Raphaela Dawson commands victory in the 138cm Grand Prix at South View’s Home Pony
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Raphaela Dawson celebrated her 13th birthday two weeks early, commandeering the top two places of the 138cm Grand Prix at Cheshire’s popular South View Equestrian Centre’s five-day English Home Pony spectacular.
Raphaela was making a winning return to this venue, 12 months earlier, she claimed the 128cm Grand Prix with Jim (Cobid). This year, she doubled her efforts to underscore her talent.
Twenty-three competitors came forward over a 1.15m track and nine supplied clean rounds to qualify for a promised, hotly contended jump-off. In the event, only three double clears were recorded, Raphaela galloping into the top spot on the 12-year-old mare Ardnacashel Little Dreamer with almost two sec to spare over second ride Noahs Lady. Nellie Lock was the only other faultless round on Diva Des Augustines for third.
Pony power joined up with girl power in the 128cm Championship as Amy Capper spotted all the inside turns on Dooneens Electric to command the win. Thirty-three competitors faced a 1.10m course with exactly a third accessing the jump-off as 11 raced against the clock.
Renfrewshire-based Amy, 11, from Renfrewshire was another to make a winning return to this popular annual Cheshire event after winning the 2022 Fledgling Final with Laithehill Paisley. She turned the long journey from Scotland into success as she guided the 15-year-old Irish-bred mare she has competed since March into a 0.75 second victory. The pair beat reigning HOYS champions Ella Kay and Red Alert III into second place with Christina Cotton and Moyralla Bob filling third.
Irish raider James Derwin dominated the 148cm Grand Prix, commanding the top two places. Thirty-seven competitors initially bid for this coveted title over a 1.25m course but only six conjured up that magical first clear to contend the jump-off, James going in double-handed. And he duly claimed the top two places, winning on his 2023 Pony European Team Gold and 2022 Team and Individual Gold medallist Rincoola Babog and taking second place aboard Milchem Original, 1.74 seconds separating the two. Lucy Capper was the closest 0.62 seconds in arrears for third on the 12-year-old Capability Brown and Hollie Gerken filled fourth spot riding Jonkers Keyano.
Locally-based Sienna Palin, 15, captured the Rising Stars Championship with Mikado Van Den Dael. Eleven of the 36 starters provided clean rounds over the 1.15m course to join the jump-off with Sienna finding all the short cuts to take the win by 0.60 seconds. Nya Harriman had to settle for second and third with Ramiro High Society and Orchids Arisha.
The 5-year-old gelding Mikado has already made his mark after starting in British novice 15 months ago with Sienna to contending the HOYS pony newcomers earlier this month.
Savannah Roper, 15, made her journey from Aberdeenshire worthwhile and hit the jackpot with new ride of five weeks Luxs Little Lady in the Novice Championship. Ten of the original 34 competitors answered every question around the 1.05m track to make their way into the jump-off, but Savannah has established an immediate rapport with Little Lady. The 7-year-old Irish-bred mare – who boasts impressive showjumping breeding with Cobra 18 x Lux Z lines – matched Savannah’s enthusiasm to record a 2.55 second win. Charlotte Pyne slipped Glenayre Mystical Fox into second place.
Small but mighty! Emily Appleby outpaced all her rivals to land the Fledglings 128/138cm Handicap Championship with her 128cm Red City Sparrow. Thirty-nine competitors initially came forward, with 128cms tackling an 85cm course and the 138cm ponies jumping 90cm, but such was the quality here, 25 of them qualified for a hot jump-off – 15 of the smaller ponies pitted against 10 of the bigger counterparts.
Cambridgeshire-based Emily, 11, gave it her best shot despite her younger years and the 13-year-old mare Red City Sparrow responded to every call to score victory to edge ahead by the tiniest of margins – winning by only 0.02 seconds. Georgia Hogan slipped her 138cm Jessie Mae Harmony into second and Poppy Dorise claimed third with the 128cm Black Jack III.
Home Pony Team Fun
Team spirit and camaraderie was delivered in spades in the Home Pony Team Competitions as Friday was turned into a sea of patriotic flags and face paint – for riders and their ponies!
The victories were split evenly between England and Scotland, with the two nations taking two wins apiece. England landed the 148cm Team Event, but it went to the wire as only one fence decided the result as Ireland chased them all the way. The England team of pathfinder Ruby Barrs on Casper XXII came home on four faults and clear, Florence Marriott returned clear and four with WKD GI Joe while Cate Kerr on Cindy and Katie Bradburne’s Ardough Boy provided double clears to claim a zero score and Gold. Ireland settled for Silver on four faults and Scotland took the Bronze podium place.
England also landed Team Gold Medal in the 128cm on a zero score with two fences in hand. First off Annabelle Widdowson with Bunbury Conquest, Lucia Caroline on Desdemone Du Marquis and anchor Ella Kay aboard Red Alert III all returned double clears and were joined on the podium by Agnes Kerr on clear and four with Taggarts Express. Two teams finished on a total of eight faults with Scotland claiming the upper hand and Silver with more than 30 seconds to spare over Wales in Bronze.
Scotland returned triumphant in the 138cm and 148cm Debut competitions. The 138cm went to a jump-off situation as Scotland and England both touted a zero score to go head-to-head. Pathfinder Michael McColm on AG Dynamo, Rebekka Sutherland with Myshall Duncan and anchor Lucy Capper aboard Rathcoona James all posted double clears with Gabriel Colhoun making just one mistake in each round on OOS Paris. Michael was elected for jump-off duties and supplied a fast, decisive clear on AG Dynamo to land the Gold medal for Scotland. England’s representative Raphaela Dawson made a supreme effort on Noahs Lady but a rail fell for the Silver Medal. Wales finished in the Bronze position on four faults.
Scotland secured a commanding victory in the 148cm Debut Teams with a 12-fence lead after two rounds. The Scots led from the off on a four-fault score at the halfway stage. Michael McColm on Legend Scais and Anna Black aboard Moon Man left every rail intact to post double clears, Aimee Paxton and Eyre Diva Dior returned four and 16 and, while it didn’t go according to plan in round one for Leva Eldridge riding Farras Jolie, the pair fought back second time out to jump a vital clear round. England had to settle for Silver on a total of 16 and Ireland proved one fence behind for Bronze.
A tie-breaker jump-off between two teams decided the Future Minis 10-year-old and Under results. The ‘Fast Ponies’ squad of Jack Derwin on Ginger Rodgers and Chloe Capper with Laithehill Paisley jumped double clear while pathfinder Valentina Fexton on Farchyns Sienna posted clear and four and anchor Bunny Bastion-Mason aboard Ballyglunin Girl returned four and clear to equal the ‘Pumpkin Ponies’ zero score. Lucy Simcock represented the Pumpkin Ponies and set a very fast time but a rail fell for Killaloe Gypsy to leave the door open. Jack seized the chance with Ginger Rodgers to provide a steady but vital clear to claim Gold. The ‘Fast and Furious’ team finished in Bronze on four faults after two rounds.
Image: Landscape & Horses
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