Oliver Tuff flies to first place in the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier
Friday 12 July 2024
Bicton Arena played host to the seventh British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier of 2024.
The competition featured a challenging 12-fence track designed by Rafael Suarez, over which, only five of the starting 24 combinations managed to secure a clear round, advancing to the jump-off. The standout performance of the day came from Oliver Tuff and his talented mare, Miss Moneypenny 007. Tuff and Miss Moneypenny 007 delivered the only double clear of the competition, securing their victory with a time of 41.26 seconds.
Second place went to Sam Ward riding Vivaviga PS. Ward posted the fastest time of the day but incurred four faults, relegating him to second place despite his impressive speed.
Oliver Tuff, riding the seven-year-old mare owned by Claire Tuff, commented: “She’s been jumping all the age classes since I got her when she was five. She now competes in the seven-year-old classes, and she just keeps getting better and better. I’m really happy with her.”
With a middle draw in the jump-off, Tuff was aware that a clear round would guarantee a top-three finish. Commenting on his strategy, he said, “The class is on grass which may be why there weren’t a lot of clears. Everyone just seemed to have an unlucky fence. I didn’t go crazy as I knew I only needed a double clear, so I thought I’d just go in and do a nice round, and try to do it just quick enough for the win – but you never know!”
This win not only secured Tuff and Miss Moneypenny 007 the top spot but also qualified them for the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Final at the Horse of the Year Show in October. On his last appearance there, Oliver became the youngest ever rider to win the Senior Foxhunter Final, a record he still holds. Reflecting on his upcoming return to HOYS, Tuff shared, “This will be my first time back at HOYS since my win in the Foxhunter, a moment that will be hard to better!”
Bicton Arena - Thursday, 11 July 2024
British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet Horse of the Year Show Grade C Qualifier
1st - Oliver Tuff and Miss Moneypenny 007 - 0/0 41.26
2nd - Sam Ward and Vivaviga PS - 0/4 38.43
3rd - Harriet Biddick and Nolana Du Baloubet - 0/4 40.37
NB Results pending final grading
Image: ESP Photographic
