British Riders Continue Their Success on the International Stage
Monday 16 December 2024
Olli Fletcher jumps to victory at the prestigious CHI Geneva
Olli Fletcher scored victory in the Land Rover Discovery Under 25 1.40m at the prestigious CHI Geneva, Switzerland, with his father Graham and Alison Walton’s BP Pocahontas.
Thirty-two young riders came forward over the 11-fence, 13-effort speed track designed by Gerard Lachat (SUI) and Gregory Bodo (FRA) and 20 left all the fences intact, thus it was all about the clock. Although the Emilion 10-year-old Pocahontas spookily stood off the first fence and gave a huge leap, Olli made up time on the rest of the course to snatch the lead and the win with 0.68 seconds to spare.
The pair went on to take third in the Land Rover Discovery Under 25 Grand Prix. Fifteen of the 32 starters jumped initial clears over the 1.45m track to make their way into a hotly competitive jump-off. They faced a twisting jump-off course with a couple of tight rollbacks second time out, Olli guiding Pocahontas into another clean sheet for third, only 0.26 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Jules van Hoydonck on Minte VD Bisschop.
Ben Maher claimed a podium place in the 23rd Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Point Break. As the title suggests, 10 of the world’s top riders came forward in this two-round competition, firstly facing a 12-fence, 15-effort 1.60m track with six posting clear rounds. Nevertheless, all 10 returned, carrying their faults, over a completely different designed nine-fence course. They had the crowd on the edge of their seats, with only three maintaining their clear round form. Ben claimed an early lead on the big-jumping Action-Breaker x Balou Du Rouet 10-year-old but was pushed down the order to an eventual third, 1.57 seconds behind Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, taking his first Rolex Grand Prix win on home soil with Leone Jei. The USA’s Kent Farrington slipped Toulayna into second.
Ben picked up fourth in the 37-strong 5* 1.55m speed with the Toulon 10-year-old Enjeu De Grisien more than two seconds behind the winner, the on-form Martin Fuchs, on this occasion riding Commisar Pezi, also just missing out on a podium place in the Rolex 1.60m Grand Prix.
Ten of the 40 elite riders supplied first round clears to go forward into the jump-off with Ben and Point Break in contention. But a gallop to the midway double proved a risk too far, for although the game 10-year-old clear the oxer in, he tipped the vertical out to drop to an eventual fifth spot. The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders was foot-perfect to take the win on Monaco.
William Whitaker takes a world ranking win in Spain
William Whitaker notched up victory in the Gold 1.45m on Prince Sultan Saud’s Carlina D’Argouges to finish MET III Autumn Tour in Oliva Nova, Spain.
A big entry of 94 tackled this world ranking speed class with William touting a smooth yet deceptively quick round on the 12-year-old Lando daughter to win by an impressive 0.90 seconds.
“I’m very pleased with the win. She was a bit unlucky for the first couple of weeks, we’d have won the first week’s Silver Grand Prix but just had the last fence down, so she was knocking on the door,” said William. “[In the world ranking 1.45m] The course was riding quite difficult but she’s naturally quick and I knew if I could execute my plan well, she wouldn’t be too far away – luckily, it was our day.”
William steered the handsome 11-year-old stallion Chacco’s Lando (Chacco Blue x Lando) into third in the first of the final week’s Gold 1.45m, a speed class with 96 entries, 0.90 seconds behind the winner. William was also in the money on the 10-year-old Grand Senyor OL, taking third in a Silver 1.40m speed and second in a later 1.30m speed.
Laura Renwick posted a double clear to steer Enjoy CK Z into third in the 3* Grand Prix to conclude the final three-week Autumn Tour. The world ranking 1.50m track asked plenty of questions and only eight of the original field of 58 qualified for the jump-off. Laura jumped another clean round to slip the 11-year-old Echo Van’t Spieveld daughter into third, 1.34 seconds off the winning time. James Smith was also in contention, but four faults dropped Eagele Z to fifth.
“She’s jumped clear in every Grand Prix over the three weeks, taking first, fourth and third. She really does give me everything each time we ride into the arena and I’m so grateful for Ben Maher, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright for entrusting me with her this year – she’s been a superstar,” said Laura.
Laura was in the winner’s enclosure in an early 58-strong Silver 1.35m two-phase, the home-bred nine-year-old Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R) edging ahead by 0.15 seconds.
Izac Ketteridge on Indezz G led a British top three in a Gold 1.30m two-phase, beating Phillip Spivey (Billy Van Gogh) and Marnie Green’s Ice Cold Z into second and third. Georgina Bond on Actionella and Adele Shaw with Kikke claimed victory in a Bronze 1.30m apiece, Lauren Edwards topped a Six-year-old 1.25m aboard Deputy and Iwan Carpenter’s consistency in the Five-year-old classes over the last three weeks earned the MET Young Horse Champion Trophy for Five-year-olds with his mother Amanda’s home-bred stallion Merllyns Greenside Matrix (Landsdowne x Tornado).
Harry Charles and Team Archers finish second in the $1m MLSJ 5* Team Final at Major League Showjumping in The USA
Harry Charles posted a double clear to help his team, The Archers, to second place in the feature $1million MLSJ 5* Team Final at the Major League Showjumping Final in Thermal, California, with Stall Zet’s 14-year-old Casquo Blue.
Eight teams of three riders faced a 150m course with Harry and teammates Patricio Pasquel (Chakkalou PS) and Aaron Vale (Carissimo 25) finishing round one on four faults in a fast time to stand top of the leaderboard.
The four top teams went into round two, The Archers hitting form to post a zero score, but The Trailblazers of Daniel Bluman (ISR) with Corbie VV, The USA’s Lillie Keenan aboard Kick On – bred in Britain by Brendon Stud – and Ireland’s Conor Swail with My Lady Lavista also upped their game to deliver a clean sheet in round two. A medal jump-off ensued, Patricio Pasquel pitted against Conor Swail with the Irishman coming out on top by 1.48 seconds to take victory for the Trailblazers.
Katie Speller jumps to a win in Abu Dhabi
Katie Speller landed victory in the United Arab Emirates at the Abu Dhabi CSI4* with BE Golden Lynx.
Fourteen riders came forward in the Six-Bar to face the six vertical competition, with eight making their way into the fourth round. Only Katie and Shane Breen and Tracey Forrest’s eight-year-old British-bred BE Golden Lynx (Golden Hawk x Lux Z) left every fence standing to take the outright win.
Image credit: CHI Geneva - scoopdyga.com.
