worth of Rider Ranking Points to the eight highest placed competitors on the overall league table that sits behind the series.
Shows hosting the International Stairway Series for 2014 are:
Devon County - Friday 23rd May
Suffolk County – Thursday 29th May
South of England- Thursday 5th June
Bolesworth International - Friday 13th June
Royal Highland- Friday 20th June
Royal Norfolk- Wednesday 25th June
New Forest & Hants Wednesday 30th July
Royal County of Berkshire - Final 21st September
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