Scotland’s Alexander McLean shows his talent in the National Pony 1.15m Members Cup
Thursday 13 August 2015
Seventeen starters contested the National Pony 1.15, Members Cup today in the Andrews Bowen Indoor Arena at the British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show.
The course proved challenging with only three riders achieving the all important clear round to guarantee their place in the jump off.
With the adrenaline pumping after the first round the ponies re-entered the arena to decide who would take home the hotly contested title.
First to jump was Katie Waldock-Smith (14) from Ware, Hertfordshire riding her mother Deborah’s 12 year-old appaloosa mare Clailu Saffron, one of her two rides in the class. Unfortunately the pressure got the better of the combination and they finished with a refusal and one rail.
The next rider to tackle the jump off was Victoria Gilder (14) riding Double Time a 16 year-old chestnut mare owned by her mother Isobel. With the title in sight Victoria raced around the course but knocked two rails finishing with 8 faults and a time of 48.78 seconds.
The final rider in the jump off was Alexander (Sandy) Mclean (12) from Lasswade, Midlothian riding Marjory McNaughton’s 13 year-old liver chestnut mare Red Flamenco. The pair knew the pressure had eased and that they only had to go clear to claim the title. Sandy flawlessly guided Red Flamenco around the course with a time of 37.11 seconds to finish with the only clear round, securing him first place.
“I knew I just had to go for the clear so I didn’t want to take any risks” said Sandy, who has only been riding Red Flamenco for 18 months. This win marks one of the combinations biggest achievements to date with the future looking bright for the pair.
Results
1st Alexander Mclean and Red Flamenco
2nd Katie Waldock-Smith and Clailu Saffron
3rd Victoria Gilder and Double Time
4th Amy Whiffen and West Knight Rider
5th Chloe Howarth and Neebro Free Dancer
6th Maia Andrews and Miami Carwyn
7th Kristy Colclough and The Mighty Mouse II
8th Emma Crawford and Star’s Surprise
Photo: Credit 1st Class Images
The British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show 2015 is hosted at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre (NAEC), Stoneleigh, Warwickshire during the 11th-16th August. For further information, please visit www.bsnationalchampionships.co.uk