Olympia, London Int'l Horse Show - Day 2
Thursday 19 December 2013
.jpg "Olympia, London Int'l Horse Show - Day 2")
Day 2 and yet again packed grandstands and some fantastic competitions took place at Olympia, London International Horse Show.
The first jumping class of the day was The Snowman Stakes and was won by Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and H&M Sibon. Second place went to Italy’s Luca Maria Moneta riding Connery with Great Britain taking third in the form of 2013 European Championship Team Gold Medallist William Funnell and the Billy Stud’s 8 year-old bay stallion, Billy Mexico.
The afternoon’s speed class was hotly contested and it was Dutch rider Jur Vrieling who took first place with VDL Bubalu, with Swiss rider Pius Schwizer in hot pursuit taking second place on Picsou du Chene. Yet again the highest placed Brit was William Funnell who finished in eighth place with Julie Slade’s 11 year-old bay gelding, Billy Grand.
The evening performance hosted the Altech Christmas Puissance, an extremely popular class with spectators and one that is synonymous with the show. This year’s competition saw the wall rise to an impressive 7 feet 2 inches, with British rider and Puissance stalwarts Guy Williams riding Paul Gill’s 12 year-old grey mare Richi Rich lll making it through to the penultimate round. However the combination were too deep to the imposing red wall and Richi Rich III just brushed out a brick with her knee, leaving Italy’s Luca Maria Moneta with Quova de Vains to pick up the winner’s purse. John Whitaker MBE finished third with Mandy Hall and Clare Whitaker’s 9 year-old black stallion Zantos II with Laura Renwick in fourth riding John Renwick and Marian Renwick’s 12 year old bay gelding Roller Coaster III.
Earlier in the day 23 year-old Louise Saywell was presented with the Raymond Brooks-Ward trophy (awarded by his three sons Simon, James and Nick in memory of the late Olympia Show Director and commentator) given to the most promising young rider of the year. Louise, a World Class Development Squad rider from Essex, was considerably successful in the Pony, Junior and Young Rider ranks and has this year made her debut on Senior Nations Cup Teams including representing Great Britain at the 2013 Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.
Tomorrow sees even more action in the arena with the Dodson & Horrell and The World Class Programme Under 23 British Championship, the Earls Court Olympia Christmas Cracker and the Christmas Tree Stakes.
Image: Trevor Meeks
1xtpsebafdw52.jpg "Sienna Hutchings and Mia Pearson Soar to Success in the STX-UK Pony British Novice Second Rounds")
.jpg "Eva Dent from Durham is the latest NAF Shining Star")