Great Britain Continue to Shine on the International Stage
Monday 21 October 2024
Harry Charles and Bandit bounce back with a USA win
Harry Charles made his Major League Show Jumping team debut under the lights in Tryon, The USA, a winning one with Bandit.
Eight teams, each represented by a trio of riders, came forward on Friday night, these halved for an exciting round two before a thrilling gold medal duel. Team manager John Madden handpicked his Archers team for the Cabana Coast 5* Team Competition with The USA’s Aaron Vale (Styles), Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts (H&M Luna Van Ruytershof Z) joining team anchor Harry on Bandit.
The Archers were set against nearest rivals Maccabi United in the latter stages as the first two riders from each team supplied clear rounds. The pressure was on the final riders, Harry pitted against Brazil’s Gabriel Machado for Maccabi United for the gold medal duel.
But two rails fell for Gabriel and Legaland Sandro, with Harry coming home on a clean sheet and 1.59 seconds quicker to secure the win.
“I’m very happy with him, this was his first time under lights,” said Harry, on the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion Bandit (Obos Quality 004 x Cruisings Micky Finn) owned by his father Peter Charles with Stall Zett. “He’s the horse I broke my arm on in Aachen a few weeks ago [just before the Paris Olympics], so I’m happy he’s back.”
Harry, who also claimed the fastest lap to earn the team an extra point for the season’s standings, praised his team-mates: “These boys teed me up perfectly, and it worked in our favour. Bandit was flying today – two really good, quick rounds – and I’m happy to help the team off to a good start to the second half of the MLSJ season.”
“We had a really good team,” said Nicola Philippaerts. “John Madden made the plan and it worked out well for us; it’s the first time [as a team] but he made a good strategy.”
Harry and Bandit also picked up second in the 43-strong Individual, only 0.17 seconds behind the winner, Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz.
Amanda Derbyshire slotted Cornwall BH into second in the 2* Grand Prix. Twenty-four of the original 55 starters provided first round clears to return for the jump-off, Amanda and the Holsteiner 16-year-old Cornwall jumping another clear to finish only 0.25 seconds off the winning time set by The USA’s Sloane Coles on Ninja JW Van De Moerhoeve.
Joe Whitaker nets second place in Valencia’s feature Grand Prix in Spain
Joe Whitaker clinched second place in the Francisco Moura In Memorium Grand Prix to conclude week two of the Autumn Moura Tours in Valencia, Spain, with Hulahupe JR.
Six of the original 35 competitors posted initial clears in this 4* Grand Prix to go forward into the jump-off, with Joe and the VDL Bubalu x Indoctro 12-year-old settling for second place, 1.37 seconds behind the winner, Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci on Hantano.
Joe also picked up third in a 48-horse 4* 1.40m two-phase on the seven-year-old Maserati WS, 2.27 seconds off the pace, just ahead of Laura Renwick, in fourth on NFS Angelina.
Laura notched up a winning double. The first win came in an early 4* 1.45m speed, the home-bred nine-year-old Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R) outpacing all 26 rivals to clock up a 0.61 second win.
Another home-bred, the eight-year-old NFS Angelina (Arko III x Couleur Rubin) scored the other win for Laura, heading the 42-strong 4* 1.40m speed with 0.77 seconds in hand over the speedy Victor Bettendorf (LUX) on Eagle Eye De La Roque.
A winner the previous week, James Smith maintained his form with victory in Saturday’s world ranking 1.45m speed, beating 36 challengers with 0.22 seconds in hand on the Erdento x Nissan Caretano Z 10-year-old mare Juno Rose 23.
Other Brits were in the money; Sandy McLean topped a 4* 1.35m on the 10-year-old Calcord by 0.48 seconds and finished second in a 4* 1.30m aboard SES Jumeirah, just 0.16 seconds off the pace. Charlotte Walker doubled up with a 4* 1.30m speed win riding the seven-year-old Martins Candy Gold with 5.85 seconds in hand and topped an early five-year-old 1.10m two-phase by 1.40 seconds on Victoria’s Painted Secret CW. Ciara Miller was also a winner, taking the initial six-year-old 1.20m speed with more than four seconds to spare on NFS Belago.
Matt Sampson lands a winning hat-trick on the Autumn MET in Spain
Matt Sampson scored a hat-trick of wins on week three of the Autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Oliva Nova, Spain, and came close to making it four.
Isabel Fox’s speedy MGH Candy Girl handed Matt a world ranking Gold 1.45m win in the speed competition, and the competition was hot. Eighty-one elected to come forward but they were no match for Matt, and his fervour was matched by the Sligo Candy Boy x Cruising 11-year-old mare as they hit top gear to edge ahead by 0.08 seconds. Fellow Brit William Funnell had to settle for second with the 12-year-old mare Equine America Billy Picador and Graham Babes eased Monks I Am Casall into fourth.
Long-term campaigner Geneve R headed an 88-strong Gold 1.40m two-phase for Matt, the Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Berlin 13-year-old claiming a tight 0.11 second win. The 10-year-old Kannan daughter Lola Kann posted another win for Matt, beating 46 rivals in the Silver 1.25m speed by 0.31 seconds, and the eight-year-old Pretty Pi’Que De Luxe missed out on a world ranking Gold 1.45m two-phase win with 80 competitors by only 0.22 seconds.
Jackson Reed-Stephenson guided Obelia VD Bisschop into third in the Gold 1.50m. Twelve of the 48 starters accessed the jump-off, Jackson and the Nabab De Reve x Baloubet Du Rouet 10-year-old mare posting another clear for third 2.25 seconds behind the winner, Switzerland’s Niklaus Schurtenberger on Quincassi.
Jasmin Clark claimed the top two places in the concluding Gold 1.30m speed, winning with NPS Java and taking second on Bellulu D’Aubigny, almost four seconds separating the two, and Simon Crippen topped an early Gold 1.30m speed with more than three seconds in hand over 54 rivals on the 13-year-old Zeus Valencie.
Scott Brash and Hello Valentino are in the money in Morocco
Scott Brash eased Hello Valentino into a five-star second place on the Longines Global Champions Tour in Rabat, Morocco.
Twenty-one riders tackled an 11-fence 1.45m speed track designed by Uliano Vezzani (ITA) with Scott smoothly guiding the Diamantino x Careful 10-year-old grey gelding into the runner-up spot, just one tenth of a second behind the winner, France’s speedy Julien Epaillard on Dubai De Soie. Germany’s Daniel Deusser finished third on Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z.
Joe Trunkfield picks up Longines World Ranking points in Spain
Joe Trunkfield slipped TJ Hall Ltd’s Grennanstown Sarco Luxhill into third in a world ranking 1.45m in week one at Vejer de la Frontera, Spain.
Seventy-two competitors tackled this 12-fence 1.45m speed track, Joe and the Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Olympic Lux 14-year-old slotting into third place 0.86 seconds behind the winner, Itay’s Luca Maria Moneta on El Capone RK.
Nellie Lock makes her mark in the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy in Denmark
Nellie Lock made the long journey to Denmark to claim second place in the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy with Catho Van De Langvelden Z in Herning.
The pair had jumped a steady clear in the FEI Pony 1.25 speed two days earlier and were one of 29 to come forward over British course-designer Mark McGowan’s 13-fence 1.30m Grand Prix track. Only four riders mastered the course to reach the jump-off, Nellie and the Cantaloupe x Cornet’s Stern nine-year-old Catho returning a clean sheet second time out for the runner-up spot, 1.48 seconds behind the winner, The Netherlands’ Lieselot Kooremans on Elando Van De Roshoeve, a Pony European Championship medal winner for Claudia Moore and Jack Whitaker.
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