Katie Robinson’s lucky omen wins the NAF Five Star Silver League Semi-Final at Chard Equestrian
Monday 31 July 2023
Katie Robinson celebrated her 20th birthday in style, securing her HOYS finalist place with victory on Lucky 3 in the NAF Five Star Silver League Semi-Final at Chard Equestrian in Somerset.
“She’s such a lovely horse, very genuine and careful and I used that to my advantage in the jump-off,” she said.
Katie will be aiming for her second HOYS title after winning the NAF Five Star Bronze League Final in 2022 with Mervs Thanks A Million II. This year she stepped up to the Silver League with both her horses.
Twenty-one of the original 31 starters posted initial clears over course-designer Krissy Spiller’s 11-fence 1.20m track. Only two were lost on the way in round two for 19 to come forward in the final jump-off and promise a hot and hard fight for the seven qualifying places on offer. As predicted, it was all about the clock as nine jumped treble clear, Katie claiming two chances with Lucky being her first ride.
“My dad Scott told me to go for a clear and don’t take the inside options as the riders before me had hit poles going against the clock but I didn’t listen and took every tight inside turn,” said Katie, who shot to the top of the leaderboard.
HOYS 2022 NAF Five Star Bronze champion Mervs Thanks A Million was Katie’s second ride.
“I was in the lead and you can only take one to HOYS so I just went for it to see if I could beat the time,” said Katie, who was faster by an incredible 1.49 seconds – “but I had the second part of the double down.”
The German-bred 15-year-old Lucky came by chance.
“I got a call from Merv’s previous owners just after we won HOYS last year to say they had another horse that could run alongside her,” explained Katie. “At first, I thought ‘No,’ but I went along to try Lucky and the answer was ‘Yes, yes!’”
Katie works for dad Scott as his secretary/PA – “It’s flexible and I can ride my horses when it suits me. I’m very lucky and can’t thank my family enough – I couldn’t do it without them.”
Lucy Gilbertson claimed second on the Hip Hop x Carthago 15-year-old Hip Girl with Scarlet Lilley taking third on the 11-year-old Holly Blue I (Plot Blue x Heartbreaker) ahead of Kate Ward in fourth aboard the 13-year-old Handel daughter Arianna. Sarah Jane Brown jumped the 12-year-old mare Dolmen Du Concorde into fifth, Tamsin Conyers claimed sixth with the Don VHP Z 10-year-old Westlife and Phoebe Jefferies steered the Zip Phin x Puissance 10-year-old Zipwire into the seventh and final HOYS qualifying position.
Chard Equestrian – Sunday, 30 July 2023
NAF Five Star Silver League Semi-Final
1st Katie Robinson & Lucky 3 – 0/0/0 - 32.22 seconds
2nd Lucy Gilbertson & Hip Girl – 0/0/0 - 33.06 seconds
3rd Scarlet Lilley & Holly Blue I – 0/0/0 - 34.12 seconds
4th Kate Ward & Arianna – 0/0/0 - 34.51 seconds
5th Sarah Jane Brown & Dolmen Du Concorde – 0/0/0 - 34.74 seconds
6th Tamsin Conyers & Westlife – 0/0/0 - 37.17 seconds
7th Phoebe Jefferies & Zipwire – 0/0/0 - 37.27 seconds
NB: Qualifications pending official grading of results.
Image: ESP Photographic
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