Ava Vernon races to a four-star Small Grand Prix victory and the British contingent notch up more wins in this week’s International Round-up
Wednesday 19 March 2025
Ava Vernon claimed victory in the 4* Small Tour Grand Prix with Volnay De Choc Z on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain.
Forty-nine riders faced course-designer Raf Suarez’s 13-fence, 16-effort world ranking 1.45m with 15 riders answering every question to make their way into the jump-off. Ava found the shortest route second time out, easing the Vivaldi Du Seigneur x Galopin Du Boele 13-year-old mare with 1.04 seconds in hand.
“It’s a milestone win for me; my first Grand Prix win and my first ranking class win. I’m so grateful for the team around me to make days like this happen,” said a delighted Ava.
Izabella Rogers claimed a victory double in the CSIO Junior competitions. The 11-year-old Cantate Z (Crunch x Colando) got the ball rolling for Izabella, winning the Junior 1.35m speed by an impressive nine seconds but Rising Star lived up to her name this week. Second in an early Junior 1.40m speed, the eight-year-old De Flor III daughter topped the Junior Grand Prix. Only three of the original 25 starters conquered the 12-fence 1.40m course, Izabella forging ahead in the jump-off to register a 1.55m victory.
Chloe Winchester jumped Korlenski into third in an early 4* Big Tour 1.50m. Seventy-four competitors contended over course-deisigner Leopoldo Palacios’ 12-fence, 14-effort track with Chloe slipping the Cornet Obolensky x Mozart Des Hayettes 10-year-old mare into third 1.98 seconds behind the winner, Brazil’s Victor Castro de Lima on Lilesta Ge. Chloe and Korlenski went on to win Saturday’s Medium 1.40m speed with more than three seconds to spare over Joe Fernyhough’s Calcourt Supersonic. Joe and the nine-year-old Supersonic (Grandorado TN x Concorde) were on form, outpacing 52 rivals to take the 4* Big Tour 1.35m speed by 0.44 seconds.
Brits were again on form in the supporting classes – Iwan Carpenter raced ahead in the 94-strong 4* Medium Tour 1.40m speed with the Chacco Blue x Contendro 15-year-old Merllyn’s Chacco B to push fellow Brit Megan James’s Balouish into second by 0.35 seconds. Will Edwards headed a 4* Big Tour 1.35m two-phase with SHW Candies B, the 15-year-old Chacco-Blue x Heartbreaker mare winning by 0.91 seconds. Laura Kennedy recorded two wins, taking the 4* Small 1.35m two-phase, edging ahead on Leestone Singulady (Singular LS La Silla x Cruising) by 0.26 seconds, the pair going on to head Sunday’s Small Tour 1.30m accumulator by 3.16 seconds.
Jude Burgess was a double Medium Tour 1.30m winner with Starcent, the seven-year-old Big Star x Toulon mare winning a 70-horse speed class by almost two seconds and a two-phase with 2.24 seconds to spare. Emily Ward was another Medium 1.30m double winner riding the eight-year-old Millfield Lottery (Plot Blue x Mr Blue), winning by 2.02 seconds in the speed and topping the two-phase with 3.64 seconds in hand over Red Morgan’s True Blue III. Ellie Townend beat 25 rivals to the top of a 4* Small Tour 1.30m speed on the Dallas x For Pleasure nine-year-old ESI Hero by 1.13 seconds and Ruby Payne jumped to the top of the 4* Classic Tour 1.30m speed by 2.34 seconds on the 11-year-old Jadraque P (I’m Special De Muze x H Voltaire). Olivia Davison scored victory in the 4* classic Tour 1.25m two-phase on the 14-year-old Fabuleu VD Watertorenby with 0.29 seconds to spare.
Young horse were also top of the podium – James Wilson doubled up in the Eight-year-old classes on RadjamerciVan De Blasbloemhoeve (Dieu Merci Van T&L x Wandor Van De Mispelaere), winning the early 1.40m speed by 0.53 seconds and Friday’s 1.45m speed by 1.40 seconds; Megan James claimed two Six-year-old 1.20m competitions on Mr Co-K Van Kattenheye Z (Mr Uno-K Van Kattenheye Z x Cascadello) in Wednesday’s two-phase by 1.03 seconds and Thursday’s speed with 0.38 seconds in hand. Simon Crippen headed a Six-year-old two-phase with Z7 Queen Bee (Big Star x Caretino) by the narrow margin of 0.09 seconds, Taio Strevett topped a Seven-year-old 1.30m speed on Bellini OS (Luidam x Baltimore) by 0.17seconds and Ben Walker jumped Arya to the top in a Five-year-old 1.10m two-phase by 1.47 seconds.
Fate denies Scott Brash another chance at a Rolex Grand Slam as he finishes second in the Dutch Masters Rolex Grand Prix
A vital rail fell to deny Scott Brash a second crack at the Rolex Grand Slam at the Dutch Masters in s’Hertogenbosch. Scott is the only showjumper to take the coveted prize, won in 2015 with Hello Sanctos.
Thirty-nine of some of the best riders in the world contended the Rolex Grand Prix over a challenging 14-fence, 18-effort 1.60m course which tested to the max. Only three elite riders provided initial clear rounds to go through to the jump-off, Belgium’s Pieter Devos missing out with one extremely frustrating time fault with Casual DV Z.
Going in the same order as the first round, Brazil’s Yuri Mansur posted the opening gambit and set a quick time on Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm, but the final Rolex oxer fell, leaving the door open for the following two riders.
Scott set an incredibly fast time with Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s Hello Chadora Lady, and the Chacco Blue x Nintender 12-year-old matched his enthusiasm for speed as the crowd gasped at the tight turns. But their luck ran out towards the end of the course, the top rail at the tall penultimate vertical hitting the floor to mar their daring round. Nonetheless, they were quicker than Yuri by 1.51 seconds to take the lead.
“There was nothing to lose, you have to try and beat those coming behind you but I was delighted with her, she was fantastic in how she jumped and we’ll keep trying to win a Rolex Grand Prix,” said Scott.
The pressure was on for France’s Simon Delestre to produce a clear round, but he committed to accuracy, trusting Cayman Jolly Jumper to jump clear. His faith paid off as the spectators cheered him through the finish, some 14 seconds slower that Scott, but with that all-important clear round to become the next in line to aim for the Rolex Grand Slam. He has to win three Rolex Grands Prix to take the Rolex Grand Slam title.
Jack Whitaker saves the best until last to land the feature three-star Grand Prix in Italy
Jack Whitaker left the best until the final day, winning the feature 3* Grand Prix on the Toscana Tour in Arezzo, Italy, making it back-to-back Grand Prix wins with Equine America Valmy De La Lande.
“It’s back-to-back wins for the main man Valmy,” said Jack as the on-form pair claimed the Grand Prix in Arezzo seven days earlier.
Sixty competitors came forward to tackle the world ranking 1.50m track with 15 returning initial clears, promising a hotly contended jump-off. Nevertheless, Jack was in the favoured final draw and knew exactly what he had to do and skilfully guided the 16-year-old Mylord Carthago HN stallion to the top, winning by 0.77 seconds.
James Smith champions a winning double in Oliva Nova
James Smith hit form with Thomas Carruthers’ Juno Rose 23 on the Mediterranean Equestrian Spring Tour in Oliva Nova, Spain, with a world ranking double, including the top-billed Grand Prix.
“It’s been an incredible week and I’m so grateful to have her on my team,” said James.
The on-form pair started the week winning Friday’s Gold 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier, firing a warning shot across the bows, outpacing their 54 challengers with a winning advantage of 2.46 seconds. Alex Barr also supplied a quick clear for third on the 10-year-old Preben Van De Doornakkers.
James’s maintained his winning form in the 2* Grand Prix with Juno Rose. Sixty-one riders faced course-designer Elena Boix’s (ESP) 13-fence 1.45m track with 11 finding the key to qualify for the jump-off.
Drawn first can be considered the short straw by some, but James wasn’t daunted and set off determinedly to set a sizzling target that proved unbeatable. The following 10 riders did their utmost to dislodge him from the top spot, but failed, James and the Erdento x Nissan Caretano Z 11-year-old mare winning by 0.24 seconds. Taisie de Gruchy steered the nine-year-old Cicero Z Van Paemel daughter La Presley CJS into third half a second behind James’s winning time.
The supporting classes witnessed a healthy British contingent in winning form – Jordan Thompson headed a fast Gold 1.40m in a 36-strong decider, edging ahead by only 0.05 seconds on the 12-year-old Imperium RJ and Sammie-Jo Coffin claimed victory in a 47-horse Silver 1.40m speed on the Cornet Obolensky eight-year-old Cornet of Follyfoot. Nathan Bull topped a Gold 1.35m speed on Milton Van Vrijhern while Joanne Whitaker proved unbeatable in a Bronze 1.35m speed aboard Just Jack. Madison Heath galloped to the top of a Gold 1.30m speed with the 12-year-old Don VHP Z daughter Ivory with 2.62 seconds to spare and Anna Power beat 79 rivals in the Silver 1.30m speed on new ride of three weeks Calgary PH Z.
The young horses also topped the podium: Sammie-Jo Coffin won a Six-year-old 1.25m two-phase on the Baloubet Junior Z daughter Renkum Del Ray while Leo Lamb on the Coome Il Faut x Echo Van’t Speiveld stallion Commeet Van Het Dingenshof Z and Lee Williams with the Emerald Van’t Ruytershof daughter Leestone Emeresky won a Five-year-old 1.15m apiece.
Mark Edwards is in the money in St Tropez - Gassin
Mark Edwards had to settle for a world ranking second place by a fraction of a second at St Tropez – Gassin in France.
Fifty-three competitors tackled the 3* 1.45m speed with Mark setting an early target on the Diarado 10-year-old Dillinger NE and holding on to the lead for half the class. But Belgium’s Thierry Goffinet chased hard on Extreme Du Gue, edging ahead to take victory by 0.24 seconds, relegating Mark to second spot.
Mark went one better in the 2* 1.40m speed, the home-bred eight-year-old Tinkers Touch flying ahead of their 74 rivals to land the top spot by 0.70 seconds.
Image credit: Moisés Basallote
.jpg "Will Fletcher leads the way as a host of winning Brits took over week 5 on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain in this week’s international round-up")
