Paul Sims records his third consecutive 1.40m win on Jankorado GB at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre with victory in the Winter Grand Prix
Monday 04 November 2024
Paul Sims landed the feature Winter Grand Prix with Jankorado GB to finish Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre’s Winter Classic in Cheshire on a high.
The pair started their successful foray with a 1.40m victory at this popular venue a week earlier. Five days later they were again on the winning side in the Winter Classic’s first 1.40m.
“He was so chuffed with himself, on his day off on Saturday he was bucking and squealing in his turnout pen, and he came back to win the Grand Prix,” said Paul.
Thirty-three competitors faced lead course designer Shaun Sands and assistant course designer John Bedford’s 12-fence 1.40/1.45m Grand Prix track and 15 mastered the course to return for the jump-off. Paul found the edge on the scopey 10-year-old Jankorado, easing ahead with 1.24 seconds to spare. Jessica Hewitt slipped Arbitrage into second with Ella Dalton filling third place on Hurricane VDL.
Paul bought the Indorado x Numero Uno grey gelding Jankorado two years ago.
“I actually broke him in as a four-year-old for Windmill Farm and continued riding him as a five-year-old as he was quirky, qualifying him for Lanaken [World Breeding Championships],” said Paul. “He returned home for a holiday at the end of his five-year-old year, and I managed to buy him three years later as he still showed his quirky tendencies.
“He’s not everyone’s cup of tea and certainly not the easiest but I know him so well now. He’s a lovely, kind horse on the ground but in the ring, he has his own way. We have to have conversations; I like things to be done my way and he puts his opinion across and we tend to meet in the middle.”
Jumping in a 3* Grand Prix at Sentower in September was a turning point.
“I hadn’t done any 2* Grands Prix with him and threw him in the deep end, and he completed the course with just one fence down. On paper it doesn’t look much, but he grew after this show, and I learned a lot about him. He’s had some good results recently and been knocking on the door for a Grand Prix win, has shown he has the power and the jump; he’s very careful and measured and wants to win,” added Paul. “He’ll have a bit of a break now and we’ll build him up to start again in January.”
Sandy McLean enjoyed a bumper show here and, after already heading the UNIBED – High Performance Equine Bedding Winter B and C on Congo Khalasar SFS and SEIB Winter Novice with Jip B, and both these horses featured in the Blue Chip Calming Performance qualifier.
Forty-nine competitors tackled this 1.20m single-phase with Sandy filling the top two places, the Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Wolfgang 10-year-old Jip B – a new ride of just one month – claiming to top spot by 1.20 seconds over Sandy’s second ride, the nine-year-old Congo Khalasar, a new ride of only one week. Emma McGlynn filled third place with Hurricane Z.
Chloe Templeton outpaced all her rivals in the mammoth 84-strong Blue Chip Dynamic B and C single-phase over a 1.25/1.30m handicapped track with the Grade B mare Mizzella, the Zambesi TN x Landor S seven-year-old winning by 0.89 seconds. Anthony Condon slipped the SFS Houdini, from the Grade C section, into second and Millie Dickinson finished third on the Grade B FS Warriors Quest.
Sandy also seized victory in the Winter 1.35m with Calcord II. The 12-fence, 15-effort course reduced the 22 competitors to seven for the jump-off, which was nonetheless fiercely competitive. Sandy claimed only a 0.10 second advantage on the Calido I x Acord II 10-year-old, pushing Ben Walker and Creevy Pacino Cruise into second spot. Iwan Carpenter settled for third with Merllyns Chacco B.
Daniella Johnston raced to the top in the Winter Grade C qualifier with Action Annie. Nine of the original 34 on the start-list qualified for the jump-off, Daniella finding the shortest route on the seven-year-old Action Annie to edge ahead by 0.15 seconds. Jodie Burchmore Eames slotted Contessa Z II into second place with Vicky Davidson’s Kannan’s Concorde in third ahead of Emma Sargeant in fourth on Lakkato II.
Chris Smith guided his wife Nicola’s BE Caprivi into the top spot of the Winter 1.25m. Twenty-nine of the original 74 starters qualified for the jump-off over the 11-fence track but several withdrew at this point, leaving 21 to jump-off. It was tight, Chris and the Balloon x World Way 12-year-old easing ahead to win by 0.21 seconds. Will Edwards steered Stapleton Florence into second and Harriette Rushton claimed third on Lizzy D’Alme CZ.
Image: KT Equine Photography
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