CHARD EQUESTRIAN CSI2*
Monday 30 May 2022
Mark Edwards hit an amazing run of form to claim victory in the three big tour classes on offer at Chard Equestrian in Somerset, including the feature 2* Grand Prix carrying a £25,000 prize fund.
Mark got the show off to a flying start with top ride Montreuxs Tale with victory in the 2* 1.40m two-phase. Forty-five competitors came forward with Mark and Tinkers Tale 12-year-old gaining a 0.44 second advantage over Annabel Shields and Creevagh Carisma.
“He’s very quick and covers the ground well, I always know I’m going to be fast with him,” said Mark.
The pair continued with their incredible run in the final day’s Grand Prix as fifty riders faced course-designer Paul Connor’s 12-fence 1.45m track of light materials and a restrictive time allowed which asked scope and rideability questions. Fourteen came up with all the right answers and four rider representing Ireland were pitted against ten Brits.
Adrian Speight was first out and aiming for another Grand Prix win following his previous weeks success at Wellington Riding on Judith Whitham’s Millfield Baloney and set a competitive target, breaking the 40 second barrier. His nail-biting wait was cut short as two competitors later Mark and the on-form Montreuxs Tale hit the start.
Taking advantage of the gelding’s big stride and using tight lines and inside turns, Mark wiped 0.89 seconds off the time to add to the pressure for the following riders. Challenges came and went and fell by the wayside as poles hit the floor; no-one could equal their time. Gemma Ellison came the closest to finish second on Fernhill Off Chance 0.33 seconds in arrears, pushing Adrian into third.
“There was nothing to lose, Adrian was so fast, I was quick from one to two and kept going for home,” said Mark, who will now do a quick turnaround and travel to Suffolk for the first leg of the 2022 International Stairway series.
Mark had to share the honours with Jackson Reed-Stephenson in day two’s 1.40m speed, Marlene Edwards’ 10-year-old Flying Tinker II – another by Tinkers Tale – broke the finish beams with the same time as Jackson Reed-Stephenson and the Cornet Obolensky 10-year-old Muna VD Bisshop.
“He’s super-careful and super-consistent, a special little horse,” said Mark on Flying Tinker.
Mark didn’t have it all his own way and he had to settle for second twice with Flying Tinker in the 1.35m classes. Adam Botham denied him another win as he guided Barbara Hester’s Ebanking into the top spot of Friday’s 1.35m. Eighteen of the thirty-two starters tackled the jump-off with Adam and the naturally quick 8-year-old Etoulon x VDL Sheraton stallion recording a win by 1.77 seconds.
Not to be outdone by husband Adam, Jessica Botham in the 1* 1.25m speed on Jane Starkey’s Cevin Z x Gunner B 10-year-old Zosia with 1.71 seconds in hand.
Annabel Shields scored a victory double. Mark and Flying Tinker led the way in the exciting 1.35m accumulator and was looking to add another win to his impressive tally but Annabel had other ideas in the final draw. Setting off at speed with Carnoneybridge Challenger, the Hermes De Reve x Burggraaf 14-year-old matched her fervour and they executed the tightest lines at the gallop, clearing the Joker with a flourish to snatch the win by 2.66 sec.
“I was very tight from one to two and every turn I got the stride I wanted. He’s small but sharp and naturally quick and a lovely person on the ground,” said Annabel.
Annabel also stepped up the pace in the 1.35m two-phase, the Camiro De Haar Z 12-year-old mare Creevagh Carisma outpacing their 25 rivals to win by 0.21 seconds.
“She has such a big stride, she won it easily,” she said.
Bethanie Knight was on form to take a victory double in the 7-year-old classes with Kingston, the Emir R x Corland gelding heading the 20-strong 1.30m two-phase by 0.56 seconds and outpacing their 11 rivals to take the final day’s 1.30m with 0.86 seconds in hand.
“He loves his job and is talented with it and has easily progressed to seven-year-old classes. He gets excited in the warm-up but focuses once he’s in the ring and hates to be left at home – when he sees the lorry, he wants to be on it,” said Bethanie.
Lance Whitehouse claimed the eight-horse jump-off in the 6-year-old 1.20m with the Action-Breaker x Indorado Ace Of Hearts Z by the tiniest of margins, just 0.01 of a second. Joe Maher had to settle for second with Last Name (Douglas x Eldorado Van De Zeshoek).
George Whitaker headed a nine-horse jump-off to land the 5-year-old 1.10m by 1.87 seconds on Thomas Wood’s Argentaya (E That’ll Do x Numero Uno) at their third show together.
Faye Adams left the best until last with a devastatingly quick round on Demograaf to take the 25-horse 2* 1.30m accumulator, the Quasimdo Z x Serville 14-year-old claiming a 0.24 second advantage over Ireland’s Shane O’Meara on Iris.
Jay Halim edged ahead by only 0.09 sec in the initial 37-strong 2* 1.30m two-phase with the Libero H x Lord Calando 10-year-old Gentle. Third here, Harriet Biddick hit top gear with the Irish-bred 17-year-old Silver Lift (Easy Lift x Silver Cloud) in Saturday’s nine-horse 1.30m jump-off for a 1.12 second win.
Charlene Bastone was another double winner, claiming first and third in the initial 1* 1.25m two-phase, winning by 0.55 seconds on Fyberlinus H and taking third with the 10-year-old Dexter R mare Halina HL – winner of the concluding 1* Grand Prix in a 10-strong jump-off with 1.33 seconds in hand.
James Emblen lifted the HorseHage Silver 1.20m jump-off, beating his seven jump-off rivals by 0.72 seconds with the Kannan x Parco 9-year-old mare White Sparke Vegas.
Image: ESP Photographic - www.esp-photographic.co.uk
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