SAYWELL SPEEDS TO VICTORY AT THE EQUESTRIAN.COM LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW
Saturday 31 December 2016
Louise Saywell gave the strong British challenge a flying start to the Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show on Saturday.
And the Nottinghamshire-based rider's performance continued a recent run of success she has enjoyed with the James Hughes-owned Peiter VI.
They starred at Birmingham's Horse of the Year Show three months ago, and Liverpool's Echo Arena witnessed another superb round as they dominated the opening international class - a two-phase competition sponsored by Wilcox @ Edgemere and Cooke Horseboxes.
Ireland's Dermott Lennon, drawn first to go, set a scorching pace on Fleur IV, clocking a time of 30.15 seconds, and it looked as though it might be enough for victory, but Great Britain Nations Cup rider Louise had other ideas as they romped home in 27.54 seconds, with Belgium's Constant van Paesschen taking third aboard Isidoor Van De Helle.
"It is a fantastic start to the show for me," Louise said. "We had a bit of a scary moment at the first fence - he was busy looking at the big screen - but then he was away.
"He is naturally quick, and all the turns came off today. He seems to deliver at every show, and in different types of classes, which is fantastic.
"I am really pleased to be here, and to open with a win, I couldn't have asked for a better start."
Showjumping action in Liverpool across the next three days will be interspersed with performances that hold a wide family appeal, including music from the UK's no 1 ABBA tribute band 'Revival', the Shetland Pony Grand National, world-class carriage driving, the Black Fire Girls and so much more.
And New Year’s Eve itself promised to be an unforgettable night, with exclusive acts lined up, including Collabro, the world’s number one musical theatre boy band and the winners of Britain’s Got Talent series 8, plus the Equitop Myoplast Puissance, which is always a show-stopper, and a spectacular indoor display of fireworks.
All tickets give access to the show’s shopping village from 9am each day, with the shopping experience featuring a fantastic range of products from high-end equestrian outlets, exclusive fashion retailers, unusual giftware and beautiful things for the home. There will be many food and drink outlets on-site, including an upstairs Champagne Bar and the new Mersey View restaurant, which is open all day and suitable for all the family.
Rider signing sessions, meanwhile, have already proved a big hit, with fans flocking to meet four members of the famous showjumping Whitaker family - John, Michael, William and Jack – on Saturday morning.
For full results and tickets visit www.liverpoolhorseshow.com
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