Tabitha Kyle dominates at the Winter Pony Finals at South View

Monday 25 April 2022

Tabitha Kyle dominates at the Winter Pony Finals at South View

 

Tabitha Kyle hit top form at the British Showjumping Winter Pony Finals at South View Equestrian Centre in Cheshire to land three championship titles, including the big one, the JA Classic Final with Nightgirl Van Het Sonnishof Z.

Eleven competitors faced course-designer Gillian Milner’s 12-fence 1.25m track with two doubles and five answered all the questions to provide first round clears and qualify for the jump-off.  Tabitha was the quickest by far on the Belgian-bred 10-year-old mare, wiping 3.68 seconds from 2021 champion Henry Squibb’s time on Lislan Picola to wrest the title and deny Henry a second consecutive win.

Tabitha had qualified three ponies for this final but opted to save Gangnam Style II and Atomic Du Bary for the imminent Pony Nations Cup competitions in Fontainebleau, France, and Lamprechtshausen, Austria, with Nightgirl stepping up to the plate at South View.

“The first round was fairly easy but in the jump-off they whacked the fences up.  However, that suited her and she was phenomenal.  She’ll spin back to a tall vertical or a wide oxer and is way better when the fences are bigger, she respects them,” said Tabitha, who enjoyed this three-day show – “I want to thank Charles [Britton] and Lynda [Wright] for an amazing show!”

Tabitha also claimed both 1.10m and 1m Championships with Ryan Dorise’s consistent Running In Heels.  She set a sizzling target to win the 1.10m Final from the front.  Eight of the eleven starters returned to contend the jump-off with Tabitha galloping to victory from first draw on the seven-year-old Irish-bred grey mare with 0.45 seconds in hand.

The 1m title was harder work as seventeen competitors battled against the clock but Tabitha and Running In Heels again claimed the upper hand from the opening round to win with 1.72 seconds to spare.

“She is only a 7-year-old but she is amazing and has stepped up so well.  I had a bad draw in both classes and had to pull it out of the bag and she was so honest and tried her heart out.  She is so careful and will spin back to a fence and gallop and she’s a lovely person in the stable as well – she’s perfect,” said Tabitha, on the mare she has been producing since December for Evie Dorise.

Anya Dewey Clarke dominated the Springboard 128cm Final with the top two places on Mini Mouse II and Brookhall Pavarotti.

Twenty-three hopefuls set out to bid for glory over a 0.95cm 10-fence track and seven answered all course-designer Gillian Milner’s questions to go forward to the jump-off, an on-form Anya jumping clear on all three of her rides.  She set the standard from first draw with the 15-year-old Brookhall Pavarotti and held onto the lead despite several challenges.  But Anya saved the best until last, guiding Mini Mouse II, an Irish-bred 19-year-old mare she has ridden since Christmas, into the top spot and beating her own time by more than three seconds to fill the top two places.  Tabitha Morgan Evans provided the only other double clear to take third on Hilin Lace.

Leva Keenan used her final draw to lift the Springboard 138cm Final with Letterkeen Bettyn. 

Eleven competitors initially came forward over a 1.05m 10-fence course but only two conjured up clear rounds. Leva going head-to-head with Ruby Payne.  Ruby had the pressure on her to post another clear as first to go and duly provided the required round with Nightlady.  Leva claimed the advantageous final draw and upped the pace slightly, maintaining a strong flowing canter to the final fence to win by 0.50 seconds with the 14-year-old mare Bettyn she has competed since October last year.

Katie Bradburne landed the British Showjumping 128/138cm Handicap Special Final with Woodland Prince II. 

Twenty-seven came forward in this class, eleven 128cm ponies pitted against sixteen 138cm ponies, and the bigger ponies claimed the advantage to fill the top three places.   It was tight, Katie and the 12-year-old Woodland Prince edging ahead to win with only a 0.07 second advantage over Raphaela Dawson and Noahs Lady.  Ella Kay was best 128cm in fourth on Ormond Lucy Locket. 

But Ella hit top gear to take her own victory in the British Showjumping 11-year-old and Under Final with Kilcreene Apollo.  It was a hot class as twenty-four of the thirty-eight starters accessed the jump-off but Ella found the shortest route on the 19-year-old Apollo to claim the win by 0.32 seconds.   

Charlie Simcock excelled under the watchful eyes of judges Eve Staveley and Liz Jackson to take the 10-year-old and Under Style and Performance Championship riding the coloured 13-year-old Frigowny Fairqueen.

Nine tiny tots and their eager ponies faced two rounds over a 90cm track and it was close with Charlie impressing with maturity and flair to win by one point over Anya Dewey Clark on Brookhall Pavarotti – the only two riders to break the 300 points barrier.

“The standard was high showing a lot of potential for the future, they rode like little professionals but Charlie in particular was excellent.  He had a good partnership with his pony, rode in a fluent rhythm all the way round, had a good feel for a stride and was very straight to his fences,” said Eve.

An on-form Tilly Bamford seized her second championship title in a week with the ultra-consistent Playboy Van De Zoetewei as just seven days after being crowned the Pony of the Year Show 138cm champion, the pair topped the South View 138cm Spring Championship.  Sixteen of the original twenty starters returned to contend the jump-off but Tilly had the win sewn up by 1.77 seconds with the Belgian-bred 11-year-old she acquired from Tabitha Kyle six months ago. 

Raphaela Dawson commandingly claimed the South View 128cm Spring Championship with the only clear round in the six-pony class to pocket the £150 first prize with the Irish-bred 14-year-old Jim (Cobid). 

For full results visit www.southviewarena.com

Image: Tabitha Kyle and Nightgirl competing at a previous event.

 
Recent News Headlines
Appointment of Independent Non-Executive Board Directors Appointment of Independent Non-Executive Board Directors
28/03/2024
POYS PREVIEW 2024 POYS PREVIEW 2024
27/03/2024
Charlie Hancox from Worcestershire is February’s NAF Shining Star Charlie Hancox from Worcestershire is February’s NAF Shining Star
26/03/2024
British riders hit the heights in Spain with Grand Prix wins as siblings Ellen and Donald Whitaker dominate at two major shows British riders hit the heights in Spain with Grand Prix wins as siblings Ellen and Donald Whitaker dominate at two major shows
25/03/2024
New champions spring into action at the British Showjumping Spring Championships New champions spring into action at the British Showjumping Spring Championships
25/03/2024
view news archive »