ROYAL FESTIVAL OF THE HORSE SHOWCASE WHITAKER AND TWOMEY AT THEIR MAGICAL BEST

Sunday 11 July 2010

ROYAL FESTIVAL OF THE HORSE SHOWCASE WHITAKER AND TWOMEY AT THEIR MAGICAL BEST

 

The inaugural Royal Festival of the Horse at Stoneleigh Park on Saturday 10th July showcased Showjumping at it’s very best  when many of Europe’s leading International riders deluged on the showground to contest the two classes with a total of £45,000 prize money at stake across them.

With the first class being the Accumulator, the spectators really got behind the riders as they tried to clear the ten fences that made up the course. The final fence gave riders the choice of either going for the maximum score that could be achieved across all standard fences of 55points or going for a bonus fence (an enormous vertical) that carried an additional 10points if cleared.  
 
Catching many riders out, the disappointment was all too evident as if the attempt wasn’t successful it knocked 20points from the total they’d accrued through the round. As you can imagine, many hearts were sunk having gone clear until that point and the realisation that they were now out of the running.
It was last to go John Whitaker and the amazingly talented eight year old stallion Argento owned by Keely Durham who secured first prize in this extremely competition.   Having watched Ben Maher with Quainton Stud’s ten year old stallion Quinton Quirifino Z obtain maximum points in a time of 54.11, John knew exactly what he had to achieve and where the corners could be cut. In his inimitable and magical style, John gave Argento the perfect guidance letting him just jump fluidly round in a way that belied the time he was saving in each approach he managed to shave just over two seconds from Ben’s time to jump cleanly over the bonus fence in a time of 51.78.
The main class of the day saw a field of twenty two starts, many of whom have competed on British Teams extremely successfully during the past few years.   Course designer Bob Ellis, who will be responsible for the course in London 2012, built a full-up 1.60m track with a number of questions in it to encourage both big and clean jumping in-line with the £30,000 prize fund at stake.
With an aim to bring five through to the jump-off, this is exactly what was achieved with only five of the field going clear within the time allowed. First to go Rob Bevis with Kate Mustill’s grey gelding Courtney 6 who went for a clear hoping to drive the others behind him into making a mistake as they tried to beat his time of 49.76. Next into the arena was Anna Edwards with her own Unique IX who did just this by lowering an upright but in a slightly faster time of 48.07seconds.
With all eyes on John Whitaker who was back out on the superb Rebecca Stone’s thirteen year old stallion Peppermill. Jumping so big over the fences it was a wonder how John managed to sit on him he was back at his best producing a superb clear in a time of 48.15seconds. Straight into the arena behind him was Britain’s leading rider Ben Maher with Mrs Cook’s fourteen year old gelding Oscar whoo although managed to beat Johns time by a fraction of second in 47.47 an unfortunate lowering of the planks left only Billy Twomey, last to go on Sue Davies’ chestnut mare Tinka’s Serenade able to beat him. Knowing he had to beat John’s time, Billy cut infront of a fence in what almost looked an impossibly tight turn to jump clear and come home almost four seconds faster securing him the £10,000 prize fund.
The Royal Festival of the Horse most definitely put on a fantastic show of sport for those that were present and we can only hope that this is the first of what will be an annual event. The arena was superb, the covered seating spanning the length of the arena created a great environment for spectators , the going was perfect and the organisation second to none.
For those unable to watch it first hand, highlights will be broadcast in next month’s ‘Canter Banter’ a programme that goes out on both Sky Sports and Horse and Country TV (Sky 280). 

RESULTS

ACCUMULATOR
1st     John Whitaker / Argento - 65points 51.78secs
2nd    Ben Maher / Quainton Quirifino Z - 65points 54.11secs
3rd     Tim Gredley / BF Utopia - 65points 54.85secs
4th     Sian Price / Step In Time - 65points 58.64secs
5th     Patricia Koller / Concettos Boy - 65points 67.01secs
6th     David McPherson / Chamberlain Z - 65points 77.16secs
 
 
GRAND PRIX
1st      Billy Twomey / Tinka's Serenade - 0/0 (44.37secs)
2nd     John Whitaker / Peppermill - 0/0 (48.15secs)
3rd     Rob Bevis / Courtney 6 - 0/0 (49.76secs)
4th     Ben Maher / Oscar - 0/4 (47.47secs)
5th     Anna Edwards / Unique IX -  0/4 (48.07secs)