Nigel Coupe & Golvers Hill win the International Stairway at Suffolk County
Friday 29 May 2015
Yesterday (28th May) saw the second leg of the International Stairway Series 2015 take place at Suffolk County Show. Thirty-four starting combinations came forward to contest the class and all of them would have been looking to pick up valuable league points as well as the lion’s share of the prize money on offer.
Eight combinations produced a first round clear, to go forward into the jump off where only three went on to produce a second clear. Nigel Coupe from Preston, Lancashire with Susan Simmons 12 year-old bay gelding Golvers Hill took the victory after producing the fastest double clear crossing the finish line in 66.07 seconds just 15/100th of a second ahead of the closest combination.
Following close behind was Nicole Pavitt from Crawley, West Sussex on Old Lodge’s 8 year-old bay mare Tia Semilly, who produced their double clear in a time of 66.22 seconds
Tim Page from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk partnering Sue Hodgson’s 11 year-old grey gelding Santa Cruise II were the final combination to produce a double clear crossing the finish line in a time of 67.25 seconds to take 3rd.
Slotting behind Tim was Chloe Winchester from Eye Suffolk, riding her mother Gillian’s 12 year-old bay mare Avoca Valkyrie having crossed the finish line in 62.18 seconds on 4 penalties. Tim Stockdale from Roade, Northampton finished 5th partnering wife Laura’s 11 year-old chestnut gelding Erasmus vd Heffinck on 4 penalties in 63.38 seconds.
The third leg of the series now moves to the South of England Show on 12th June. The International Stairway which offers £7,500 of prize fund at each of the legs that take place throughout the summer season, also delivers three International Wild Cards for Horse of the Year Show in addition to identifying the British Showjumping National Champion.
This year sees the introduction of a League Final, at the National Championships in August, which will carry an increased prize purse of £15,000 to the £7,500 on offer at each of the earlier legs. There are seven qualifying legs to the 2015 league prior to the League Final with an additional leg hosted in September which will count towards to the 2016 League.
The League Table can be found by clicking here http://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk/rankings/lists/International-Stairway-Series
The three International Wild Cards for Horse of the Year Show will give competitors, who are eligible for British Team Selection, three possible ways of securing them. By either:
a) Being the International Stairway League Winner (or highest placed eligible rider) on the League who has also competed in the Final.
b) By winning (or being the highest placed eligible rider) in the International Stairway League Final. The winner of the Final will also be crowned British Showjumping National Champion for a 12 month period.
c) By winning (or being the highest placed eligible rider) on the National Championship Show League. This League table will be Rider based and will consist of three competition legs including and culminating with the International Stairway League Final.
RESULTS
Suffolk County Show – Thursday 28th May 2015
1. Nigel Coupe & Golvers Hill – 0/0 66.07 seconds
2. Nicole Pavitt & Tia Semilly – 0/0 66.22 seconds
3. Tim Page & Santa Cruise II – 0/0 67.25 seconds
4. Chloe Winchester & Avoca Valkyrie – 0/4 62.18 seconds
5. Tim Stockdale & Erasmus vd Heffinck – 0/4 63.38 seconds
The International Stairway series is aimed at identifying and assessing both potential and existing British Team competitors, taking in eight of the largest County Shows in the country. Funded jointly by the British Showjumping Business Partnership and the County Show venues hosting the classes, the series has a purse of £60,000 prize fund. In addition to the prize fund available there is also the bonus of £45,000 worth of Rider Ranking Points to the eight highest placed competitors on the overall league table that sits behind the series.
