British Riders Continue to Shine in this week's International Round Up
Monday 09 September 2024
Mark Edwards scores a winning double in Warsaw
An on-form Mark Edwards notched up a victory double at the EEF Nations Cup Final meeting in Warsaw, Poland.
Royale Tale stepped in to give Mark a notable win in the 4* 1.50m. A strong field of 55 came forward over this speed class, tackling French course-designer Gregory Bodo’s 12-fence track with gusto. Mark was the quickest, steering the nine-year-old Montreuxs Tale daughter into tight lines at the gallop to win by 0.12 seconds. Olli Fletcher chased hard with the Emilion 10-year-old BP Pocahontas to finish half a second in arrears for third.
Mark also hit consistent form with the home-bred seven-year-old Tinkers Touch (Tornesch x Tinkas Boy). Second in day one’s Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/1.35m two-phase by 0.38 seconds, the pair went one better 24 hours later, heading the Young Horse 1.35/1.40m speed to beat their 36 rivals with 1.64 seconds to spare.
Mark picked up fourth with an easy run for his Nations Cup ride Dillinger NE in the 94-strong 4* 1.40m two-phase to round off a good first day, finishing a little over two seconds off the pace.
Jess Mendoza and I-Cap CL Z capture the Saugerties 4* Grand Prix
Jess Mendoza bested her rivals from a field of 10 nations for victory in the $250,000 Core Speciality Insurance CSI4* Grand Prix with I-Cap CL Z, finishing the week at HITS Saugerties, New York, on a high.
Twenty-six riders negotiated the 1.55m course set by Germany’s Olaf Petersen Jr, where precision and time challenged, including a treble combination and daunting triple bar, and only three returned for the jump-off.
As last to go, Jess held the prime position in the jump-off, but she had her work cut out as both the leader, Belgium’s Abdel Said and fellow Brit Sam Hutton posted competitive clear rounds. First off Abdel set a sizzling target aboard Bonne Amie and despite his efforts, Sam and the Mylord Carthago mare Melusina BVL Z failed to catch him. It was Jess’ day as I-Cap rose to every challenge, the pair shaving over a second off the leading time to secure the win.
“I was in the best position going in as I got to see everyone’s jump-off round before me,” said Jess. “I-Cap has quick foot speed, so I knew I could make it up in the turns and I played it a little safer to the last fence, but I felt I’d done all I could at that point.”
The long-standing partnership between Jess and the Zangersheide-bred 12-year-old gelding (I’m Special De Muze x Air Jordan) is the root of their success.
“He’s my pride and joy. I’ve had him since he was a four-year-old and I know him inside out. I know if I turn really tight and slice across a fence, he’s not going to knock it down,” said Jess. “He’s my horse of a lifetime in the sense that we have such a strong emotional connection as well. He’s my best friend in a horse and always gives me his all.”
Sam had to settle for third place with the 10-year-old Melusina BVL Z (Mylord Carthago x Air Jordan Z).
“My mare is naturally quite quick, but I had a plan to be on the time anyway,” said Sam, on his round one effort and making his Saugerties debut. “The verticals were quite tall and the double and combination was tricky, so I was really happy how she did it.”
Course-designer Olaf Petersen Jr was pleased with the results: “It was a very exciting class, three clear rounds were good, two more would have been nice, but we had a lot of four-faulters over a fair course.”
Amanda Derbyshire finished just off the podium in two classes, taking fourth in the Welcome 1.50m in a 12-horse decider on Zadora and fourth in the initial 28-strong 1.45m speed aboard Otto BH.
Ben Maher takes a five-star second place at the Spruce Meadows Masters
Ben Maher jumped Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Enjeu De Grisien into second in the Cana Cup at the end of season Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Canada.
A field of 44 riders came forward over the 5* 1.55m course and such was the quality on display, 17 jumped first round clears to qualify for the jump-off.
Drawn late, Ben chased the leader, Germany’s Richard Vogel on stallion of the moment, United Touch S, but couldn’t quite catch the scope Westphalian-bred 12-year-old, and slotted the 10-year-old Enjeu (Toulon x Andiamo) into second place, 0.46 seconds off the pace. Matt Sampson was also double clear for fifth on Daniel.
Ben slipped Exit Remo into third in the Cardel Homes Cup. Nineteen of the 41 starters posted initial clears over the 1.50m course, although only 15 opted to come forward to the jump-off, Ben claiming two chances. As expected, the jump-off was hot, only a tenth of a second separating the top three, Ben and the San Remo 15-year-old Exit Remo 0.10 seconds behind the winner, France’s Julien Gonin on Estrella De La Batia with Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat in second on Looping Luna. Ben also provided a clean sheet on Enjeu De Grisien for fifth.
There were high hopes for a British win in the top-billed CPKC 1.60m Grand Prix presented by Rolex as Ben and Tim Gredley accessed round two after negotiating a big 1.60m track. Tim improved on his initial round one time fault with a storming clear on Medoc De Toxandria but the time fault proved costly and the pair finished fifth. Ben and Dallas Vegas Batilly came home on four faults second time out to take seventh. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs claimed his second consecutive win with Leone Jei in a tnse, three-way decider.
Matt hit consistent form with Luis Alejandro Plascencia’s Fabrice DN. The pair got the show off to a great start with victory in the Telus Cup. Fifty-two riders came forward in this 1.45m speed class but no-one was a match for Matt as he adopted his trademark gutsy style on the Gelha’s VDL Emilion x Baloubet Du Rouet 14-year-old to edge ahead by 0.29 seconds. The USA’s Lillie Keenan had to settle for second on Kick On – a Warrior x Caretino Glory 10-year-old stallion bred in Britain by Brendon Stud and produced by Ben Walker and Phillip Miller.
Brits fought hard for the win in the Suncor Winning Round but Matt and Donald Whitaker had to settle for second and third. Twenty-eight tackled the 12-fence 1.50m track with 10 qualifying for round two, but Germany’s Daniel Deusser gained the upper hand on Bingo Ste Hermelle with a 0.82 second advantage. Matt and Fabrice finished second just ahead of Donald in third with the 10-year-old mare Ulania 3 (Uriko x Acord II).
Donald also claimed third in the Atco Cup 1.50m, on this occasion riding Millfield Colette. Eleven of the original 32 competitors contended the jump-off, Donald and the British-bred 11-year-old Cornet Obolensky x Clearway mare jumping another clear to finish 0.58 seconds behind the winner, Ireland’s Mikey Pender on HHS Cornetta. Ben was also penalty-free and eased Exit Remo into fourth.
Charlie Jones beat the time but at the expense of a expensive pole to take second in the Richardson Wealth Cup 1.45m in a 10-horse jump-off aboard the Care For nine-year-old Montserrat OS.
Sienna Charles is a world ranking winner at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre
Sienna Charles racked up a win in a 2* 1.45m with long-term partner Valkiry De Zance at Peelbergen in The Netherlands.
Fifty-one competitors contended the 11-fence world ranking speed class with Sienna using her late draw on the Diamant De Semilly x Double Espoir 15-year-old to secure a 0.72 second win.
Sienna narrowly missed out on a 1.45m victory double and had to settle for second with Stardust. Ten from a field of 72 starters accessed the jump-off over a 13-fence track, Sienna and the 14-year-old Chacco-Blue daughter finishing 0.73 seconds behind the pace.
Sienna was also in contention in the 2* 1.45m Medium tour Final with Chawton. Eighteen of the 56 starters posted initial clears but four dropped out at this point to leave 14 against the clock. Sienna was again penalty-free to ease the Typhoon S x Caletto II 10-year-old into third spot 1.17 seconds in arrears of the winning time.
Joe Whitaker scores a hat-trick in Belgium
Joe Whitaker gained a hat-trick of wins at Azelhof Events in Lier, Belgium, with his up-and-coming young horses.
Stephanie Holker’s seven-year-old Maserati WS (Etoulon VDL x Lupicor II) scored handsomely for Joe in the closely competitive 3* 1.40m two-phase, smoothly outpacing their 53 rivals to take the win by the narrow margin of 0.06 seconds.
Joe claimed a double of wins in the Seven and Eight-year-old classes. He topped the initial 80-strong 1.30/1.35m two-phase in fine style on the eight-year-old Vagalenco GF (Vagabond De La Pomme x Clearway) by a handsome 1.42 seconds. They looked to be on course for the same result in Saturday’s 1.35/1.40m Final, but were beaten by 0.99 seconds in the 15-horse decider by Belgium’s Wilm Vermeir on Belle Amie VD Dassenheide Z.
Joe also scored a win in Friday’s 77-entry Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/1.35m speed with his father Steven’s home-bred eight-year-old La Rue 62 (Locarno 62 x Balou Du Rouet) with 0.55 seconds in hand.
Laura Renwick is in the ribbons in France
Laura Renwick picked up money in a week of jumping at the Jumping Intrnational Tours in Pernay, France.
Third in the first of the 2* 1.45m classes, Enjoy CK Z recorded Laura’s first step up onto the podium in a highly competitive, 66-strong 2* 1.45m speed, the pair only 0.16 seconds off victory. The pair went on to finish third in the feature 2* Grand Prix.
A tricky 13-fence 1.45m track reduced the 58 starters to six for the jump-off, Laura and the Echo Van’t Spieveld x Coronado 11-year-old posting the steadiest of the double clears to finish third 1.50 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Maxime Harmegnies on Playboy Des Frimonts.
Laura also featured in the one-star classes, topping the penultimate day’s 57-horse 1.30m speed by 1.21 second on the home-bred nine-year-old Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R), the pair taking third in the final 1* 1.35m, 0.70 seconds off the pace in the 12-horse jump-off.
Image credit: Warsaw
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