Harriette Rushton jumps to victory in the SEIB Winter Novice Championship Qualifier at Arena UK to secure her ticket in the Hickstead Final
Monday 04 December 2023
Harriette Rushton bagged her place in the SEIB Winter Novice Championship Final at the Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead, with victory on Chacstar Z in the competitive qualifier at Arena UK’s Winter Classic in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
“This means so much as we bought him as a 2-year-old and we’ve done everything with him,” said Harriette, who sought out Chacstar as she owns and competes his Mum, I Am Legend Z.
Forty-nine competitors contended the first round over course-designer Mark McGowan’s 11-fence track which started at a height of 1.10m with 18 returning initial clears to access the jump-off and chase the two coveted finalist passes.
The jump-off was hot with less than 0.70 seconds separating the top three places, but Gainsborough, Lincolnshire-based Harriette won out with a nose in front to take the win by 0.16 seconds on the Dutch-bred 5-year-old by Chacfly, a stallion son of Chacco-Blue. The pair are now regularly competing at Foxhunter level.
“We almost didn’t go. I looked out the window and it was snowy and almost turned around and went back to bed but I’d paid the entries so made the effort – and I’m so glad I did!” said Harriette, who will make her debut at the Royal International Horse Show – I’ve jumped at Hickstead before, but never qualified for the main arena.”
Chacstar is very similar to his mother, I Am Legend.
“I love her so much, we found him and bought him. They are so similar, almost double in looks. I’ve had people comment, ‘but you’ve just been in on that one’, and I’ve had to tell them, ‘No, this is the mother,’” added Harriette. “He is perhaps a little easier than her because we’ve had him since a 2-year-old. We have an incredible bond and he’s had an incredible year but, in this class, everything clicked into place, he did everything I asked of him.”
Jessica Cunnington slipped the five-year-old Maloubet De Pleville daughter Nakante into second place to take the other qualifying place on offer.
Arena UK Winter Classic – 3 December, 2023
SEIB Winter Novice Championship Qualifier
1st Harriette Rushton & Chacstar Z – 0/0 - 35.07 seconds
2nd Jesscia Cunnington & Nakante – 0/0 - 35.23 seconds
3rd Jessica Baugh & Monkeal Alfie – 0/0 - 35.76 seconds
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image: courtesy of Arena UK
SEIB Insurance Brokers provides specialist equestrian insurance throughout the UK and internationally. With over 50 years of experience, SEIB offers a range of equestrian insurance from horses to horseboxes, trailers, stables, cars, home, farriers and other specialist equestrian trades plus riding schools and livery yards. The SEIB Winter Novice Championship is a popular series made up of ten national qualifying rounds which are held ahead of the Championship Final, which will once again be run during the prestigious Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead (24 - 18 July 2024). For more details, visit hickstead.co.uk
