Jamie Gornall and Carsten land victory in the International Stairway at Great Yorkshire Show
Wednesday 11 July 2018
Local rider Jamie Gornall was foot-perfect in the main arena of beautiful, brilliant-green turf at the prestigious Great Yorkshire Show to take victory in the seventh leg of the British Showjumping Business Partnership International Stairway with Carsten.
Only three clears materialised in round one over course-designer Bob Ellis’ 13-fence track and they were joined by the two fastest four-faulters to make five for the jump-off. However, penultimate-drawn Jamie from York, North Yorkshire didn’t look like touching a fence with Gornall Equestrian LLP’s 13-year-old Cassini II x Quinar stallion Carsten and they secured victory with a double clear in 57.79 seconds.
Mid-drawn Keith Shore had set the standard with his recent British Masters 2* Grand Prix winner, the Tornado 15-year-old Mystic Hurricane – bred in Britain by Betty Brandon – and finished second on this occasion with a the only other double clear in 60.43 seconds, 2.64 seconds in arrears. Helen Tredwell, carrying her four faults incurred at the double in round one, jumped a good clear second time out with her own and her father Alan’s home-bred 13-year-old Vangelis S mare Larksong to take third place.
Kerry Brennan and her mother Liane Smith’s 15-year-old Wellington M were in contention in the advantageous final draw but tapped out the vertical going into the now last two part of the combination to finish in fourth place ahead of Mennell Watson’s opening round on Euro Sport Horse and Helen van Heyningen’s 10-year-old stallion Whisper In The Wind, in fifth after picking up four faults in each round.
The International Stairway takes place across a number of county shows where winning combinations accrue League Points that count towards the Final which takes place at the British Showjumping National Championships in August at Stoneleigh Park. The series culminates with a high profile championships where three Horse of the Year Show International Wild Cards are allocated as well as it being where the sports National Champion is crowned.
