Final qualifications for the Nupafeed Supplements Senior Discovery Final claimed
Monday 22 July 2024
This weekend marked the conclusion of the Nupafeed Supplements Senior Discovery Second Round competitions, with two events taking place at the Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC) and Hartpury University.
Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC) - Saturday, July 20th
The competition at SNEC saw riders take to the ring for their chance to secure their spot in the final. The initial 12-fence track, designed by Shaun Sands, saw the starting field reduced to seven combinations for the second round. Impressively, all seven horse and rider combinations jumped clear, advancing to the final jump-off, but a tough final jump off meant just three riders completed on a triple clear.
Imogen Rome, riding Joanne Rome’s Millfield Cor Blimey, claimed the top spot with the fastest time of the day, finishing in 42.84 seconds. Speaking about her horse, Imogen commented: “He’s 6 years old and like 17hh. We’ve had him about 4 months now, so not long. He hadn’t done too much showjumping; we got him off an eventer, whose owners bought him as a foal and decided that he was better suited to showjumping. He’s like a big dog, very gentle, a really nice horse. I just moved off ponies last year and he’s my first horse. I planned originally to get an older horse to show me the ropes but I tried him and just knew I had to have him. It’s quite a big jump from ponies to him, I thought I would find the change more difficult but he is the perfect first horse, and has been a really good step up for me. He’s a very smooth, proper horse, very different to the ponies but a good different.”
Reflecting on her thoughts going into the jump-off, Imogen added: “I knew I wanted to go for it. I’ve never really asked him to jump off; I’m normally cautious as he’s only 6. But we’ve been doing a lot of 1.25m classes, so I knew he could do this. There were only two clears before me, but the one right before us was quick. He’s got a big stride so I knew he could be quick. I just opened him up and let him cover the ground.”
Charlotte Thomlinson aboard Lois Carhart’s Gem Power secured second place with a time of 44.20 seconds. Niamh McGee, riding Maureen Pollock’s Copernico II, completed the podium, finishing in 50.15 seconds.
Hartpury University - Sunday, July 21st
The competition continued the next day at Hartpury University, featuring a field of 38 competitors. The first round saw 20 horse and rider combinations jump clear, and 13 of these maintained their flawless performance to qualify for the jump-off.
Samantha Oliver, riding Frankie Nevitt’s First Coryphee, dominated the jump-off, securing first place with an impressive winning time that was 2.32 seconds faster than the nearest competitor.
Discussing her rider, Samatha commented: “He is 5 years old, a first homebred for his owner Frankie Nevitt. Frankie sent him to me to gain experience and go and get him going for her, but every show we take him to he improves so much! He is quite sharp to ride and it’s taken a bit of time to settle him down but he is consistent and careful at home, the loveliest horse to have around.”
Telling us of First Coryphee’s recent form, which includes 2nd place in the 5-year-old Final the previous day and a qualification for the British Novice Final, Samantha reflected on her plan for the jump off: “He has only been against the clock a couple of times , but is proving to be good at it. My plan was just to go for a treble clear and get him qualified, but I saw a very forward shot to the second fence and thought I will just keep him moving. He covers the ground and is sharp and careful. I did do a couple of the turns, for 17.2 he is quick, careful and turns well, we haven’t rushed him as think he will be a nice one when he is older”
Mollie Rose Smith clinched second place with a time of 38.47 seconds, narrowly ahead of Emma Slater on Hullabalou’s Darco, who finished in 38.92 seconds.
These weekend competitions concluded the Nupafeed Supplements Senior Discovery Second Round events for the season. Attention now shifts to the final at the British Showjumping National Championships, where qualified horse and rider combinations will compete for the prestigious Champion title.
Nupafeed Supplements, proud sponsors of the series for nine years, provide unique, highly targeted nutritional supplements for your horse, their expert and friendly team are always on hand for advice. Visit Nupafeed.co.uk to find out more.
For a full list of qualified members, visit: British Showjumping - Qualifying Dates & Venues.
Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC), Saturday 20 July 2024
1st Imogen Rome and Millfield Cor Blimey 0/0/0 44.20
2nd Charlotte Thomlinson and Gem Power 0/0/0 44.20
3rd Niamh McGee and Copernico II 0/0/0 50.15
Hartpury University Show, Sunday 21 July 2024
1st Samantha Anne Oliver and First Coryphee 0/0/0 36.15
2nd Mollie Rose Smith and Greenvale Dante 0/0/0 38.47
3rd Emma Slater and Hullabalou’s Darco 0/0/0 38.92
NB: Results pending official grading.
SNEC Image: Sinclair Photography
Hartpury University Image: Jasmine Punter Photography
.jpg "Olli Fletcher is crowned European Champion at the FEI Jumping European Championships for Young Riders")
