Sandy McLean lands the feature ALX Horseboxes Major Grand Prix at Arena UK with Gino F
Monday 25 September 2023
_x3rgu98i8tvq.JPG "Sandy McLean lands the feature ALX Horseboxes Major Grand Prix at Arena UK with Gino F")
Sandy McLean secured two major titles at the ALX Horseboxes Arena UK Major Showjumping Championships, including the £6,000 to the winner ALX horseboxes Major Grand Prix with top ride Gino F.
Fifty competitors came forward in this feature Grand Prix to face course-designer Mark McGowan’s 12-fence 1.45m technical track where the penultimate combination caused problems for several riders. Fourteen returned in a star-studded jump-off but Sandy was quickest of all, trusting his careful 12-year-old ‘Big G’ (Ultimo II x Grannus) as he risked ultra-tight turns at the gallop. It paid off as the pair landed the title with 1.51 seconds over Robert Whitaker on his King George V Gold Cup winner Vermento.
Adrian Speight guided Millfield Baloney into third with Guy Williams' Ernie of Greenhill Z and Shane Breen’s Cuick Star Kervec filling fourth and fifth places.
Sandy hit top gear on his 2023 HOYS Newcomers finalist Old Selui De Semilly to earn the Star of the Future Grand Prix, beating speed queen Holly Smith. Twenty-six of the original 67 starters returned for the jump-off with Sandy finding the shortest route the Diamant De Semilly x Oklund 7-year-old to win by 0.70 seconds. Holly had to settle for second and third with Lorenzo and Newmarket Patrol.
Harry Bateman hit form to notch up a hat-trick of wins. Harry and the Irish-bred WSH Quality Canturano – winners of last year’s 5-year-old Grand Prix – returned to take the 6-year-old Grand Prix. Twenty of the initial 47 posted clears over the 1.20/1.30m 12-fence track with Harry claimed two of the rides. He eased the Canturano x Obos Quality mare easing into victory by 0.47 seconds. Michael Fursedonn had to settle for second on Charmeur Z V and Caroline Barnes slotted Lucky15 into third.
Harry also claimed the 1.15m Grand Prix with the 11-year-old Symphony VH Schaarbroek Z with 2.28 seconds to spare in a 10-horse decider. Olivia Brightmore slipped Calle Caal into second and Avril Cassells claimed third on Conamore.
New to 2023, the entertaining Ride and Drive threw speed and drama into the mix with Harry on Ceross Z joined by driver Callum Satchell beating 23 rivals and taking the win by 1.01 sec despite adding a three sec penalty.
Rachael Connor and the super-speedy Fantastic denied Harry a fourth win in the 1.20m. Ten of the 24 starters accessed the jump-off with Rachael and the 13-year-old Casantos x Oklund mare hitting top speed to take the win by 0.34 seconds. Harry and the 15-year-old Ceross Z had to settle for second place.
Jessica Cunnington outjumped them all to take an outright win on Iminko 5 in the Dodson and Horrell Six Bar Championship. Nineteen came forward to face the line of verticals with five qualifying for the fifth and final round at a height of 1.95m. Only three returned with the youngest in the field taking the win, Jessica making just one mistake on the 10-year-old Kannan x Numero Uno stallion to claim the top spot. Maisy Williams on Mr Blue Sky UK and Adam Taylor’s Gangster II shared second place.
“He’s my heart horse but I couldn’t have done this without the all the work John Egmore has put into me and my horses,” said a truly overwhelmed Jessica.
It was Maisy’s time to shine on Friday night as the sole winner of the Puissance on Dalton D’Hoyo, the only pair to clear a massive 2.05m wall. Thirteen entered the arena to face the big wall but only two remained in the fifth and final round, Maisy going head-to-head against Michael Fursedonn on Thanks A Million II. But Maisy and her father Guy’s 14-year-old Dalton proved the only pair to leave every brick intact over 2.05m to land victory. Michael had to settle for second and, incidentally, Guy and Puissance favourite Mr Blue Sky UK went out in round three. Maisy bettered her father on this occasion, but Guy couldn’t have been prouder!
Jessica Baugh convincingly outpaced all her rivals to land the Trevor Burrows 1.30m Grand Prix on Quality TJS. Six of the initial 44 participants secured a place in the jump-off with Jessica and the Obos Quality 8-year-old galloping into the top spot by more than six seconds. Simon Grieve claimed second on Drumbilla Metro with the only other clear and Fergal Holohan slipped Killossery Kameo into third with the fastest time of the class.
Only four of the original 37 answered all the questions in the 12-fence 1.35m track with Fergal Holohan jumping a steady but sure double clear to take the Young Rider Grand Prix on the 8-year-old mare Karima. Allana Clutterbuck was more than six seconds quicker on Dirk IV but a lowered rail dropped them to fourth ahead of third-placed Madison Heath on Ivory.
James Wilson claimed the 7-year-old title with his 2023 HOYS Foxhunter finalist Vuitton of Picobello Z (Vagabond De La Pomme x Contact Van De Heffinck) by 1.67 seconds in a six-horse decider. Michael Whitaker steered Shot Gun into second with Sandy McLean taking third aboard Q-Pleasure Van Seven Oaks.
Thomas Pritchard lifted the 5-year-old title with Julian Mincher and Double M Stud’s Double M Extrovert. The 63 starters were reduced to 19 for the jump-off but it was won purely on jumping, Thomas and the Maloubet De Pleville x Dynamo gelding posting the only double clear for the win. Harriette Rushton on Chacstar Z and Ellen Churchill’s Wetherley Dill beat the time but with one mistake each for second and third.
Joe Davies riding Dale Burnham and Joanna Siddans’ eye-catching grey stallion J’Adore Le Roi was judged the best 4-year-old forward in the RB Estates Style and Performance 4-year-old Grand Prix by judges Louise Lovegrove and Mark Williams. Eleven of the original 44 with the highest scores returned for round two, but first to go Thomas Pritchard took some beating on the Eldorado daughter Calcourt Princess on a score of 250 points. They held onto the lead until final rider Joe on the impressive J’Adore added 123 points to the 140 round one score to win with 13 points to spare on 263 points.
Melissa Garry headed the Foxhunter Grand Prix with Billy Elsyng in a 10-strong jump-off, the 7-year-old Billy Mexico x Andiamo mare flying into the top spot with 1.44 seconds over Emma Sargeant in second on Whisper’s Love.
Ashley Boyce claimed the Newcomers Grand Prix title with Noble Tropicana. Twenty-four of the 55 starters reached the jump-off with Ashley and the Noble Warrior x Hamilton Tropics 6-year-old mare bred by Brendon Stud winning by 0.57 seconds. Adam Taylor eased Basingwerk Imagine into second and Jessica Cunnington took third on Marlando Van De Heering.
Natasha Hewitt guided Pat Squibb’s 6-year-old Lara’s Boy to the top in a hot, 26-strong jump-off of the 58-horse Discovery Grand Prix, edging ahead by 0.03 seconds over Lucy Struthers’ Crushed Ice.
Rosie Walker was crowned 1.05m Grand Prix champion with Furelise. Sixty-five competitors initially contended this class but the course proved tough and only six returned for the jump-off, Rosie and the 13-year-old mare galloping into the top spot by 1.11 seconds. Emma Sargeant steered Fabian V into second with Lauren Caley providing the only other double clear for third on A-Lemonade Z.
Tim Craggs lifted the 1m Grand Prix on Lindsey Craggs’ 7-year-old Carrickadawson Candy with 2.75 seconds in hand over Lindsey herself, in second aboard the 18-year-old Lydia Van Opstee in an 18-horse jump-off.
Brooke Hunter clinched the 1.10m Grand Prix, the Casino Royal Van De Hunters 9-year-old Otis Van De Dashoeve heading the 19-horse jump-off by 1.22 seconds to deny second-placed Tim and Carrickdawson Candy another win.
Anya Brown clocked up a winning double. She flew to victory in the 90cm Grand Prix on the Phin Phin 11-year-old Heathrow II. A total of 21 from the original 39 starters came forward in the jump-off with Anya gaining a 0.77 second advantage with Lindsey and Lydia Van Opstee again having to settle for second place.
Anya also returned triumphant in the British Novice Grand Prix on the 5-year-old Dallas VDL daughter Donna Z I by 0.85 seconds in a 22-horse decider, yielded from 62 starters. Darren Walsh slipped Mermus Lily into second place.
Sophie Corney raced to the top in the 95cm Grand Prix on the 8-year-old Gwen Stefani Sho Z, winning the 13-horse jump-off by 0.84 seconds. Natalie Homan guided Hemmingway into second and Amelia Brooke finished third on Touch Of Time.
Sarah Williams cut all the corners to head the 29-strong Amateur Accumulator on the 12-year-old Larocco A (Zirocco Blue x Kannan) by 0.86 seconds. Neve Gill finished second on Elnora with third handed to Lucy Carver’s Evita SH.
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