Mark Edwards’ flying form earns the National 1.40m Championship title at the British Showjumping National Championships
Friday 04 August 2023
Mark Edwards maintained his phenomenal form to be crowned the National 1.40m Champion with Marlene Edwards’ Flying Tinker II at the British Showjumping National Championships.
“He’s just super. He’s so consistent, he’s topped the Gold League and the International Stairway League, what more could I ask,” said Mark. “And with the pressure off of qualifying for the HOYS International classes, I could concentrate on the fences – and winning!”
Course-designer Ben Townley’s 12-fence 1.40m track took some jumping as he tested with an early related distance from water tray to vertical and a combination away from the in gate. Surprisingly, several rated riders made only one mistake and denied a jump-off chance while six others were caught out by a tight time allowed despite leaving all the fences intact and the 68 starters were reduced to only seven of the jump-off.
“All the riders were very conscious of the tight time and it influenced their riding; there was a long run from the water tray to the next fence and it caught several of them. I’m lucky, it suited my horse as he’s so careful I can trust him to run and he loves jumping verticals,” said Mark.
Paul Barker set a competitive standard in his opening round on his consistent stallion Green Grass but his lead was short-lived as next-to-go Mark negotiated an almost impossibly tight turn into the double and risked a gallop to the last on the home-bred Tinkers Tale 12-year-old Flying Tinker to wipe an incredible 2.35 seconds off the time.
“It was a vertical going into the double so again, I could trust him to run to it and jump,” explained Mark.
Carmen Edwards made one last challenge on Happy Valerie but could only make second place, 1.62 seconds in arrears.
Jessica Hewlett posted the only two double clears to take the top two places in the National Under 21 Championship with Ilmar HBC and Hipster.
Five tackled the 1.45m jump-off with the on-form Jessica posting an early clear on the eye-catching 10-year-old Ilmar (Dantos HBC x Voltaire). Knowing she’s already won the title, she followed up with another clean round in the final draw aboard 11-year-old Eldorado Van De Zeshoek daughter Hipster, six seconds adrift.
“He always tries his heart out, there is no better partner for me. On the ground he’s like a big Labrador, very goofy and such a character with a big heart. Hipster has been with me for two years but she had a bruised foot last year but she’s returned as good as ever. I’m very lucky to have both of them,” said Jessica, who was on her first visit to the National Championships – “It’s a privilege to be here,” – and is now looking to go on a tour in Europe, possibly Spain, and hopefully gain more world ranking points.
Another on-form rider lifted the top two places in a Championship class.
“People say I can’t possibly old enough! Time flies, but so do I,” said Emma-Jo Slater, after not only winning but taking the top two places in the National Senior Rider Championship. “I’m actually not 45 until Christmas Eve, this is my first year in this class.”
Twenty of the original 32 starters made their way into a hoard-fought jump-off, but the speedy Emma-Jo was more than three and a half seconds faster than her nearest rival. She finished just 0.01 seconds separating her two rides, winning with Kim Barzilay’s Freule TN and taking second on Kimba Flamenco.
“I honestly thought I’d be slower on Bow [aka Freule], I galloped across the middle and cut inside on both of them but she has a shorter stride,” said Emma.
The Baloubet Du Rouet x Clinton 13-year-old mare Freule is a firm favourite.
“She has an embryo transfer filly foal on the floor by Brendon Stud’s Pandito Van’t Merelsnest Z and she has another one on the way,” said Kim. “We failed the first two years by ET with her so we’ve used the same stallion again. We don’t want her off the circuit, she’s too valuable and so consistent – we’ve had a lot of enquiries if she’s for sale but Emma wants to keep her forever.”
Julian Mincher made a winning return to the National Championships, taking the National Grade B Final on the 11-year-old Carter Rouge, 12 months after the pair won the Grade C title. They did it in style with the sole clear round in the five-horse decider.
“It’s only his third show back since April. He injured himself overreaching when jumping in the Weston Lawns Grand Prix. He was jumping clear until approaching the last fence, I went for an extra stride – sack the jockey – and overreached on take-off, crashed into the pole which ricocheted off his hind legs into his knee,” explained Julian. “I was worried but he had X-Rays, Ultrasound and Scans but no permanent damage showed, he was just badly bruised so he had time off and only stated jumping again two weeks ago.
Julian now uses overreach boots with two straps, but this also caused a problem in the Grade B Championship.
“One strap slipped and I thought it was his shoe or foot, it was flapping and making a noise and I almost pulled up but saw it was the boot, so carried on. It was lucky in a way, I could have gone quicker but that slowed me up and I jumped clear,” added Julian, who, after breaking his neck a few years ago and enduring an operation on his knee earlier this year, picks and chooses his rides carefully.
“He’s so comfortable and reliable, it’s like putting on an old pair of trainers. We know each other inside out and he’s very forgiving if I make a mistake. He’s not unlike his dam Magna Carter [top ride for Nicky Charles nee Boulter] and believes in himself and now he’s part of the furniture – he’s not for sale!”
Six reached the jump-off in the National Grade C Final but a clear could not be found, Hannah Webber proving the quickest four-faulter by 1.40 seconds on Kristalanda II to take the title.
“There weren’t any clears so when I hit a pole I took the tightest lines, especially to the last,” said Hannah.
This partnership was another pair making a winning return, the 2022 Discovery champions stepping up to win the Grade C a year later.
“It’s a great achievement, she only started jumping again in May as I fell over on the farm in January and shattered my leg. It’s taken a while to get stronger – there’s a lot of metal in my leg and it doesn’t work like it used to but it’s improving – and to get her to competition fitness,” said Hannah, who has produced the 8-year-old Eldorado Van De Zeshoek daughter for three years.
“She’s a typical, sassy mare and can be spooky, I have to ride her quietly, she doesn’t like being taken hold of and spooked at the water tray in the jump-off but she’s sweet-natured and honest.
Emily Gulliver commandingly claimed victory in the National Children on Horses Final with the sole clear round on the 8-year-old Fleur De Nuit 8 (For Pleasure x Quick Star).
“It was a nice, straight-forward course and suited her,” said Emily, 12, who followed trainer Eleni Murphy’s instructions to “Give her some support off the floor no matter where you place her.”
Fleur joined Emily in October.
“She’s quite sensitive and gets buzzy and excited in the ring, I have to be nice to her and keep her calm,” she added.
It was the Para riders time to shine on Friday night as they tackled courses ranging from 70cm to 90cm, any issues momentarily forgotten as they enjoyed time and fun with their equine partners – and the love between them was there for all to see.
Evie Toombes, 21, lifted the National Para Club Equestrian Grade III 90cm with Jack Sparrow with almost two seconds to spare over Toby Bevins an Baloe V.
“Every week it is a bit hit and miss but this week is a good week and it’s really nice when it all comes together,” said Evie, who was born with a spinal cord injury – “It affects my lower legs, there’s not much sensitivity. It’s like walking on stilts or using chopsticks, I know there’s something there underneath me but it’s like they’re not connected.”
“Jack is such a character, he has the same personality as my Shetland at home, they’re best friends and such mischief-makers. But he can get hot and upset and I have to work to keep him calm and happy. I need a sharp horse because of my lower legs,” continued Evie, who teamed up with the year-old two years ago. “Because I’ve spent so much time in hospital, I’ve probably only ridden him for a year but we know each other inside out and I know all his tricks. I also have to thank our local vets and remedial farrier – it feels like his on springs now.”
Sarah Steel and Topwood Teddy claimed victory in the National Para Club Equestrian Grade I 70cm after jumping “Lovely, well-built course and nice bright fences.”
Pontefract, West Yorkshire-based suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and relies on Teddy if she’s not well.
“I have little feeling in my legs, suffer from nerve pain and a terrible loss of balance but Teddy knows when I’m feeling unwell and I lose my balance, he kind of ducks down and catches me,” said Sarah.
Jordan Phelps landed the National Para Club Equestrian Grade IV 70cm title with Toyland Detective in the first year she has competed in the Para classes.
“The morning of my accident I’d actually written a sales ad as he was so boring,” said Jordan, who fell off a different horse in a freak accident and landed on her head in February 2020. “I have lots of things going on but I’m graded as IV because I’m totally blind in my right eye and only a small visual field in my left. Now ’Noddy’ is perfect, so special and quiet, if he feels anything is wrong he just stops and waits for help.”
Image: Mark Edwards & Flying Tinker II Credit 1st Class Images
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