Olivia Brightmore wins the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round at South View
Tuesday 03 June 2025
The second Summer Pony Premier of 2025, hosted by South View Equestrian, featured an exhilarating Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round competition. With 68 ponies at the start, the class showcased many of the top young talents in the equestrian world.
The first round saw 22 combinations clear the course, advancing to the second round, where a further 11 made it through to the jump-off.
Fourteen-year-old Olivia Brightmore, who qualified for the Nupafeed Senior Discovery Final last weekend, emerged as the winner. Riding Rachel Brightmore’s Whatsapp Van Duyversputten, her precision and accuracy outpaced the competition, securing them the top spot as the only combination to jump triple clear.
“The courses were built strong all weekend, but Whatsapp was so good, and he didn’t find it too hard,” said Olivia. “We were last to go and there hadn’t been any clears yet, so I really concentrated on riding a steady round to get the clear and win. He’s so careful and I trusted him to get us around and he did!
“He’s such a good boy and has come on so much recently. I was especially pleased with him in the Foxhunter Second Round as it was built quite big. He’s so chilled for a stallion and is a really affectionate boy.”
In second place was Lucy Capper with Robert and Nicola Capper’s Clonbolloge Lad, who rode the fastest jump-off round but just four faults at the last fence kept them in second place. Gabriel Colhoun and Claire Colhoun’s Elle Villenelle Z also rounded a quick jump-off round with four faults and slotted into third whilst Cate Kerr and Richard Hooper’s Inchmore boy were another to cross the finish in under 40 seconds, but four faults saw them pick up the final qualifying spot in fourth place.
South View – Sunday, 31 May 2025
Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round
1st – Olivia Brightmore & Whatsapp Van Duyversputten– 0/0/0 42.17 seconds
2nd – Lucy Capper & Clonbolloge Lad– 0/0/4 36.97 seconds
3rd – Gabriel Colhoun & Elle Villanelle Z – 0/0/4 38.28 seconds
4th – Cate Kerr & Inchmore Boy – 0/0/4 39.09 seconds
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image : Phil Hillier
