Helen Tredwell commands an International Stairway victory at Suffolk County Show
Monday 05 June 2023
Helen Tredwell claimed the handsome £2,500 winner’s purse in the International Stairway with the sole double clear at Suffolk County Show with the sole double clear on Wayne and Jane Cox’s Independence TN.
“My horse is not that quick but he’s so genuine and careful going to a fence, there was no point rushing, I trusted him to jump another clear and the going was perfect, a nice cut in the ground,” said Helen.
Course-designers Kelvin Bywater and Ben Townley set a testing 1.50m track for the 16 riders forward but only two managed to leave all the fences intact to post initial clear rounds. The two were joined by the three fastest four-faulters to go into the jump-off under A9 rules, carrying their faults and going in reverse order of merit.
These riders had nothing to lose and threw caution to the winds to set a fast target and put pressure on the two clears, Adrian Speight going flat out in the opening round on Judith Whitham’s Millfield Baloney. Mark Edwards beat the time by a fraction on top ride Montreuxs Tale but hit another rail and although he was clear with his other ride Dillinger NE, he was three seconds adrift of Adrian to take an eventual third.
Helen opted for accuracy on the I’m Special De Muze x Heartbreaker 10-year-old ‘Indi’ and supplied smooth lines and a clean round with a cool head to provide another clear round. They were more than six seconds in arrears of Adrian’s time but held the trump card with penalty-free rounds. Only Tim Davies – the only other round one clear and drawn favourably last – could depose her and when a rail fell, it dropped Nielson down to fourth.
“I was never going to catch the four-faulters and knew I’d at least be second if I went clear,” said Helen. “He’s a good horse but sensitive and a bit of a worrier. However, he’s been slowly improving since last summer and it’s all come together this year, he was second in the 1.45m and the Stairway at Devon County and second in the area trial at Herts County last week.”
An early leader in the Stairway League Series, Helen now heads to South of England and the third leg of the International Stairway.
NB: Qualifications will be updated pending official grading of results.
Image Credit: Elli Birch Boots & Hooves Photography
Suffolk County Show – 1 June, 2023
International Stairway
1st Helen Tredwell & Independence TN – 0/0 - 51.80 seconds
2nd Adrian Speight & Millfield Baloney – 4/0 - 45.32 seconds
3rd Mark Edwards & Dillinger NE – 4/0 - 48.42 seconds
4th Tim Davies & Nielson – 0/4 - 48.88 seconds
5th Mark Edwards & Montreuxs Tale – 4/4 - 45.30 seconds
The International Stairway, supported by the British Showjumping Partnership with funding from sponsors including Charles Owen, ClipMyHorse.TV, HorseQuest and Zebra Products.
