Charlie Jones registers his best five-star finish at CSI5*-W Ocala with Capitale 6 in this week's International Round Up
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Charlie Jones recorded his best five-star finish and missed out on the win by half a second with Capitale 6 in CSI5*-W Ocala, Florida, USA.
Forty-six competitors, including 10 Olympians and reigning individual Olympic gold medallist Christian Kukuk, started over Portuguese course-designer Bernardo Costa Cabral’s 1.55m track for the opening five-star event, the $117,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix qualifier. Nineteen posted initial clear rounds to make a competitive jump-off, although three opted not to return to leave 16 against the clock.
US Olympic team gold medallist Laura Kraut set the early pace on Dorado 212 but Charlie was quicker.
Riding Morning Star Sporthorses’ 14-year-old Capitale (San Patrignano Cassini x For Pleasure), Charlie took a chance across an oxer in the middle of the ring, to take the lead.
Drawn in the favourable final position, Daniel Coyle had nothing to lose. He had galloped and lost with a rail on the floor with his first ride, the rangy and scopey Incredible, and put his faith in the smaller Farrel, earning the win with a gallop to the final Lugano Diamonds vertical.
Charlie had to settle for second place 0.54 seconds in arrears. Trailing in his wake were notable Olympians Laura in third, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor in fourth on Canbella Blue PS and Britain’s Harry Charles in fifth aboard Casquo Blue, all jumping double clear.
Charlie – nephew of Nick Skelton – made the move from Britain to California to work for Lindsay Maxwell four years ago. After meeting his Canadian showjumper girlfriend Bretton Chad, he moved to Calgary, Canada, where they run a training and sales business. Two years ago, Charlie rode Capitale 6 – aka ‘Speedy Pete’ – for owner Karrie Rufer. When health issues kept Karrie out of the ring, Charlie kept the ride.
“I fell in love with him and wanted to buy him, and she came to me and told me I didn’t need to buy him because I could just keep riding him,” said Charlie on the 14-year-old Holsteiner stallion.
Charlie watched Laura’s round but didn’t make his jump-off plans on other rides.
“I just have to let him gallop,” he explained. “He can have a really big stride or a short one depending on what you’re doing because he’s so adjustable. I just set in the gallop, did seven strides from one to two and then had a really long shot over to the oxer which put me in that fast rhythm, and I just stayed in it. Daniel got me to the last – he had more pace to the last jump.”
It was the fifth five-star competition for Capital 6 and Charlie, who was beaming after the class – “This is my best five-star result to date, and it means everything to me because this is what I want to do.”
Tim Gredley jumps into second in the Emirates Jumping Cup in Abu Dhabi
Tim Gredley posted a one of only two double clears on Imperial HBF to take a podium place in the CSIO5* Emirates Jumping Cup presented by Longines in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Forty-four competitors faced the 1.60m course with 25% returning for round two, the nine clears joined by the two fastest four-faulters carrying their faults. Deservedly, the clears took the major places, but in the event, only two riders jumped double clears.
Tim – a vital member of the British team in the Longines League of Nations on the final day – was the first to tout a clean round from third draw on the scopey Glasgow-W VH Merelsnest 12-year-old. He remained in the top spot as riders came and faulted. But late-drawn Rolf-Goran Bengtsson took the shorter route on Zuccero HV and left every fence intact to take victory by almost four seconds, and push Tim into second place.
Millie Allen and Jane Annett are winner in Doha
Millie Allen maintained her winning form in Qatar with victory in the initial 5* 1.45m with Quick Diamant HR in in Doha, Al Shaqab.
Forty-two riders contended this world ranking two-phase, Millie and the nine-year-old Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel mare taking a comfortable win by 0.69 seconds.
Millie finished just off the podium in the 5* 1.60m Grand Prix, jumping a double clear in the 11-horse decider for fourth aboard the Emerald 13-year-old E-Maitresse TVH Z, 3.63 seconds behind the winning time. Millie also finished fourth in the 3*-W FEI 1.50m World Cup on the Comme Il Faut nine-year-old Clearround Il Mondo Z, again posting a double clear 3.75 seconds off the pace in the eight-horse jump-off.
Jane Annett notched up a win in the 5* 1.45m speed, beating her 16 rivals by 2.80 seconds on 12-year-old Otangelo x Kojak mare Impala. Millie slotted E-Maitresse TVH Z into third.
Ellen Whitaker clinched third in the 26-entry 5* 1.50m with Korlenski, the Cornet Obolensky x Numero Uno 10-year-old mare 0.68 seconds behind the winner, Italy’s Emanuel Gaudiano on Chalou’s Love PS.
Scott Brash misses out on a five-star Grand Prix win by a tiny margin as British riders feature in the Hong Kong spectacular
Scott Brash came oh so close to winning the Longines Grand Prix in Hong Kong with Hello Chadora Lady but had to settle for second by only 0.03 seconds.
Twenty-one competitors came forward over The Netherlands’ course-designer Louis Konickx’ 12-fence, 15-effort 1.60m track with nine jumping initial clears to access the jump-off. With seven double clears recorded, it was all about the clock and third out Scott skilfully relegated the first two in his smooth, cool style on the Chacco-Blue x Nintender 12-year-old.
But he was immediately relegated by Denmark’s Zascha Nygaard Lill, galloping into the top spot by a fraction on Com’on Stanley.
Scott eased Hello Senator into second in the Longines Stakes. Only five of the initial 23 starters posted clears to join the jump-off, Scott and the Carambole x Indoctro 16-year-old finishing 0.31 seconds behind the winner, Germany’s Richard Vogel on Cloudio.
John Whitaker guided Equine America Unick Du Francport into second in Saturday’s feature Cathay Cargo Reach For The Skies Stakes. Only four of the original 18 competitors found the key to the 12-fence 1.60m track, John jumping the first of only two double clears on the Zandor 17-yar-old. But it was Switzerland’s Barbara Schnieper’s day as she clinched victory on Canice with more than three seconds to spare. A rail down for Scott and Hello Chadora Lady dropped them into third.
John eased Sharid into third in the 20-horse 5* 1.50m Speed Stakes, the Toulon 16-year-old finishing some three seconds behind the winner, Norway’s Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen and Equine America Billy Take That.
Sebastian Hughes made the long journey to Hong Kong worthwhile with victory in the opening Hong Kong High Bar [Six-Bar] on Colorado Volo. Sixteen riders contended this power test and it went the full five rounds. Three competitors were left in at this point, but Austria’s Max Kuhner opted to withdraw EIC Lourdes, leaving Sebastian to go head-to-head with John Whitaker. Shrugging off any pressure, Sebastian jumped another clean round on the Spartacus TN X Continue 13-year-old and, when John and Sharid lowered a rail, Sebastian celebrated a memorable win.
Fourth here on Envoy Merelsnest Z, Gemma Stevens and the 12-year-old Elvis Ter Putte x Voltaire stallion went on to glory in Saturday’s Kowloon Six-Bar. Nine started here and again, it went five rounds with only two left in the final round. Both came home on four faults this time, Gemma forced to share the honours with Norway’s Simon Rahbek Yde on ZB Max-Milan.
Three Brits were amongst the four equal winners sharing the Puissance spoils, all jumping clear in the fifth and final round. Will Fletcher with the nine-year-old Quintine Van D’Abdijhoeve, Jack Whitaker on the 13-year-old Equine America Q Paravatti N and Paul Gaff riding the 11-year-old Jaranco V Z shared with Norway’s Simon Rahbek Yde on ZB Max-Milan.
Sameh El Dahan wins at the Desert International Horse Park in the USA
Sameh El Dahan lifted the $32,000 Platinum Performance 3* 1.45m Classic with WKD Aimez Moi to conclude week 6 at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, USA.
Sameh led the class from the beginning with the game WKD Aimez Moi in an exciting five-horse decider. Twenty-three made the initial trip over the Colm Quinn designed course and, as the clear pathfinder Sameh was joined by four others in the jump-off. Second time out, Sameh showed the field how it should be done, using his opening round to set a sizzling target that proved unbeatable, winning by 1.62 seconds.
“It was maybe even better for me to go first because then you try everything, and we ended up on top today,” said Sameh. “We’re a very old partnership, we know each other so well, so it was easy for me to just ride my round. She was amazing.
“With only five [competitors] it wasn’t a busy jump-off, but you still have very fast riders behind you, so my plan was to go as fast as I can. By nature, she is so fast across the ground and over the jumps, so that’s a plus for me. I think that’s why she was almost two seconds faster than anyone else – it’s good to have a fast horse beneath you.”
Knowing a horse so well is beneficial.
“We bred her, so obviously I’ve known her for her lifetime,” added Sameh, on Joanne Sloan Allen’s homebred 15-year-old Je T’Aime Flamenco daughter. “I started riding her, sharing the ride with Joanne and produced her through the grades. She’s always been a fantastic horse, very consistent and brave and she tries everything for us, I couldn’t ask for a better partnership.”
Ben Maher adds another win in Wellington to his tally
Ben Maher registered another win to add to his tally at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, USA, ss Ginger-Blue stepped up to the plate.
Thirty-nine competitors made the trip in the $140,000 3* IDA Development Grand Prix with seven returning initial clears to make their way into the jump-off. The clock played a major part as six posted double clears, Ben edging ahead by the narrow margin on 0.05 seconds on the 14-year-old Plot Blue x Royal Bravour mare.
Graham Gillespie claims a four-star podium place on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour
Graham Gillespie clinched third place in the 4* Ayto de Vejer Trophy 1.50m with Veneno on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera.
Fifty-eight tackled the 11-fence speed track with Graham and the Chacco-Blue x Baloubet Du Rouet 17-year-old slipping into third 2.59 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Gilles Thomas on Chuck Marienshof Z.
Ronnie Jones was a fraction from a win in the 46-strong 4* small 1.45m two-phase with Kaleche, the 10-year-old mare (F One USA x Nassau) only 0.21 seconds behind Ireland’s Coen Williams with Philly Fogarty.
In the supporting classes, Alex Gill led a British top two in the 4* small 1.30m accumulator on the Pacino 12-year-old Thomascourt Emirates with a 0.67 second advantage over second-placed Jessica Hewlett aboard Ilmar HBC. Jemma Kirk headed the initial Eight-year-old 1.40m speed by only 0.13 seconds on the Irish-bred Loughnatousa Buachaill, beating 83 rivals, Chloe Reynolds topped an early 90-entry Six-year-old 1.20m two-phase on Chasalino PS (Chacoon Blue x Sandro Boy) by 0.46 seconds and Scott Dollemore topped an equivalent 70-strong speed class with Eltharga PS (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Conthargos) by the tiniest margin of 0.03 seconds. Josh Hutchins had to settle for second with Oploo on both occasions.
Sienna Charles claims a Grand Prix podium place in Valencia
Sienna Charles was one of only three to reach the jump-off of the 3* Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain, to take a podium place on Stardust.
Thirty-one competitors started over a challenging 1.50m course but only a trio of riders mastered the track to qualify for the jump-off. However, all three faulted second time out, Sienna and the 15-year-old Chacco-Blue daughter finishing in third place. Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya was the quickest to take the win on Quadrado.
In the supporting classes, Sophie Evans jumped to the top in the 1* Classic Tour 1.40m speed by a handsome 6.42 seconds on the 13-year-old CSIO Bel (Tinka’s Boy x Gonfaron) and James Smith headed a 1* Classic Tour 1.30m speed, beating 47 rivals by 0.28 seconds on the I’m Special De Muze 11-year-old ZZ Top.
Robert Whitaker claims second in Azelhof’s feature 2* Grand Prix
Robert Whitaker steered Gentlemen VH Veldhof into second place in the feature 2* Grand Prix at Azelhof Jumping in Lier, Belgium.
Sixty riders faced a 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m course with 14 coming up with all the right answers to go forward into the jump-off. Robert chased The Netherlands’ Finn Boerekamp and Epic’s time hard with the Quite Easy x Calido I 19-year-old Gentlemen but could only come within 1.06 seconds to take the runner-up spot.
Chris Smith guided his wife Nicola and father-in-law James Barry’s Messenger 10-year-old Messarado Blue into third in the 97-strong 2* 1.40m speed 2.26 seconds behind the pace.
Image credit: Andrew Ryback Photography
.JPG "Emma Sargeant flies to the top in the UNIBED – High Performance Equine Bedding Winter Grades B and C qualifier at South View Equestrian Centre")
