Sandy McLean returns with a hat-trick of wins from Sentower Park
Wednesday 06 August 2025
Sandy McLean scored a winning treble at Sentower Park in Belgium, his main win coming with Laura Tinto’s Johnnie Walker.
Fifty-two riders contended the 3* 1.45m two-phase with Sandy and the Zapatero x Mermus R 11-year-old edging ahead of their rivals to win by only 0.06 seconds.
“He was a little unlucky in the first world ranking class and this was a good class for him. He’s got a big stride and it was easy to take out a stride down each distance. We were seventh or eighth to go and I knew I had another ride later on but Johnnie had done enough,” said Sandy.
Sandy had started the week with a win in the 3* 1.40m, the 10-year-old Kolwa (Connect x Lord Z) making short work of the two-phase track to record a 0.89 second win against their 56 rivals.
“Kolwa’s very new to me, I only got him the Thursday before this show so I’ve only ridden him a handful of times but he’s an exciting one – scopey, careful and naturally blood. He’s a cool one and I hope to establish a good partnership and win a lot of classes,” said Sandy.
Seasoned campaigner Gino F clocked up another win for Sandy, the Ultimo x Grannus 14-year-old galloping into a 0.70 second victory in the 3* 1.35m two-phase.
“It was typical Belgian weather, T-shirt one minute and a monsoon the next. The rain was horrendous, but Gino was a Pro and he’s so used to the Scottish weather he actually had an unfair advantage,” said Sandy. “He’s had just over a year off with injury and he’s still coming back and getting fit again. He’s 14 now and taking a little longer than we thought but he’s getting there and will soon be back on flying form.”
Jess Mendoza claims a podium place at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival
After spending several weeks competing in Europe, Jess Mendoza returned to America to claim a podium place at Travis City Horse Show at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival on Flintfields Horse Park, near Lake Michigan.
Thirty-nine competitors tackled Canadian course-designer Peter Grant’s 3* 1.45m speed track in the $32,000 Boehringer Ingelheim Welcome Stake with Jess setting up the lead on the 13-year-old I-Cap CL Z (I’m Special De Muze x Air Jordan Z). But the win was snatched from her grasp in the final moments by Canada’s Erynn Ballard – who had three rides in the class – on her third and final ride Her Game Ball BG with more than three seconds to spare.
Other British winners…….
Elsewhere in Europe, Emily Ward conjured up a winning double in Samorin, Slovakia, on Ruth and Ian Dowie’s Cavalier HF. The Diamant De Semilly x Handel six-year-old – bred by Emily and her father Nick before being sold – won an early 80-strong Six and Seven-year-old 1.25/1.30m with immediate jump-off by 0.35 seconds before landing the Six and Seven-year-old Final. Seventy-four competitors tackled the 1.30/1.35m speed course with Emily forging ahead to win by two whole seconds.
In Azelhof, Belgium, Tom Whitaker lifted the top two places of the 50-entry 1* 1.30m speed, winning on the nine-year-old Unicorn Di June and taking second aboard the seven-year-old Gameboy SWB, more than three seconds separating the two and 0.22 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals.
