More Success on the International Circuit for British Riders
Monday 18 November 2024
Ellen Whitaker speeds to a win in rain-hit Oliva Nova
Ellen Whitaker jumped to victory in Saturday’s feature 3* 1.50m on Korlenski in a turbulent week at Autumn MET II in Oliva Nova, Spain, where rain in biblical proportions descended on the showground.
Two days of jumping was cancelled, but the show organisers made heroic efforts to get the show back on the road and jumping recommenced on Friday.
Sixty riders contended the world ranking 1.50m with course-designer Peter Schumacher’s (GER) 12-fence track reducing them to 13 for the jump-off. Millie Allen set a competitive target on the eight-year-old Clearround Il Mondo Z (Comme Il Faut x Clearway) and was still in the lead when late-drawn Ellen entered the ring. It was tight, but Ellen edged ahead on Tilly Shaw’s nine-year-old Cornet Obolensky daughter to win by 0.33 seconds.
Rachel Proudley came so close to a 3* Grand Prix win but had to settle for second place in a hard-fought jump-off. Only six of the 53 starters mastered the 1.50m track, with three Brits in the running. Belgium’s Koen Vereecke had set a tough target on Oilily De Muze, but Rachel remained undaunted and rode a determined round in the final draw on the 13-year-old Quality Street. She came within 0.14 seconds to slot into a creditable second spot. Ellen and Korlenski were close behind for third while four faults second time out dropped Graham Babes and Monks I Am Casall to fifth.
Rachel galloped to the top of the 3* Gold 1.45m on Petitfour VD Wareslage. Eight-nine competitors came forward in this world ranking speed class, but no-one could match the speedy Rachel and she commandeered the top spot by 1.52 seconds with the Corydon Van T&L x Feinschnitt I VD Richter nine-year-old.
Ellen also picked up third in the 51-strong Gold 1.40m speed with the Vigo Cece 11-year-old Demi Louvo 1.21 seconds behind the pace.
Harry Tiller won the Five-year-old Final with Basingwerk Big Dick Z. Eleven of the 32 starters conquered the 1.20m track to move forward into the immediate jump-off, Harry and the Big Star x Dick Z gelding claiming the top spot with 0.65 seconds in hand.
Brits filled the top three places of the Autumn MET II Young Horse Champion Trophy for Five-year-olds with points gained over the past three weeks. Izac Ketteridge headed the leaderboard on RSH Sweepstake (Cascol Z x Billy Congo) three points clear of Megan Broadway with Mr Co-k Van Kattenheye Z and Harry with Big Dick Z finished third, a further 14 points in arrears.
Pollyanna Gredley scored a hat-trick of wins. She led a British top three in the 49-strong Bronze 1.40m speed, winning by 0.64 seconds on Unex Competition Yard’s 12-year-old Catoki (Kannan x Experio). Anna Power guided Oxford V/D Witte Driesendijk into second with Emily Sage filling third aboard Cadiz Z.
This pair repeated the feat just 24 hours later in the Bronze Tour 1.40m Final, Pollyanna and Catoki pushing ahead in the 15-horse decider to claim a 0.45 second advantage over Anna and the 10-year-old Emerald stallion Oxford.
Pollyanna also topped the 60-strong Bronze 1.30m speed on the nine-year-old Kesha From Second Life Z (Kannan x Heartbreaker with more than two seconds in hand over Olivia Banks in second on Geodina HS.
Other Brits posted wins: Olivia headed a Bronze 1.30m Accumulator on the 13-year-old mare Geodina HS (Bodinus x Corland), beating 75 rivals by 1.08 seconds and Lauren Wilkins jumped to the top of an early 64-entry Bronze 1.35m two-phase with the Dexter R 12-year-old Halina HL.
James Smith claims a world ranking win in Valencia
James Smith claimed victory in the 4* 1.45m with Juno Rose 23 but had to share his win with Germany’s Kendra Claricia Brinkop on the Moura Autumn Tour in Valencia, Spain.
Sixty-one competitors tackled course-designer Jose Santos’ (POR) 12-fence, 15-effort track and it was a hot competition, only 0.14 seconds separating the top three. Kendra set an early target on Ma Belle and stayed firmly ahead until James set off in pursuit in a midway draw to dead-heat on time with the consistent 10-year-old Erdento daughter Juno Rose.
Will Fletcher returned the fastest time of the class in the 17-horse decider of the 4* 1.50m but a rail on the floor proved costly and dropped the 11-year-old Iwalinde down to fourth place.
Laura Renwick topped a 4* 1.30m speed by 1.38 seconds with the home-bred Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R) and William Ellery scored a win in an early Five-year-old 1.10m two-phase with 0.70 seconds to spare on Celine A.S Z (Cisco Von Rotcheck x Quintender).
Robert Whitaker is in the money in Stuttgart
Robert Whitaker steered Chatondo into fourth in the 5* 1.45m at the Stuttgart Masters in Germany.
Forty riders came forward over this 12-fence speed track with Robert and the Chacco-Blue x Cartoon 14-year-old finishing 4.17 seconds behind the winner, Germany’s Jana Wargers on Rockwell RC.
Katie Bradburne supplied a double clear in the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy with Westpoint Foreign Affair to take third place. Twenty-four riders came forward over the 12-fence 1.35m track and nine mastered every question to qualify for the jump-off, Katie and the eight-year-old Fruselli x Fulton mare finishing 3.18 seconds behind the winner, The Netherlands’ Lieselot Kooremans on Elando Van De Roshoeve, Claudia Moore’s former European medal winner. The result puts Katie in third on the league table but Lieselot is way ahead, winning all three legs so far with just Salzburg left to contend.
Image: 1clicphoto / Hervé Bonnaud
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