Rachel Proudley Soars to New Heights on the First Day of the London International Horse Show
Thursday 19 December 2024
The LeMieux Puissance provided an exhilarating finale to the first day of the 2024 Show. In total, 12 combinations took on the iconic red wall, with notable names including Great Britain's Jack Whitaker, puissance specialists Geoff Curran and Paul Sims, and 18-year-old Maisy Williams - the daughter of five-time class winner Guy Williams - who was competing in this class for the first time.
Just three combinations remained to contest the fourth round of the competition and it was only 19-year-old Rachel Proudley from North Yorkshire riding Easy Boy de Laubry Z who cleared the remarkable height of 2.12m, with Jack Whitaker and Paul Sims taking the runners-up spots.
Rachel exclaimed: “He felt amazing tonight, I’m so proud of him, everything came together, we had a plan and we stuck to it – it was great. He’s an amazing horse, my dad actually was hunting him on Tuesday, which was a good preparation for him. He’s a very easy horse, straightforward and brave, which really helps. It means so much to be here on home turf, with the crowd behind you. When you go into the ring, it’s an amazing feeling, you can’t even put it into words how it feels.”
Lightning-quick partnership of Matt Sampson and Lilly McBride win the GS Equestrian Pony Club Mini Major
You know you’ve got a leg-up when you are partnered with the ever-competitive Matt Sampson, and Fermanagh Pony Club’s Lilly McBride took full advantage in the GS Equestrian Pony Club Mini Major, matching Matt’s lightning-quick speed.
“Lilly was amazing. She told me she was very fast and please don’t let her down – I knew then I was in with a chance [of winning],” said Matt.
Eight teams came forward in this exciting relay class run under Table C rules (seconds added for a knockdown), Pony Club members joining forces with their international heroes. Senior riders and their horses contended over a 1.20m track before handing over to their young partners on their eager ponies.
“It is so brilliant a show of this calibre puts this class on – it’s for kids who are in Pony Club and not necessarily out showjumping every week and you can see how much it means to them. It’s great to be a part of this class and support them,” said Matt.
Matt was under pressure to supply a good round on Curraghgraigue Obos Flight and Northern Ireland-based Lilly, 10, making her London International debut, took all the shortcuts on Poynstown Little Albert Einstein to win by 0.65 seconds.
Zetland Hunt’s Alex Leggott on Blossom’s Ukkepuk Van Uuyversputten teamed up with Lorenzo de Luca (Carlson 86) to take second place with Harry Kelly (North Derry) and Sebastian Hughes (Colorado Volo) in third.
Among the standout partnerships was John Whitaker and his granddaughter Evie, who rode her sister’s pony, Blue. Reflecting on the experience, John humorously remarked, “Forget the Olympics, this class has more pressure!”
World's Best Underway in London
The opening CSI5* Jumping class of the Show came from the 1.50m Ivy Stakes, a two-phase competition, which featured many of the world’s best riders. It was first to enter the impressive International Arena, World No.10, Julien Epaillard who set the pace with a double clear in the time of 27.03 seconds, however, his lead was quickly usurped by Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida. Wilm Vermeir’s tight turn to the second-to-last oxer proved a worthwhile risk as he, partnered with the talented nine-year-old gelding Top Invest 313 Z, claimed the provisional top spot with 26 horses left to jump.
The crowd was delighted to see double clears from British riders Robert Whitaker and Tim Gredley; however, neither could match the time set by Vermeir. Despite the impressive standard in the class, with six of the Top 10 riders in the world competing, no-one could rival Vermeir’s performance, leaving the Belgian to take the victory.
Continuing with the speed theme, Joseph Stockdale and Ebanking set the tone in the Champagne Taittinger Mistletoe Speed Stakes, the second CSI5*-W class of the day. Entering the International Arena as first to go, the pair delivered a smooth and faultless round, establishing the initial benchmark.
However, it wasn’t long before London 2012 Olympic champion and Paris 2024 silver medallist Steve Guerdat took the lead. True to his reputation, Guerdat produced an exceptionally fast clear round aboard his 10-year-old mare, Looping Luna. Their daring line between the third fence and the fourth triple combination proved too tight for any other combination to replicate, showcasing exceptional precision and skill.
Three-time FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final winner Marcus Ehning and his mount, DPS Revere, mounted a strong challenge, applying pressure on Guerdat but ultimately fell short by more than two seconds.
The crowd was thrilled to see Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy winner Oliver Fletcher deliver a clear round with BP Pocahontas. Donald Whitaker also joined Fletcher and Stockdale as the only British riders to finish with clean scorecards. Despite their efforts, none of the British competitors were fast enough to Guerdat and Ehning, with third place going to London International Horse Show debutant Francesco Turturiello of Italy.
Image credit: Peter Nixon
