William Fletcher takes the win in the International Stairway at the South of England Show
Monday 14 June 2021
The first leg of the International Stairway Series 2021 was held at the South of England Show on Sunday and it was William Fletcher from Faringdon, Oxfordshire who clinched the win on Persimmon, a 15 year-old gelding owned by Graham Fletcher.
Course designer Ben Townley set a challenging first round track with only six combinations gaining a spot in the jump-off, which proved to be just as tough as the first round. William and Persimmon becoming the only combination to produce a double clear as they crossed the finish line in 47.91 seconds to take top spot. Jack Ryan jumped in to second place on board KBS Major Player owned by Breen Equestrian Ltd. This pair picked up four faults at the final fence to finish in 46.73 seconds, just a fraction of a second faster than Mark Edwards and Montreuxa Tale owned by Martyn Edwards who posted their four fault round in 46.98 seconds.
The International Stairway takes place across a number of county shows where winning combinations accrue League Points that count towards the Final which takes place at the British Showjumping National Championships in August at Stoneleigh Park. The series culminates with a high-profile championship where three Horse of the Year Show International Wild Cards are allocated as well as it being where the sports National Champion is crowned.
The International Stairway, supported by the British Showjumping Partnership with funding from sponsors including Charles Owen, KBIS Insurance, NAF and Zebra Products.
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