Pony Silver league 128cm Final and the 138cm & under Final
Wednesday 07 August 2019
Over a demanding course set by Jason Abs, Ted Holt riding Gemma Stansby’s Ashurst Quicksilver III, reigned supreme in the Pony Silver League 128cm final. The course set for the second class of the day in the JS Teamwear Championship Arena 2 proved a difficult question for many riders with faults widely spread and some top contenders caught out by a tight turn to the final oxer in the first round.
Last year’s champion, Connie Mensley aboard Charlie McDonald’s Madonna, was back to reclaim her crown however it was the sole first round clear of Ashurst Quicksilver III and Ted Holt that claimed the title.
Twelve-year-old, Ted is competing in his last year of 128cm ponies and will soon be moving up the ranks into the 138cm classes. Having started showjumping two years ago, Ted is delighted to have taken the title this morning: “I have been waiting to win a rug ever since I started British Showjumping, so I am over the moon to have won today.”
First to go in the 138cm final and setting the bar for the remaining 25 competitors was Lucy Gilbertson riding Airbourne Freddie. With an incredible time of 31.50s in the jump off, Lucy was in top position from the start after taking a risky tight turn after fence one and picking up speed as the course went on. With only 6 clears, the pressure was on to beat Lucy’s time however she remained nearly 2 clear seconds ahead of runner up Alice Crowley riding The Agent with a time of 33.14s.
Fresh from their second place in yesterday’s National 138cm Championship, Lucy’s father, Steve Gilbertson explained that the pair had previously won 10 Graham Heath qualifiers to get to the British Showjumping National Championships today and compete in the Pony Silver League 138cm Final: “The other classes we have entered are just for fun, but this is what we came for today.”
The Bronze and Silver Pony/Rider Combination League was introduced by British Showjumping in 2014 and allows all pony riders to be able to track their progress on a regional and national league table. There are three leagues; Bronze, Silver and Gold and they are split into three height categories of 128cm, 138cm and 148cm.
Images courtsey of 1st Class Images
