Gemma Stevens and Envoy Merelsnest Z Win The Cavago Six Bar
Saturday 21 December 2024
British eventer, Gemma Stevens opened the Afternoon Performance with a spectacular win in the Cavago Six Bar jumping class. Thirteen competitors stepped up to tackle the five-round challenge, featuring six vertical fences that grew taller with each round. The course, with four fences in a row providing the ultimate test of agility, allowed only those who cleared every jump to advance to the next round.
By the fifth and final round, just two combinations remained; defending champions John Whitaker aboard Sharid and British Olympic eventer Gemma Stevens with Envoy Merelsnest Z. The crowd was thrilled as these two equestrian greats faced the last round with the last fence towering at 1.95m, in which Stevens - who won team Eventing gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games - emerged victorious.
Reflecting on her win with Envoy Merelsnest Z, Stevens said: “Honestly, I am amazed – he was absolutely brilliant. I’ve always known he can jump a big vertical, but putting it all together is the real challenge. I genuinely can’t believe we won today. The atmosphere here at London International is incredible, and like usual he gave his all, trying so hard to clear every jump.”
Day 4 at the London International Horse Show
The Longines Christmas Cracker, a 1.50m jump-off class, saw 13 of the 25 starters go through to a second round against the clock. First to go over the shortened course was Britain’s Scott Brash, riding Hello Folie, who laid down the gauntlet to those who followed, setting a time to beat of 33.84 seconds.
Ireland’s Daniel Coyle - winner of the London Grand Prix in 2023 - soon took over the lead, taking over three seconds off Brash’s time. Many of those who followed tried in vain to catch the World No. 12 from Ireland. Crowd favourite Ben Maher came close, as did Robert Whitaker and last night’s London Grand Prix winner Mariano Martinez Bastida. World No. 9 Martin Fuchs had the crowd on the edge of their seats, leaving no stones unturned, however despite a faster time than Coyle, four faults at the last fence left Fuchs out of the placings.
It was left to Britain’s reigning Young Rider Individual European Champion, Oliver Fletcher, as last to go to shake up the placings. However, he too accrued four faults at the final Longines oxer, leaving Coyle to take the victory ahead of Maher and Whitaker in second and third respectively.
Earlier in the day, The Snowflake Stakes, held over one round, provided a fast and thrilling competition for the packed crowds. First to set the pace was yesterday’s winner of The Christmas Tree Stakes, Darragh Kenny, who produced a clear round in a time of 57.38 seconds.
His lead, however, was quickly usurped by former World No. 1 Kevin Staut, who, partnered with the talented nine-year-old gelding Queen’s Balou B, took the lead by 0.51 seconds. Just three horses later, Belgium’s Wilm Vermeir, winner of the first CSI-W5* Jumping class this week, utilized his mare’s natural speed to claim the provisional top spot. The remaining 13 combinations all tried to match the round set by Vermeir - France’s Julien Anquetin came closest, but was still over a second-and-a-half slower.
Last to go, Britain’s Jack Whitaker kept the home crowd’s hopes alive with a faster time, but sadly, four faults at the third to last fence, kept the young rider out of the top spots. His cousins Donald and Robert Whitaker, however, took fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Image credit: London International Horse Show / Peter Nixon
