Joe Whitaker lands a world ranking victory in an extraordinarily magical day for the Whitaker family
Monday 29 July 2024
Joe Whitaker added to his family’s winning achievements with victory in the 2* Grand Prix at Azelhof Jumping in Lier, Belgium, with Hulahupe JR.
Just hours earlier, Joe’s younger brother Donald lifted the King George V Gold Cup in the Royal International’s 5* Agria Grand Prix at Hickstead while his father Steven’s home-bred Double Pleasure was crowned Individual Gold medallist at the FEI Pony European Championships with Ireland’s Jack Kent in the saddle. A very good day at the office for this branch of the Whitaker dynasty.
In Lier, 73 competitors initially faced the world ranking 13-fence 1.45m track designed by The Netherlands’ Henk Linders, and winning was no mean feat as 18 returned to battle it out in the jump-off.
Drawn late with only three riders to follow him, Joe knew exactly what he had to do and hit the ground running with Jessica Crane’s VDL Bubalu x Indoctro 12-year-old. Taking every risk without going crazy fast, Joe stormed home clear to win by 1.01 seconds.
A tiny fraction denies Robert Murphy a double win
Robert Murphy narrowly missed out on a victory double at Valkenswaard’s Summer Showcase in The Netherlands, settling for a win and a close second place.
Robert topped the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier with Hulde G with a decisive yet deceptively fast round. Fifty riders tackled course-designer Peter Schumacher’s 12-fence speed track with Robert mastering the course with aplomb on the 12-year-old Vigo D’Arsouilles x Warrant mare to record a comfortable win of 1.83 seconds over Belgium’s Abdel Said on Arpege Du Ru.
A tiny margin denied Robert another win and he picked up second place in the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix. Nine of the original 48 starters beat the course-builder over Germany’s Peter Schumacher’s 13-fence world ranking track to contend the jump-off, with Robert drawing the short straw as first to go.
With a typically cool head and smooth pace, he guided Jos Lansink’s nine-year-old stallion Kannem J.A. Z (Kannan x Lux Z) into a quick, economical round. But his lead was short-lived as Canada’s Kara Chad slipped ahead on Igor GPH to wrest the win by only 0.04 seconds, leaving Robert in second spot.
Jess Mendoza is In The Air to claim a three-star win in The USA
Jess Mendoza notched up a 3* 1.45m win over the pond at Traverse City in The USA aboard In The Air.
Forty riders contended the $32,000 Speed Classic with the Air Jordan x Indoctro 11-year-old living up to her name, showing the fences a clean pair of heels at pace to beat all rivals and claim the win for Jess by 2.11 seconds.
Rachel Proudley gallops to a win in Samorin
Rachel Proudley scored a world ranking victory in Samorin, Slovakia, with John Chadwick’s Petitfour VD Wareslage.
Seventy-one competitors set out over the 12-fence 2* 1.45m track with Rachel using her draw in the latter half of the competition to guide the Corydon Van T&L x Feinschnitt I VD Richter nine-year-old into the top spot to record an impressive 3.36 second win.
Olivia Sponer galloped to the top in an early 2* 1.40m speed on Crazy Girl, the 15-year-old mare (Corlenski G x Ars Vivendi) outpacing their 98 rivals by 1.41 seconds. Former British rider Jason Smith, who has now switched to Swiss allegiance, finished second on Warrior De Pleville Z.
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