Scott Brash lands the feature Doha Grand Prix and Ben Maher just misses out on Grand Prix victory in The USA as British riders are in winning International form
Monday 27 January 2025
.jpg "Scott Brash lands the feature Doha Grand Prix and Ben Maher just misses out on Grand Prix victory in The USA as British riders are in winning International form")
Scott Brash lands the Doha five-star Grand Prix
Scott Brash’s form peaked on the Doha Tour in Al Shaqab, Qatar, with victory in the top-billed 5* Grand Prix aboard Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Hello Folie.
“This was her first five-star Grand Prix and it’s great to make it a winning one. She loves going quick and loves her job,” said Scott.
German course-designer Peter Schumacher set a 13-fence, 16-effort track for the 33 riders forward in the vast arena. Eleven competitors came up with all the right answers to battle it out against the clock over the shortened and raised course with two crucial inside turn options on offer alongside a gallop to the final vertical.
“The facilities here are incredible. All rings are different, but they have the scope in a bigger arena such as Aachen and here in Doha to build bigger as the horse have a bigger rhythm because of the size of the arena,” said Scott.
Scott had his game-face on, and with his customary super-cool demeanour, he galloped the 10-year-old Luidam x Diamant De Semilly mare into the top spot with a handsome two seconds to spare. Belgium’s Abdel Said had to settle for second place on Bonne Amie.
“We’ve had her a couple of years now and just produced her slowly. People have only just started noticing her but she’s a top mare, always looking for the next fence and wants to do well. There will be a couple of big targets for her in the next couple of years, but there is no rush, we’ll just keep producing her the way we are in a nice programme and keep her well,” added Scott.
Scott had already made his mark in this, the third week of competition at this venue. He finished second in the 28-strong 5* 1.50m speed on the 11-year-old Hello Valentino (Diamantino x Careful 28), 0.46 seconds behind the winner, Qatar’s Bassem Mohammed on F One USA.
Millie Allen enjoyed a week to remember riding for Karel Cox Horses on Week 2 with an amazing double five-star victory and again clocked up a win to add to her tally in the final day’s 5* 1.45m. Twenty-seven competitors contended this speed class with Millie outpacing them all on the nine-year-old mare Quick Diamant HR (Diamant De Semilly X Quidam De Revel) to win by 0.58 seconds.
Millie also picked up fourth in the 5* 1.45m speed 24 hours earlier with an easy clear on the 13-year-old Emerald daughter E-Maitresse TVH Z.
Ellen Whitaker slipped Quainton X-Rated into third in the 51-horse 3* 1.45m speed, the nine-year-old Big Star x Namelus R stallion finishing 2.55 seconds off the pace.
Ben Maher takes second in the top-billed NetJets Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in The USA
Amongst a star-studded cast, back-to-back Olympic champions, reigning Paris 2024 gold medallist Christian Kukuk (GER) and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Ben Maher (GBR) claimed the top two places in the NetJets 4* Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival’s (WEF) ‘Saturday Night Lights’ at Wellington International, USA.
Forty-five riders made the trip over course-designer Peter Grant’s track to jump for a prize fund of $215,000 with seven finding the key to return for the jump-off. Drawn first, Christian had to set a formidable target on hid Parid partner Checker 47, and he did it in style.
“First to go is never easy and I didn’t walk the jump-off as the lines were long and he doesn’t have a huge stride, but he’s still naturally quick and I knew when I passed through the finish, the rest were under pressure,” he said.
Ben chased on the 11-year-old Enjeu De Grisien (Toulon x Andiamo) but could only come withing 1.73 seconds to take second place.
“I did everything I could,” he said. “Enjeu has a very big stride for a small horse, but it’s a little slow motion, he jumps with a lot of height and a lofty kind of jump. It was always going to be tough to beat Checker, and with the experience of Christian with that horse and the smooth turn back in the jump-off, I would have to take an unrealistic risk to be able to beat him.”
Ben has been competing at WEF for around 16 years: “It’s been a huge part of my career. They’re doing a great job to build a fan base here that we have in Europe, and it makes it more special for us to ride in these events with a big crowd; it helps raise our game,” added Ben.
Ben was also on the podium on the final day of week 3 of WEF, easing Dallas Vegas Batilly into third in the $62,500 4* Hermes 1.50m Classic. Sixteen of the original 42 entries returned for the jump-off, Ben and the Cap Kennedy x L’Arc De Triomphe 12-year-old mare finishing 1.15 seconds behind the winner, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann aboard Glamour Girl.
Rachel Proudley guided Petitifour VD Wareslage into third in the Florida Coast Equipment 2* 1.45m speed, the Corydon Van T&L 10-year-old finishing 3.58 seconds behind the winner.
James Smith lands a hat-tick of wins on the Moura Valencia Spring Tour in Spain
James Smith scored handsomely in Valencia, Spain, on the Moura Spring Tour with a winning hat-trick.
James guided consistent top ride Juno Rose 23 into a win in the 37-strong 3* 1.45m speed, the Erdento x Nissan Caretano Z 11-year-old mare finishing out in front by 2.29 seconds.
The winning continued for James in the 3* 1.30m speed as the nine-year-old Dominican 2000 Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Casir Ask) posted the sole clear round.
But the major victory of the week was missed by one place as James settled for second in the 3* Grand Prix. The 43 starters forward over the 1.50m track were reduced to 13 with James stepping up the 14-year-old Eagele Z (Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Ramiro Z) to jump another clear and take second place 0.62 seconds behind the winner, France’s Stanislas de Malet on Zambo M Z.
James was also consistently in the money in the Seven and Eight-year-old classes with Astrade Z. The pair topped the 1.30/1.35m speed, the eight-year-old Air Jordan Alpha Z x Indoctro mare beating their 30 rivals by 1.28 seconds. Twenty-four hours later, they jumped into second in the 1.30/1.35m with immediate jump-off just a tenth of a second off the winning time, and finished third in Thursday’s two-phase class, 0.81 seconds behind the pace.
William Funnell is in the money in Abu Dhabi
William Funnell picked up second in the 4* 1.45m in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with Equine America Billy Picador.
Fifty-three competitors tackled this speed class with William using his mid-draw to slip into the runner-up spot four seconds behind the winner, Ireland’s Mikey Pender on HHS Fortune.
Four faults in the jump-off of the FEI 4* World Cup Grand Prix presented by Longines denied William a podium place. Nine in the field of 33 over the 1.55m track accessed round two, the four initial clears joined by five carrying their round one faults. William was one on four faults in the first round but upped his game and climbed the order with a clear in round two on Equine America Billy Picador to finish fourth. British-based
Irishman Trevor Breen, now fully recovered after breaking his neck in a fall last year, claimed victory with the sole double clear on the 11-year-old mare Luidam’s Warrior (Luidam x Warrior).
Georgia Tame hit top speed to head the Seven-year-old in a British top four. The 12 starters were reduced to five over a 1.30m track with Georgia firing into victory by 3.27 seconds on BE Thiassi (Cuick Star Kervac x Andiamo). William had to settle for second and third with Billy Sandringham and Billy Tu Tu with Katie Speller taking fourth on Billy Limelight.
Matt Sampson scores a win in Amsterdam
Matt Sampson jumped to the top in the GDS Training 1.40m with Pretty Pi’Que De’Luxe in Amsterdam CSI5*-W, The Netherlands.
Forty-two competitors contended this 5* speed class, but no-one came near the speedy Matt as he attacked the course with his usual gusto. Riding the nine-year-old Party Dance daughter, Matt sliced corners and scythed through distances to win by 1.80 seconds, pushing Pim Mulder (NED) on It’s Possible and Marcus Ehning (GER) with Baloubets Rose Dree Boeken into second and third places.
Matt also jumped double clear in the 11-horse decider of the 5* 1.50m to take sixth on Daniel, two seconds off the winning time set by Germany’s Daniel Deusser on Otello De Guldenboom.
Josh Hutchins takes a podium place in the world ranking 1.45m in Andalucia
Josh Hutchins jumped into a podium place in the 3* 1.45m with Kyrah on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain.
Forty-six competitors came forward in this two-phase class with Josh easing the Zapatero VDL x VDL Zirocco Blue 10-year-old mare into third 0.78 seconds off the pace.
Alfie Bradstock scored a hat-trick in the Young Horse classes. Twenty riders tackled the 11-fence speed track set in the Seven-year-old class with Alfie recording a 0.32 second victory on Arizona Ospa Z (Aganix Du Seigneur x Nabab De Reve).
Alfie netted the top two places in the 18-strong Six-year-old 1.20m speed, winning on the Vivant Van De Heffinck daughter Mosstown Teensy and taking second with Balou’s Boy Terma G Z (Balou Du Rouet x Guidam), 2 34 seconds separating the two and 2.48 seconds ahead of the nearest rival. Alfie and Balou’s Boy Terma G Z also claimed third on the final day’s 1.20m two-phase.
Alfie jumped to the top of the Five-year-old 1.05m two-phase with 1.54 seconds to spare on the Dutch-bred mare Primera B (Grandorado TN NOP x Spartacus TN).
Ava Vernon topped a 3* 1.30m with Volnay De Choc Z, the 13-year-old Vivaldi Du Seigneur daughter holding their 37 challengers by almost two seconds.
Graham Gillespie is in the money on the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Spain
Graham Gillespie steered Warriors Glory into second in the Gold 1.45m on the MET Spring Tour in Oliva Nova, Spain.
Sixty-nine competitors tackled the 12-fence, 14-effort 1.45m speed track and Grand Prix qualifier with Graham and the Warrior x Caretino Glory 16-year-old stallion – bred in Britain by Brendon Stud – finishing 1.10 seconds behind the winner, France’s Roger Yves Bost on Embassy Du Chateau.
Lauren Edwards hit winning form in the Seven-year-old on Andrew Doswell’s Deputy (Diamant De Semilly x Sir Corland) to triumph with 0.53 seconds in hand. Phillip Spivey finished third on Billy Disco.
Image Credit: Lukasz Kowalski @lukaszkowalski_com, @in2strides & © dohatour.qa
.jpeg "John Whitaker powers to victory in the Winter Grand Prix with Sharid at Aintree Equestrian Centre’s Winter Classic II")
17ui7uzuan7ej.jpeg "Holly Smith lands victory in the UNIBED – High Performance Equine Bedding Winter B and C Qualifier at Aintree Equestrian Centre")
