John Popely Takes Victory in Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Bicton Arena
Tuesday 16 June 2015
 (4).jpg "John Popely Takes Victory in Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Bicton Arena")
John Popely fought off the challenge from fifty-four other starters to take victory in Friday’s Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Bicton Arena in Salterton, Devon.
Each competitor came forward to compete with the aim of securing one of the two direct qualifying places on offer for the Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Championship Final at Horse of the Year Show. Knowing that the production of a treble clear would keep them in contention, competitors jumped each round with the aim of keeping all the fences up.
Twelve of the initial starting field progressed through to the final jump off and just two treble clears were produced, which meant that these competitors took the Championship Final places.
The fastest treble clear came from John Popely, from Hassocks, West Sussex on Emma Riordan’s 7 year-old grey gelding Don Velner. The combination were drawn as the seventh to go and John knew that he had a good opportunity in front of him to secure one of the coveted qualifying spots as just one treble clear had been produced at that point. A clean and fast round from John and Don Velner saw them cross the finish line in 42.54 seconds, a time which was to give them a 10 second advantage over the other treble clear.
The second and final treble clear was secured by Rebecca Roe from South Hykeham, Lincolnshire with her own 7 year-old bay gelding Ringo R. Their clear from earlier on the jump off saw them take their place inside the top two in a time of 52.88 seconds.
With the two direct qualifying tickets for the Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Championship Final having already been allocated, the combinations in third to fifth took home the chance to compete in the Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Masters at the British Showjumping National Championships.
Bicton Arena – Friday 12th June 2015
Horse & Hound Senior Foxhunter Second Round
1st John Popely & Don Velner - 0/0/0 – 42.54 seconds
2nd Rebecca Roe & Ringo R - 0/0/0 – 52.88 seconds
3rd Matthew Broome & Hello Disckoboy D N - 0/0/4 – 43.16 seconds
4th Andrew Williams & Codar – 0/0/4 – 43.49 seconds
5th Maisie Drea & Kinkeen Diamond – 0/0/4 – 43.79 seconds
NB: Qualifications will be updated pending official grading of results.
Image Credit: ESP-Photographic.
Horse of the Year Show 2015 will take place from the 7th - 11th October 2015 at Birmingham’s Genting Arena and the British Showjumping National Championships 2015 will be hosted at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre (NAEC), Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire during the 11th – 16th August.
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