Laura Stephenson lands Aintree’s Winter Grand Prix with ‘Horse of a Lifetime’ Catherston Connor
Monday 16 October 2023
.jpg "Laura Stephenson lands Aintree’s Winter Grand Prix with ‘Horse of a Lifetime’ Catherston Connor")
Laura Stephenson bagged the first Winter Grand Prix of the 2023/2024 season with her game 21-year-old Catherston Connor in a thrilling jump-off at Aintree Equestrian Centre’s Winter Classic.
“He’s my world, I can always rely on him,” said Laura, who joined forces with her seasoned campaigner 13 years ago. “He can be feisty, fizzy and over-excited but he’s very loving and cuddly, a really lovely person and he owes me nothing.”
Thirty-three competitors tackled course-designer Raf Suarez’s 13-fence 1.40m track with 10 coming up with all the right answers and qualify for the jump-off. It was hot from the off, Chris Smith setting an early target on Harthill Mexico and, although Joe Davison came close, he had to settle behind Chris by just 0.05 seconds on Iggy Pop.
This remained the status quo until Laura and the evergreen Connor entered the ring in the seventh draw. The pair hit top gear from the start, galloping down the long distance from one to two down the long side of the arena. Connor (Cevin Z x Dutch Courage) could almost read Laura’s mind as he whipped into the turns at the slightest touch from his rider, and the pair sped into the top spot with 1.37 seconds to spare.
“It was one of those rounds where every turn came nicely and it all played in my favour,” said Laura, who now pics and chooses her classes for Connor. “We’ll probably do another couple of shows this year but I don’t have an indoor school so the weather plays a great factor in what I do plus, I’m a one-woman band doing the job of three people.”
Paul Sims and Michaela Scott booked the earliest possible tickets to Hickstead after a hard-fought 13-strong jump-off in the first of the Winter Grades B&C qualifiers to earn their place in the Royal International Horse Show Final.
Six combinations produced double clears, and while Michaela briefly led the way with four horses to go riding Eddie GZ, it was Paul who found the shortest route home two horses later on Jankorado, a Dutch bred nine-year-old by Indorado.
Paul had originally ridden Jankorado as a 5-year-old for Windmill Farms and bought him last December, recently stepping him up to 1.40m level, winning at Addington a few weeks ago.
The seven-fence jump-off course contained turns and long runs. Paul got ahead early with the tightest of turns from the oxer at one to a problematic vertical and then kept everything neat and tidy all the way risking one less stride to the final fence to stay ahead.
“He’s so careful and it’s a nice result as we aimed specifically for this class,” said Paul.
Michaela Scott had set a tough target with her husband Sam’s Eddie.
The Echo Van’t Spieveld seven-year-old had been bought unbroken four years ago from Darren Smith and Michaela has carefully produced him throughout.
This time last year, Michaela and Eddie qualified for the B&C Championship with a win here at Aintree and they went on to claim second place in the Hickstead Final. Last week at HOYS, the pair contested three championships (Newcomers, British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Grade C and the Event Through A Lens Talent Seeker) at HOYS, clinching sixth place in the Events Through A Lens Talent Seeker.
“He has so much jump, and in a jump-off, he’s not normally a steady Eddie,” said Michaela.
Jennifer Billington saved the best until last in the first of the Under 25 British Championship qualifiers for the London International Horse Show at ExCeL with Flipper Darco UK Z.
The original field of 29 were reduced to six by the 12-fence 1.40m with Scotland’s Emma Crawford using her pathfinder round to set a competitive target on Dukes of Hazzard. Following riders chased hard and little more than half a second separated the top three, but Emma held grimly onto the top spot, until last-drawn Jennifer powered into the top spot on the Fiipper D’Elle 12-year-old gelding.
The pair have enjoyed success in two-star international classes at Bolesworth, Chepstow and Sentower Park, Belgium, this summer and seamlessly switched indoors to maintain their form. An early tight turn followed by another tight line to the penultimate fence earned Jennifer victory and a coveted place in the London International Final by the narrow margin of 0.18 seconds.
Emma had to settle for second spot with Serena Kullich in third aboard Benfield Victory and fourth awarded to Jessica Hewitt on Arbitrage.
Yazmin Davis was lightning-quick with Zanbowa Z in the popular Winter 1.35m to qualify for the 2024 British Showjumping Spring Championships. Eighteen of the original 65 competitors gained access to the jump-off over course-designer Raf Suarez’s 12-fence track with Yazmin and the ground-eating Zandor Z x Calvaro Z 14-year-old finding the shortest route to edge ahead and win by 0.26 seconds. Jessica Howard guided Manderville Crescendo into second and Laura filled third spot on Catherston Connor.
Seamus Taylor outpaced all to take the Winter Grade C on Rock Willow. Twelve of the original 47 starters qualified for the jump-off over a 12-fence 1.30m track with Seamus cutting through the shortened course on the 8-year-old Rock Sensation x Deltic mare to win with 1.12 seconds to spare. Rachel Proudley slotted Lufonia into second and Jessica Quine filled third spot with Lalu TW.
Caloro Ex Z maintained his winning form, and after winning the 3* accumulator at HOYS with William Whitaker in the saddle, he returned to regular rider James Whitaker to top the 1.40m. Forty-six contended this single-phase 12-fence track with James and the Candello x Lord 15-year-old gliding ahead to win by 1.21 seconds and push Sandy McLean’s two Gino F and Zoey Z into second and third.
Laura Stephenson almost made it a victory double but was pipped at the post in the Blue Chip Dynamic B and C by Fergal Holohan.
Six contended the jump-off – three grade B’s pitted against three from the grade C section – with Fergal using his final draw to maximum effect to take the win on the 12-year-old mare Killossery Kameo (Je Taime Flamenco x Ballinvella) by 1.44 seconds. Laura had to settle for second place with CVS Jive Talking while Rachael Connor claimed third on her Grade C Juvenosa.
Mark Bunting used his late draw to secure the top spot of the 36-strong Blue Chip Karma Performance single-phase on My Lady XI to push Ruby Ward’s early opener on Giddy Up Tango into second by only 0.17 seconds.
The 6-year-old Casago daughter is out of Mark’s former international ride Arlette II and home-bred by Mark and his father Bill.
“The aim has been to bring her on and develop her slowly. She’s naturally careful and covers the ground so well, we’ve never pushed her against the clock,” said Mark.
Pipped at the post, this was the first outing for Ruby and Tango since a nice clear earned fifth place in the HOYS intermediate working hunter – “I think she’s enjoyed being back showjumping,” said Ruby.
Dan Delsart claimed an outright victory in the six-bar in a head-to-head with Alex Attwood. Th six contenders were reduced to two for round four with the final fence now standing at 1.65m.
First to go Alex and the excitable Zilanto lowered three verticals at this point, leaving the door open for Dan on Golf Du Rouet. There didn’t look any doubt as British-based Frenchman Dan guided the Contendro seven-year-old to a cool, calm foot-perfect clear to celebrate the £500 first prize.
Rachael Connor and the super-quick Fantastic are in their element at this level and galloped ahead to take the 1.25m Winter Championship qualifier. Sixty-two contenders came forward over the single-phase track with Rachael executing razor-sharp turns on the Casantos x Oklund 13-year-old mare to secure victory by a quarter of a second. Henry Squibb slipped Diatencona PS into second and Paul Sims netted third place with Oaken Fay.
Image: Laura Stephenson and Catherston Connor. Credit - Majestic Photography
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