Mark Edwards Dominates at South of England Show in Thrilling International Stairway Leg
Tuesday 10 June 2025
The South of England Show played host to the third leg of this year’s International Stairway series — and it was Mark Edwards who once again stole the spotlight with another outstanding performance aboard Royale Tale.
Nineteen horse and rider combinations stepped up to tackle Ben Townley’s technical and testing course, with nine advancing to the jump-off following impressive clear rounds in the first phase.
It was Mark Edwards who proved unstoppable, delivering a masterclass in consistency and speed. Riding for Martyn Edwards, Mark produced three clear rounds across his rides, clinching the win with Royale Tale in a lightning-fast time of 44.06 seconds.
Close behind, Laura Renwick gave it her all with her own Marseille, but had to settle for second place after stopping the clock at 46.27. Mark wasn’t finished there — he claimed third with Flying Tinker II and fourth with Dillinger NE, both also owned by Martyn Edwards.
"It was a stiff test, there were some big verticals on the downhill that had to be ridden carefully, but it was a good class and a great crowd supporting. There were more clears than I thought there might be but that shows the quality of the field jumping.
"The horses are on fire at the moment and with three in the jump-off I was always confident that we had a chance to take the win. I was hoping for a 1, 2, 3 but Laura [Renwick] just snuck in between them at the last minute. Dillinger held the lead for bit, then Flying Tinker moved ahead so I had nothing to lose with Royale Tale and luckily it paid off.
It is no surprise that Mark talks fondly about the 10-year-old mare, who is by Marks homebred former ride, Montreuxs Tale. Mark, and his father Martyn, spotted her potential early on, secured her purchase and have produced her from the beginning as a four-year-old: "She's naturally quick, wants to win as much as I do, and it all came together at the right time on the day. She has won an Area Trial [Royal Bath and West Show], a Grand Prix and an International Stairway [South of England Show] in the past 10 days. She is just incredible.
"We've got such a strong team, to win all four big classes in the main ring was just incredible, it was a pretty good week really. We're off to Hickstead and Bolesworth next so let’s hope the good run of wins continues in the coming weeks."
It was a phenomenal weekend for Mark, who secured wins across all four main rings in the showjumping classes — a remarkable achievement at the historic South of England Show and a testament to his current form.
South of England Show – Sunday 8th June
International Stairway
1st – Mark Edwards & Royale Tale – 0/0 44.06 seconds
2nd – Laura Renwick & Marseille – 0/0 46.27 seconds
3rd - Mark Edwards & Flying Tinker II – 0/0 47.01 seconds
4th – Mark Edwards & Dillinger NE – 0/0 47.44 seconds
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image: South of England Agricultural Society & Stephen Lawrence Photography
