British riders hit winning form across the globe in this week’s international round-up
Monday 20 January 2025
Millie Allen scores a four-star victory double in Doha
Millie Allen enjoyed a show to remember at Doha, Al Shaqab, Qatar, with two four-star world ranking victories.
Millie led the way on Clearround Il Mondo Z in a British top three in Friday’s feature 4* 1.50m. Thirty-two competitors set out over the world-ranking course with eight riders finding the key to make their way into the jump-off.
Scott Brash was first out to set the target on the Luidam 10-year-old Hello Folie, but fellow Brit Ellen Whitaker was slightly quicker to edge the 10-year-old Cornet Obolensky daughter Korlenski ahead by 0.16 seconds. Their positions held until Millie’s fifth draw effort.
Starting in a strong rhythm, Millie executed a tight rollback turn to angle the vertical at three to get a good line to breeze through the double on the Comme Il Faut x Clearway nine-year-old and then found another gear. They galloped to the final three substantial fences and taking out strides to the final oxer to win with an incredible 1.85 seconds to spare.
“I’ve ridden Clearround since a six-year-old and it is always a special feeling when you can step up and they jump as easy as he does, proving how capable he is with the partnership we’ve made,” said Millie.
Millie, who is based in Belgium riding for Karel Cox, kicked off her week with a win in the 4* 1.45m on Quick Diamant HR. Forty riders tackled course-designer Bernardo Costa Cabral’s 12-fence, 14-effort speed track with Millie setting a sizzling target from ninth draw aboard the nine-year-old Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel mare. The relentless pace held off all the challenges, and the pair won by an impressive 2.55 seconds.
Twenty-four hours later, Millie and Quick Diamant were again on the podium, taking second in the 27-strong 4* 1.45m speed, 1.98 seconds behind the winner, Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano on Vasco 118.
“I have a really lovely team of horses at the moment, so to be able to go to such an excellent venue as Doha and get results like this is a great feeling,” said Millie.
Ellen again had to settle for second in the 36-horse 2* 1.45m speed on Quainton X-Rated, the Big Star x Namelus R nine-year-old finishing 1.08 seconds off the pace.
Jess Mendoza is flying high at the Winter Equestrian Festival Week 2 as she lands the Adequan WEF Challenge Round Two with In The Air
A week ago, Jess Mendoza was enjoying a horseback safari in Africa admiring elephants and other wildlife. Fast forward seven days she switched gears to record a superb win in the $32,000 3* Adequan WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 in Wellington, USA, from a star-studded field of Olympians and Top Ten ranked riders.
After returning from her African holiday, Jess was back in competitive mode in the grass Derby field to score victory on In The Air, a mare creating a buzz winning up to CSI5* level.
“It was incredible,” said Jess, who got 25 with a big win in a ‘who’s who’ jump-off that included World Number 1 Henrik von Eckermann, World Number 3 Ben Maher and German Olympian Richard Vogel. “It wasn’t an easy jump-off against those boys, so it was nice to beat them.”
One of 14 from a field of 53 to conquer course-designer Olaf Petersen Jr’s track, Jess was one of only three ladies to get the job done and claimed the top spot from a midway draw, although she was aware there were several fast riders to follow.
“She is honestly the most incredible horse to ride into the ring, let alone a jump-off,” said Jess, on the 12-year-old mare In The Air (Air Jordan X Indoctro). “I have complete faith in her, but it’s pretty nice to them behind me.”
Germany’s Richard Vogel had to settle for second place on Cydello with Ben Maher in fourth aboard Dallas Vegas Batilly.
Jess began competing In Th Air at international level around 12 months ago.
She’s the most unique horse I’ve had. You can’t jump her at home, she’s horse-shy and people-shy, but you go in the ring and she puts her blinkers on and all she wants to do is win; she’s all business.”
Jess found In The Air and her brother, Summerhouse, in The Netherlands being produced by a young rider up to 1.45m level. A group of Jess’s clients banded together to purchase both horses for Jess to campaign.
“All the moms of my clients got involved so we call it the Mom Club,” joked Jess. “We had big plans for her, and she’s exceeded them. I’m not sure where she’s going to go, but I think she’ll go all the way.”
Jess considers the Winter Equestrian Festival an ideal place to lay the foundations for major goals, especially for several horses that could use the development and exposure to the atmosphere.
“It’s an exciting year, I have a really good group of horses and I’d love to build this mare towards Nations Cups and championships and see how the others come along – WEF is a great place to do that,” continued Jess.
As In The Air has a unique personality, Jess has to cater her training specifically for her.
“She has such a positive attitude, so I take my time and plan everything for her – I don’t ride how I want to ride, I ride how she needs to be ridden. I think she appreciates that. She’s so careful and doesn’t need to jump big at home; I work on her straightness and then she does her job in the ring,” added Jess.
Rachel Proudley, 19, is enjoying her first visit to WEF in Wellington, USA, riding for Irish International Richard Howley and netted fourth in the $50,000 Palm Bach Equine Clinic National Grand Prix on Mansini Ltd.
Twelve of the original 42 competitors found all the answers to Mexican course-designer Ana Catalina ‘Catsy’ Cruise Harris’s track, including Olympic champion Christian Kukuk and Paris 2024 Team gold medallist Harry Charles.
Penultimate drawn Rachel jumped another clear second time out on the Caressini L 16-year-old Mansini, 0.53 seconds off the pace, but was knocked off the podium by last to go, Ireland’s Bertram Allen as he slotted Qonquest De Rigo into third. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Germany’s Tony Stormanns, 17, claimed an emotional victory with Donjon D’Asschaut, with his mother Helena (nee Dickinson), a former top British international rider in her heyday, on hand to watch and advise.
Robert Whitaker is Six-Bar champion in Leipzig
Robert Whitaker was the sole competitor to supply a clean sheet in every round to command victory in the Six-Bar in Leipzig, Germany, on Gentlemen VH Veldhof.
Eleven competitors initially came forward to face the line of verticals with four left in the running in the fifth and final round. However, Robert and the Quite Easy x Calido I 19-year-old – who belied his years with athleticism and power – remained the sole partnership to jump clear and lift the top prize.
Lily Attwood scores another win in Abu Dhabi on her United Arab Emirates tour
Lily Attwood continued with her winning run out in the United Arab Emirates with victory in the Amea Power 4* 1.45m on Karibou Horta.
Forty riders contended this world ranking 10-fence Accumulator with Joker, Lily and the Landor S x For Pleasure 15-year-old setting an unbeatable target from 15th draw and remaining steadfastly at the top to win by 0.44 seconds.
Charlotte Walker was also on winning form, claiming a victory double in the Six-year-old classes on Victorias Painted Secret CW. Bred by Charlotte and now owned by Caroline Toombes, the Painted White Van Het Burghof x Kennedy mare topped day one’s 31-strong Al Shaira’aa Farms 1.20m two-phase by 0.33 seconds and 24 hours later, again stood top of the podium. Nine of the 23 starters jumped clear over the 1.25m track to access the jump-off, Charlotte outpacing all challenges to win by 0.65 seconds.
James Whitaker claims a podium place in the Spanish Sunshine Tour Grand Prix
James Whitaker eased Just Call Me Henry into second place in the 2* Grand Prix on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera.
Thirty-five competitors tackled the 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m course with the restrictive time allowed accounting for five would-be clear rounds discounted from the jump-off, and an eventual eight supplying clean rounds to access round two.
Spain’s Armando Trapote on Karl P set a swift target from the opening draw and, despite James chasing hard, he could only come within 0.37 seconds to settle for second on his father Ian’s Argento 10-year-old Just Call Me Henry – bred in Britain by Murray McLeish and Steve Fagg.
Fifth here with a double clear on Elliott Rowe’s 10-year-old mare Korlenski, Chloe Winchester slipped the Diarado 10-year-old Baskin Smooth Diamond into second in the 2* 1.40m Small Grand Prix in a five-horse decider, 2.33 seconds behind the winner.
Chloe led a British top two in the 25-entry 2* 1.35m two-phase, taking the win on the Emir R x Sam R 10-year-old mare Kadermie Van De Crumelhaeve with 0.25 seconds to spare over Chad Fellows in second aboard the eight-year-old NPS Klooney (NPS Super Nova x Toulon).
James was also successful in the 1.20m classes on the nine-year-old Churchill IV, winning Thursday’s 25-strong speed by 2.84 seconds and taking second 24 hours later by only 0.06 seconds.
Alfie Bradstock notched up a double in the young horse classes, winning a Six-year-old on speed on Balou’s Boy Terma G Z (Balou Du Rouet X Guidam) by 3.82 seconds, and a Five-year-old two-phase by 0.92 seconds with the Dutch-bred mare Primera B – also second in a later Five-year-old two-phase, half a second off the winning time.
Image Credit: Lukasz Kowalski @lukaszkowalski_com, @in2strides & © dohatour.qa
