Will Fletcher secures his first HOYS victory in the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Grade C Championship
Sunday 13 October 2024
1r7frqc6at286.JPG "Will Fletcher secures his first HOYS victory in the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Grade C Championship")
Will Fletcher added his name to the family's Horse of the Year Show successes with victory in the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Grade C Championship.
Twenty eight years after his mother Tina claimed the first of her two wins in the same class, Will fought through considerable discomfort to land the concluding national showjumping competition of HOYS 2024.
After being accidentally kicked by a horse in the warm-up area, Will defied a severe limp and bruising to take first place on Qian Van Heiste and third with Calixte Heartbreaker Z. He had four horses in the class, and three made the jump-off.
His winning time of 31.61 seconds after being last to go in the jump-off meant Great British international eventer Gemma Stevens was nudged into second spot aboard Johansome after what was a thrilling battle for top honours.
The Grade C was first contested at HOYS in 1973, and its list of former winners reads like a showjumping who's who with Tina Fletcher, Derek Ricketts, Nick Skelton, William Funnell and Billy Twomey all being among the previous champions.
"It was a bit busy with the number of horses I had in it!" Oxfordshire-based Will said. "I am lucky to have such a great group of horses, and to top it off with a win like that was brilliant.
"I had a slight kick to the leg, and there was a little bit of bad language, to say the least, while I was trying to recover! A bit of ice, though, and we will be good to go again next week.
"Winning here means so much. It's my first win here, and to go home from HOYS with a rug like that, I couldn't have asked for more. We will take the trophy over the bruise any day."
Full results can be found here
Image: 1st Class Images
.JPG "Jodie Hall McAteer crowned Leading Showjumper of the Year for a second time")
.JPG "Joe Whitaker in a hurry at HOYS as he lands NAEC Stoneleigh Speed Horse of the Year title")
.JPG "Douglas Duffin keeps the Scottish flag flying with victory in Grade C Championship")