British Riders Continue Their Run of International Success in this week's International Round Up
Monday 13 November 2023
Jess Mendoza claims her first Longines FEI World Cup points with a podium place in Toronto
Jess Mendoza mastered a tough five-star course to claim second in the North American League Longines FEI World Cup qualifier of Toronto, Canada, with I-Cap CL Z. The result sees her rocket up the rankings to ninth on 17 points.
British course-designer Kelvin Bywater set a stiff first round challenge for the competitive yet compact field of 20 that came forward, including four of the world's top 15 athletes. The triple combination was left as the final element on course, while five verticals rose above 1.60m, including a 1.63m plank midway through the track. In the jump-off, many of those tests remained.
"The initial plan [for the course], I had a few weeks ago," Kelvin said. "You kick [the plan] around a bit, and then you kick it around a bit more, and then you watch these guys and you think, 'Yeah, they're pretty good.’ So, you kick it around a bit more and you eventually come up with something that you think is a fair test and you think is fair for the sport and what we've got here."
Five of the original start list found all the right answers to move up into the jump-off in front of a sold-out crowd at the Royal Fair Horse Show. The USA's Kent Farrington produced a competitive round with his exciting young prospect, the 9-year-old mare Greya, and it gave Israel's Daniel Bluman a target to aim for with the Luidam 12-year-old Gemma W.
"My goal was to beat Kent's time, hopefully the rails would stay up and I could put the pressure on Jess not to beat me," said Daniel, after knocking more than a second from Kent's time.
"Gemma is all heart. She maybe lacks some of the physical ability to jump the big fences, but she will always give you everything," added Daniel. "When I walked the course today, I knew that I was on the limit. The verticals were big, and we had the triple combination to finish. But I had a good feeling that my mare was feeling good. I haven't jumped her too big this year and was trying to pick the right places for her. She felt amazing, and sometimes it just goes your way."
Jess tried her utmost with the game I'm Special De Muze x Air Jordan 11-year-old I-Cap to come within 0.32 seconds, settling for second place. She was overwhelmed with I-Cap’s performance.
“What a night and what a week! Endless thanks to this amazing horse, words cannot describe how much love I have for him.”
The pair had claimed second in Wednesday's 1.45m International Challenge. Sixteen riders contended this speed class, Jess slotting I-Cap to finish almost three seconds behind the winner, The USA’s McLain Ward on First Lady.
Young Rider Academy candidate Robert Murphy lands a world ranking win in Maastricht
Placing second 24 hours earlier, Robert Murphy went one better to take victory in the 4* 1.45m on Hulde G in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Forty-eight competitors came forward in this world ranking speed class with Robert earning the confidence of this 11-year-old Vigo D’Arsouilles x Warrant mare to guide her into a commanding win with almost three seconds in hand. The pair pushed The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders into second on the small but mighty stallion Escape Z – produced in Britain from the start and still part-owned by Danielle Ryder.
Robert had showed his intentions a day earlier, claiming second in Saturday’s 4* 1.45m accumulator on Hulde G. It was all about the clock as 21 riders from a start list of 44 scored maximum points with Robert and Hulde only 0.15 seconds behind the winner, The Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen on Carembar Blue.
Nicole Lockhead Anderson notches up a double of world ranking victories in Oliva Nova
Nicole Lockhead Anderson and I Am A Harley had already recorded their first world ranking win 24 hours earlier in Saturday’s feature gold 1.45m on the Autumn Mediterranean Tour in Oliva Nova, Spain, and they doubled their efforts in Sunday’s 3* class.
She was on a roll with Emily Sage and Tom Williams’ Harley x Otangelo 10-year-old stallion to take the gold 1.45m. Seventy-four competitors contended this two-phase and the pair revved up to head another class, the game little chestnut matching Nicole’s determination stride for stride to post a 0.61 second win.
“What a horse – back-to-back world ranking wins! He really does have the heart of a lion,” said Nicole.
On Saturday, 19 of the original 63 starters posted initial clears in the 3* gold 1.45m to access the jump-off with Nicole easing ahead by 0.33 seconds.
It was a week of wins for Nicole as the 10-year-old mare Christian Street (Christian 25 x Poker 49) outpaced the best in Thursday's gold 1.45m, claiming almost three seconds in hand over their 64 rivals. Ellen Whitaker was also in the frame and steered the 10-year-old Amaretto Darco daughter Amaretto Daisy into second spot.
Donald Whitaker eased Nikita Du Roton into second in the world ranking 3* Grand Prix.
Fifty-eight riders originally contended the challenging 13-fence 1.50m track designed by Frank Rothenberger but only four could answer all the questions in round one to gain access the jump-off. Only two double clears were evident, Donald setting the target on the 10-year-old Elvis Ter Putte x Chippendale Z mare with an easy clear. But they finished in the runner-up spot more than three seconds behind the winner when Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida utilised his late draw on Jup.
Robert Whitaker and Vermento take the 2* Grand Prix at Azelhof Jumping
Robert Whitaker landed the 2* Grand Prix at Azelhof Jumping in Lier, Belgium, with Caroline Blatchford’s Vermento.
A testing 1.45m course challenged the initial 58 riders and reduced them down to seven for the jump-off. But Robert and the Argento x Skippy 12 10-year-old stallion – winner of the British Breeders Award for breeders John and Clare Whitaker at the recent British Showjumping Awards Ball – hit form to ease ahead and win by 0.30 seconds.
Jennifer Billington jumped Flipper Darco UK Z into third in Friday’s 2* 1.45m. Twenty-one of the original 65 starters posted initial clears to qualify for the jump-off, although two opted to withdraw at this point to leave 19 to battle it out against the clock. Jennifer and the Flipper D’Elle/Darco 12-year-old jumped another clear round to slot into third place 1.10 seconds behind the winner, France’s Clement Boulanger on Ghanati.
Adrian Whiteway clinches a Grand Prix podium place in Vilamoura with Chacco Volo
Adrian Whiteway jumped Chacco Volo into third in the 2* Grand Prix on the VillaMoura Champions Tour in Portugal.
Seventy-seven competitors came forward over the 1.45m track but only nine supplied initial clears to make their way into the jump-off with Adrian supplying another clear round on the Chacco-Blue x Carthago 10-year-old stallion to finish third 2.80 seconds behind the winner, Germany’s Sven Gero Hunicke on Mastermind RL. Yorkshire-based Irishman Richard Howley slipped the Caressini L 14-year-old Mansini Ltd into second only 0.19 seconds off the winning time.
Mark Edwards led a British one-two with Marlene Edwards’ Flying Tinker II in Saturday's 2* 1.45m.
Seventy-four riders came forward in this world ranking speed class with Mark filling the top spot on the Tinkers Tale 12-year-old by 0.74 seconds. Laura Renwick slotted the Echo Van’t Spieveld 10-year-old Enjoy CK Z into second place.
Michael Whitaker finished third in Friday's 2* 1.45m with Equine America Peanut. Only eight of the original 79 starters posted initial clears in this world ranking class, Michael and the Billy Congo 9-year-old mare 2.64 seconds behind the winner, Portugal’s Duarte Seabra on Van Halen Z.
Will Fletcher guided Persimmon into second in Thursday's 58-entry 2* 1.45m speed, the Salute RP x Indorado 17-year-old 1.14 seconds off the winning time.
Image: Jessica Mendoza and I-Cap CL Z. Credit - FEI
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