Rachel Hall lands victory in the NAF Five Star Bronze League Semi-Final at Northcote Stud with Renkum Balousina
Monday 31 July 2023
Rachel Hall will make a return to Horse of the Year Show after 36 years after winning the NAF Five Star Bronze League Semi-Final at Northcote Stud in Lancashire with Renkum Balousina.
Rachel (nee Edmunds) won the Pony Foxhunter Championship at Wembley in 1987 with the coloured pony Arapaho.
“I stopped riding for over 20 years as I had my daughters and they started riding. Balousina was actually bought for Charlotte but she went to University and flew the nest so I took up competing again three years ago,” said Rachel.
A total of 50 competitors came forward over course-designer Andrew Millin’s 12-fence 1.05m track with 26 initially posting a clear round, these further reduced to 14 for the third and final round against the clock.
Rachel negotiated the quickest route on the Baloubet Junior Z x Lauriston 9-year-old to win with 1.48 seconds to spare.
“Everyone took the same route so I kept as tight as I could. She is only 16hh and hasn’t got a huge stride but she covers the ground well,” said Rachel.
Balousina was purchased as a just broken 4-year-old from a friend.
“They’d bought her as a 2-year-old. She has such a lovely personality and is more like a dog than a horse and loves the fuss and attention. When I’m poo picking in the field, she follows me around making a general nuisance of her herself, trying to pick the wheelbarrow up,” added Rachel, who also competed in the 128cm Muppet Stakes at the NEC – the then home of the Royal International Horse Show – in the 1980’s.
“I’m so excited to be going back there after all these years!”
Chelsea Jones slipped the 16-year-old Xavier V into second place with Abigail Leadbetter and the 8-year-old mare Hearts Cruise (Corrado G x Heartbreaker) filling third spot ahead of Ruth Tatam in fourth on the Master Imp x Clover Hill 16-year-old Visual Impact. Danny Nicholson secured fifth place aboard the Lord Chin x Kojak 9-year-old Oriana Van Het Wilderhof, Gail Smith claimed sixth place on the Irish-bred 17-year-old Lachain Lass and Gemma McKay (nee Dennis), who first jumped at HOYS 30 years in jumping the Leading Pony Showjumper of the Year with famous jumping pony Strawberry Mojo, will again return after taking seventh on her 2021 finalist, the Cobra 13-year-old Cobracorde.
Northcote Stud – Saturday, 29 July 2023
NAF Five Star Bronze League Semi-Final
1st Rachel Hall & Renkum Balousina – 0/0/0 - 37.41 seconds
2nd Chelsea Jones & Xavier V – 0/0/0 - 38.89 seconds
3rd Abigail Leadbetter & Hearts Cruise – 0/0/0 - 39.28 seconds
4th Ruth Tatam & Visual Impact – 0/0/0 - 39.96 seconds
5th Danny Nicholson & Oriana Van Het Wilderhof – 0/0/0 - 40.12 seconds
6th Gail Smith & Lachain Lass – 0/0/0 - 41.44 seconds
7th Gemma McKay & Cobracorde – 0/0/0 - 41.58 seconds
NB: Qualifications pending official grading of results.
Image: Majestic Photography
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