JOE CLAYTON WINS GREAT YORKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL STAIRWAY
Wednesday 09 July 2014
It was a jubilant Joe Clayton from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who won the 7th leg of the 2014 International Stairway Series at the Great Yorkshire Show earlier this afternoon.
The vast expanse of the grass arena along with the imposing course certainly took its toll on the field of competitors with only five managing to jump clear in the first round. Jumping in reverse order, based on time, it was Joe Clayton and Ingliston Twister, the 13 year-old bay stallion owned by Ken and Alison Rodgerson who were in the enviable position of being last to go.
Michael Whitaker with his own and Emilie Machon’s eye-catching 12 year-old grey stallion Valentin R were first to go. Hoping to force an error from others that came behind him he set off covering the ground at a good pace and making turns that would no doubt have struggled with. Uncharacteristically his strategy failed to pay off this afternoon with 8 penalties being accrued with the lowering of poles along with a further 4 penalties as a result of a stop at the penultimate fence, an oxer with a lattice filler.
Next to go was Ellen Whitaker with the 8 year-old grey mare Le Beau H.E. who is owned by her partner and Spanish showjumper Antonio Marinas Soto. Laying down the gauntlet Ellen put in a tremendously fast clear in a time of 58.41 seconds that certainly looked like there was no room for anyone to shave any seconds off her time and clinch the lead that she had secured for herself at that point in the competition. Ellen and Antonio recently celebrated the safe arrival of their first child Harry on the 19th May and it was great to see her return to the arena with the same flair and style.
Kimberley White and her own 9 year-old bay gelding Catapult weren’t able to continue their form in the first round accruing 12 penalties in a time of 70.53. With only two left to go, Holly Gillott and A Brightwood Ursa Major, the 9 year-old chestnut gelding owned by Gems McCormick looked like she may have been able to catch Ellen at one point, however despite jumping yet another perfect clear she stopped the clock at 60.30 seconds some two seconds slower.
It was last to go Joe Clayton and Ingliston Twister who proved once again why they are such a force to be reckoned with. Joe knew he had to not only go as fast as he could but also needed to find a tighter line back on some of the twists and turns – and do this he did. Galloping through the finish line having cleared the last he threw his fist in the air in a jubilant salute when he saw that he had managed to stop the clock in a time of 56.46 seconds.
The results this afternoon sees the International Stairway League table remain unchanged at the top as it makes its way through the series and its Final at the Royal Berkshire Show in September. The competition now heads to the New Forest and Hampshire Show at the end of the month followed by the Oxford Area Show at Addington Manor in August. The current league standings can be found on the link below:
http://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk/rankings/lists/International-Stairway-Series
RESULTS – Great Yorkshire Show
1st Joe Clayton / Ingliston Twister (0/0) - 56.46 seconds
2nd Ellen Whitaker / Le Beau H.E. (0/0) - 58.41 seconds
3rd Holly Gillott / A Brightwood Ursa Major (0/0) - 60.30 seconds
4th Kimberley White / Catapult (0/12)
5th Michael Whitaker / Valentin R (0/12)
6th Zoe Adams / Satonamillion (4/-)
7th Abbi Burchmore Eames / Wilandri E (4/-)
8th Caron Nicol / Mr Visto (4/-)
9th Guy Williams / Depardieu Vant Keizelhof (4/-)
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