Rob Bevis takes Victory once again in the third leg of the International Stairway
Friday 10 June 2016
South of England Show played host to the third leg of the International Stairway and it was Rob Bevis who reigned supreme once again, this time securing the top spot aboard his own grey gelding Courtney 6.
Among a field of eight accomplished riders who were able to produce a clear in the first round, Rob showed his aptitude by riding straight into first place with one of only two double clears in the competition. After jumping one of the fastest clears in the first round over Bob Ellis' challenging course, Rob was very aware he needed to keep the speed up to stand a chance of coming in the placings. Coming through the finish line clear in just 58.23 seconds he did exactly that!
Jessie Drea riding her own Mullaghdrin Touch the Stars took a convincing second place after posting the only other double clear of the competition in a time of 58.76 seconds. As the fastest four fault round it was Chloe Winchester and Avoca Valkyrie owned by Gillian Winchester who secured third place. This pair gave the fastest jump off performance, coming home in just 55.01 seconds but an unlucky pole fell in the closing stages of their round to push them down into third.
The International Stairway takes place across a number of county shows where winning combinations accrue League Points that count towards the Final which takes place at the British Showjumping National Championships in August at Stoneleigh Park. The series culminates with a high profile championships where three Horse of the Year Show International Wild Cards are allocated as well as it being where the sports National Champion is crowned.