Ellen Whitaker lifts the four-star Gorla Minore Grand Prix in Italy as we round up this week’s international results
Monday 07 April 2025
Ellen Whitaker hit winning form at Equieffe Equestrian Centre in Gorla Minore, Italy, winning two world ranking classes, including the feature 4* Grand Prix with Tilly Shaw’s talented Korlenski.
“I couldn’t have asked much more from my two horses this week,” said Ellen.
Fifty competitors faced the 1.55m Grand Prix course but the majority found the testing track challenging, and only five found the key to access the jump-off.
It was all about the clock as four supplied double clears. Having already won a world ranking class earlier in the week, Ellen was in flying form and secured the win with the fastest time on the 10-year-old Cornet Obolensky x Numero Uno mare, skilfully galloping ahead by 0.73 seconds.
“She’s just an out-and-out superstar! To have a horse like this is ever rider’s dream and I’m enjoying every moment of it,” said Ellen. “It was a big, tough track built to the maximum. The grass ring at Gorla Minore is phenomenal here, but there was only five clears and a very fast jump-off. She;s very quick against the clock and we seem to be learning more and more about how to steal time here and there. She’s a proper Sports Horse and fights with me in the ring; I have all the confidence in her and I was delighted for her and owners Tilly and Andrew Shaw to get that win, they are fantastic supporters.”
Twenty-four hours earlier, Ellen had guided Quainton X-Rated to the top of the podium in the 4* 1.50m. Sixty-four riders tackled the 1.50m speed course but again, Ellen streaked ahead, on Emma Phillips and Quainton Stud’s home-bred Big Star x Namelus R nine-year-old to land victory by an impressive 1.47 seconds.
“He felt fantastic! He’s a lovely stallion and has stepped up very impressively this year, I’m very excited about him,” added Ellen.
Joe Stockdale slipped FMBS Therapy Systems Ilana Z into second in a nine-horse decider in the 1* 1.40m 1.98 seconds off the pace.
Jodie Hall-McAteer is on flying form in Peelbergen
Jodie Hall-McAteer claimed victory with seasoned campaigner Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof in the 2* Big Tour 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier to pick up world ranking points at Peelbergen in The Netherlands.
Belgian course-designer Peter Vitse set a 13-fence 1.45m track for the 55 competitors and a promised race against the clock ensued when 18 returned for the jump-off. Nonetheless, Jodie had the class sewn up with an inspired round on the 15-year-old Chatman x Eros Platiere mare and notched up an impressive win, pushing The Netherlands’ Leopold van Asten on VDL Groep Nino Du Roton into second place by more than three seconds.
Jack Whitaker takes a world ranking victory on the Italian Toscana Tour
Jack Whitaker landed the world ranking 2* 1.45m on the Toscana Tour in Arezzo, Italy, with Equine America Q Paravatti N.
A start list of 71 came forward over Italian course-designer Elio Travagliati’s 13-fence, 16-effort course in the Silver Tour Final but only 11 of them left all the fences intact to qualify for the jump-off. Jack has enjoyed success on this tour – winning two of the top-billed Grands Prix – and added another win to his tally here, easing the 13-year-old Quality Time TN x Indoctro mare into the top spot with 0.42 seconds in hand.
Annabel Shields and Joe Trunkfield claim podium places in the Bonheiden Grand Prix
British riders were denied a Grand Prix win but gave the Belgian winner a good run for his money as Annabel Shields and Joe Trunkfield netted second and third places in Bonheiden, Belgium.
Thirty-four riders initially tackled the 13-fence 2* 1.45m Grand Prix course with 12 posting the required clear rounds to join the final decider.
Annabel set an early, quick target on the 15-year-old Camiro De Haar Z daughter Creevagh Carisma, and when Joe was only 0.06 seconds in arrears on TJ Hall Ltd’s rangy 15-year-old Grennanstown Sarco Lux Hill (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Olympic Lux), it appeared it could be a British domination. However, late drawn Wilm Vermeir raced into the top spot by a whole second to take the win on Jonkheer Van’t Veldhoven.
Joe picked up a win in a 2* 1.40m two-phase with Corvette VH Reukenis Z, the Cicero Z Van Paemel x Corland eight-year-old smoothly speeding ahead to win with 1.12 seconds to spare.
Charlotte Ash notched up a winning double. She proved unbeatable in an early 2* 1.40m speed with Irma-Riende, the Baltic VDL x Indoctro 12-year-old outpacing their 60 rivals to secure victory by 1.44 seconds.
Charlotte was also in the winner’s enclosure in a later Seven and Eight-year-old 1.25/1.35m, but it was much closer. Fifty contenders came forward over a 12-fence track with Charlotte and her father Graeme Ash’s seven-year-old mare Nubata JX Scais (Carrera VDL x Couleur Rubin) snatching the win by the tiny margin of 0.01 seconds.
Also in winning form – Hannah Tiley topped a 2* 1.30m speed with the 14-year-old Capistelle JX by 0.84 seconds, Nicole Pavitt topped the Five and Six-year-old 1.10/1.20m two-phase Final with the six-year-old stallion Domination Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Cornet Obolensky) by 0.72 seconds and Jasmin Clark won a Five and Six-year-old 1.05/1.15m speed on Kola Cube OS (Whisper In The Wind x Sinault with half a second in hand.
Credit: sassofotografie
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