Jessica Hewlett lands the Young Rider Grand Prix at Austria’s Youth Festival
Tuesday 09 May 2023
.jpg "Jessica Hewlett lands the Young Rider Grand Prix at Austria’s Youth Festival")
Great Britain’s young riders excelled at the Youth Festival in Lamprechtshausen, Austria, to take the top three places on the podium in the Bemer Young Rider Grand Prix with Jessica Hewlett leading the way.
Twenty-eight competitors from eight nations tackled the 1.45m Grand Prix track but only five riders found the key to this technically difficult track, three British pitted against two from the host country of Austria.
Second out Red Morgan, 19, for Britain – who proved foot-perfect all week with the consistent Bustique 12-year-old Golia, owned by Didy Morgan, and jumped the sole double clear in the Nations Cup – was in form. He again left all the fences intact to set a competitive target and looked to be on-song for a win.
Oxfordshire-based Jessica, 20, had other ideas. The beautifully level Ilmar HBC answered every call to clip 0.42 seconds off Red’s time.
“It wasn’t really his type of ring, he likes a big ring which suits his open canter and Compiegne last week suited us better. Here [Lamprechtshausen] is smaller with fences tight off the corners and shorter distances,” said Jessica, 20. “But I tried to keep him forward and got a good shot [stride] as early as I could.
“Everyone had to take the same route. Red set the standard and went on seven strides down an early distance. I knew I couldn’t get a fast enough canter to do that and went on eight but I took out a stride from the wall to an oxer – I was committed and it gave me the edge.”
The Dantos HBC x Voltaire 10-year-old was spotted on sales livery with Bex Mason a year ago.
“He was jumping mainly Foxhunter classes with the occasional bigger track and had been jumping at Academy level with the owner’s young son but Bex said there’s a lot more to him than that. I tried him at an Onley show and that was it. He doesn’t ‘flash’ over 1.20m but he keeps giving more and gets better and better,” said Jessica. “He’s moved up the grades quickly and we still keep in touch with his previous owners as he is the loveliest person, a funny character and so special.”
Sophia Kelly, 19, made it a British one, two, three with the only other double clear in the competition in a late draw on the Tornesch 11-year-old Horinde H, slotting into third place.
Both Austrian competitors returned eight faults apiece to drop down to fourth and fifth.
Lamprechtshausen Youth Festival, Austria – Sunday, 7 May 2023
Young Rider 1.45m Grand Prix
1st Jessica Hewlett (GBR) & Ilmar HBC – 0/0 - 38.12 seconds
2nd Red Morgan & Golia (GBR) – 0/0 - 38.54 seconds
3rd Sophia Kelly & Horinde H (GBR) – 0/0 - 39.30 seconds
Image: Team Myrtill Photography
