Super Sunday at the British Showjumping Spring Championships
Sunday 19 March 2023
1drbrq73rsibu.JPG "Super Sunday at the British Showjumping Spring Championships")
Leo Lamb concluded the four-day British Showjumping Spring Championships at Arena UK on a high with victory in the Winter 7-year-old title on his mother Carron Nicol’s talented Gmail.
It was no mean feat. Thirteen competitors qualified for the jump-off from a field of thirty horses that tackled course-designer Nigel Jess’s 12-fence 1.25/1.30m track. It was competitive from the off as Anthony Condon set a target from the opening draw on SFS Houdini. Four horses later Leo used Gmail’s speed and stride to clip 1.61 seconds off the time.
“He’s the best I’ve ever ridden, he won several age class championships last year and accumulated £4,500 in prize money,” said Leo on the Cornet Obolensky x Diamant De Semilly gelding. “He’s a little quirky – he gets that from his sire and can be cheeky, bucking and playing but we don’t mind, he’s a superstar and knows he’s special. He’s quick and careful and we’re very excited about next year.”
Harry Bateman pulled out all the stops to take the Winter 6-year-old title by 0.28 seconds from a late draw in the 16-strong jump-off on Teza Englefield’s Maverick II.
Harry had posted his intentions with wins in day one’s Foxhunter and day two’s six-year-old qualifier on the Dutch-bred gelding purchased from Maxine Locke.
“He was green, lazy and cheeky 12 months ago but we’ve had so much fun with him. He’s still cheeky with an amazing personality but now he’s a machine and loves jumping,” said Harry.
“He’s brilliant yet unorthodox in his jump but Harry allows him to go his own way and jump naturally and he eats up whatever you put in front of him, nothing fazes him,” said Teza.
Anthony Condon was in flying form to take a very competitive Winter Grade C Championship on Sophia Kelly’s 7-year-old mare Ashdale Allstar – bred in the purple with Big Star x Luidam bloodlines.
Only six of the original 28 starters accessed the jump-off with Anthony utilising his penultimate draw to claim victory by 0.16 seconds.
“She’s got better and better in the last four months and notched up a few wins. This was a testing track and the biggest class she’s won,” said Anthony, who is impressed with Allstar. “She’s all there with plenty of opinion but that’s what makes her good – she’s got some fight in her and gets stuck in. She’s similar to her dam Ashdale Luxara, a former ride of mine, but with more scope and she gets her feistiness from Big Star.”
Emma-Jo Slater’s flying visit from Buckinghamshire paid handsomely with the NAF Five Star Winter Silver League title on Kim Barzilay’s home-bred Kimba Flamenco.
The on-form Emma-Jo claimed three rides in the 18-strong jump-off, finding the shortest route on the Je T’Aime Flamenco x Heartbreaker 14-year-old – a former five-star ride for Billy Twomey – to win by 0.96 seconds.
“He doesn’t care whether he’s jumping world cup classes or playing around here. He’s 14 now and we’re going to keep him happy. I couldn’t part with him, he’s given us great times in amazing places and now he’s home forever,” said Kim.
Emma-Jo agreed: “It’s good to have him back, we know each other so well,” said Emma-Jo, who will share the ride with Ben Walker – “Ben will jump him in 1.40m classes and I’ll stay in Silver League.”
Abi Leadbetter gave fair warning winning Saturday’s qualifier and duly claimed the NAF Five Star Winter Bronze League Championship by almost two seconds with Anita Leadbetter’s super-quick Hearts Cruise in a competitive nine-horse jump-off.
“She’s my horse of a lifetime, she loves the speed and is so careful although she’s got a short stride so I knew I had to have a good shot into the double,” said County Durham-based Abi, who works full-time for the Todd eventing family – “They’re very good at allowing me time off for my showjumping.”
The Corrado x Heartbreaker eight-year-old was spotted in a Facebook ad three years ago just as Covid-19 restrictions were easing.
“She’s a character and broke two headcollars when we were viewing her but that was just something about her, we loved her straightaway and put down a deposit,” added 19-year-old Abi. “She hasn’t changed; she’s not spooky in the ring but at home she has me on the floor probably three times a week.”
Cate Kerr, 13, secured victory in the Winter Children on Horses Final with a cool maturity beyond her years to win by 3.20 seconds in a three-way decider on Madieson Blakesley’s Kyra at their very first show together.
“I only got asked to ride her a couple of weeks ago as Madieson has broken her shoulder. She’s a lovely, kind mare and buzzy and jolly in the ring,” said Cate, who benefitted from a lesson with Steven Whitaker during the week and relied on Steve Faragher’s advice at the show.
Cate, who has just moved to Yorkshire with her family, will also make an appearance at Hickstead later in the year after qualifying Little O Gino and Miss Mull for the Royal International Winter 138cm final.
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