Gemma Stevens wins the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier at South of England
Friday 07 June 2024
This morning witnessed the third British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier of the season this time hosted by the South of England Show, with Gemma Stevens emerging as the standout competitor.
Gemma Stevens clinched the top spot on Johan Some, owned by Linda Allan, with a remarkable time of 40.98 seconds, a time that was unmatched, securing her victory in the competitive field.
Not content with just one placing, Gemma also claimed third place on her second horse, Klent Spot On. As the first to tackle the jump-off, she set the pace, finishing in 45.75 seconds. This dual success highlights Gemma's versatility and skill in both eventing and showjumping. Although she is primarily known as an eventer, Gemma is no stranger to the showjumping arena, having made her debut at the Horse of the Year Show in 2021, where she competed in the Talent Seeker Final. "It's very exciting, it's always such an honour to qualify for HOYS" said Gemma, who went onto tell us about Johan Some:
“Yoyo, as we call him, evented to 4* level, very successfully. He never had a fence, down in his whole career.
"He had an injury so we decided to start showjumping him. While I was eventing I had jumped a couple of 1.40 internationally so we always knew he was a good jumper. He’s so careful so thought why not do some proper jumping with him! His owner, Linda has been so supportive the whole way. We brought him back really carefully and slowly, this is just his 4th show since he’s been back.
“We’ve been together since he was 5. We know each other inside out - I trust him and he trusts me. I knew going into the jump off I can angle him and kick on, and he will just go!”
“He’s such a pro in everything he does and he loves it – such a showman, he just adores being centre of attention, he smiled the whole way though the presentation!”
William Fletcher and Qian Heiste held the lead for most of the jump-off. However, Gemma's exceptional round shaved 1.45 seconds off William's time, relegating him to second place.
With today's results, Gemma Stevens has now qualified both Johan Some and Klent Spot On for the final at the Horse of the Year Show. Additionally, this marks the second horse that William Fletcher has qualified for the final, following his success with Quintine Van D’Abdojhoeve at the Herts County.
The South of England Show has once again proven to be a thrilling stage for equestrian excellence, setting the scene for an exciting Horse of the Year Show final.
South of England Show – Friday, 7 June 2024
British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier
1st - Gemma Stevens & Johan Some - 0/0 40.98
2nd - William Fletcher & Qian Van Heiste - 0/0 42.43
3rd - Gemma Stevens & Klent Spot On - 0/0 45.75
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image: courtesy of South of England Show
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