British Showjumping Springboard 128cm Final
Monday 19 April 2021
Tara Sweetnam, aged 11, looks to be following in the family ‘s showjumping footsteps after landing the top two places in the Springboard 128cm final with her father Brian’s Priestwood Hardy and Claughan Casper at the Winter Pony Finals at South View Equestrian Centre in Wettenhall, Cheshire.
Tara’s father Brian was a successful rider himself and his brother and Tara’s uncle Shane Sweetnam rides for Ireland at top level and is currently based in America.
Course-designer Gillian Milner set a 12-fence track with two doubles for the thirty-two competitors and ten achieved their initial aim to access the jump-off, Tara the only rider to have two ponies through.
The jump-off was hot with riders slicing the turns ever tighter at optimum pace with Tara securing an early lead on the coloured 14-year-old Claughan Casper. She still held the lead as she rode into the ring on final-drawn 18-year-old Priestwood Hardy and secure in the knowledge she has already laid claim to the coveted sash and rug, proved even faster with her second ride.
“’Harry’ [aka Priestwood Hardy] is quicker than Casper and his previous rider Millie Lawson was here and gave me lots of tips – she has helped me a lot,” said 11-year-old Tara. “I have to do lots of pole-work and groundwork as he’s always energetic and tends to run; it has taken me a while to get to know him but now we trust each other.”
The win is made more distinctive as London-based Tara only rides her ponies twice a week as they are stabled 45 minutes away – “Although I have managed to get more time with my ponies during lockdown.”
Results
1st Tara Sweetnam & Priestwood Hardy – 0/0 – 33.96 seconds
2nd Tara Sweetnam & Claughan Casper – 0/0 – 36.08 seconds
3rd Raphaela Dawson & Trefriw Eros – 0/0 – 36.44 seconds
4th Lucy Black & Riverview Sandy – 0/0 – 37.78 seconds
5th Henry Leggott & Valor – 0/0 – 43.02 seconds
6th Emily Horner & Kilcranathan Princess – 0/4 – 37.03 seconds
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