Success continues for British Riders Abroad in this week's International Round-Up
Monday 04 November 2024
Ben Maher is crowned Equita Masters champion at Equita Lyon
Ben Maher was at his best in the Equita Masters presented by Hermes Sellier at the Longines Equita Lyon, France, claiming victory on Point Break in a masterclass of riding.
Thirty of the top riders came forward in the two-round competition, including six of the world’s top 10, and French course-designer Gregory Bodo had to draw on all his expertise in his 13-fence, 16-effort 1.60m track. Round two was reserved for the best 12, the nine clears joined by two on one fault apiece and the fastest four-faulter, carrying their faults and drawn in reverse order of merit. With nothing to lose and the only rider to be carrying four faults, Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf, known for his speedy prowess, set a blistering time on Cancun Torel Z – no-one else could afford to make a mistake. But the rails hit the floor as each rider made at least one mistake, five riders returning four faults second time out.
However, Ben remained super-cool under pressure as he has done so many times before, using all his talent to supply the only double clear and command the win on Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s powerful stallion Point Break. And he was quick, producing the second quickest round, just 0.08 seconds behind Victor Bettendorf in second place with Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat taking third on Albfuehrens Iashin Sitte.
“It’s incredible to be back here in Lyon, it’s one of the best indoor competitions in the world, the crowd really gets behind all the riders with a lot of enthusiasm. For us, the riders, the atmosphere is a real challenge as much as the line-up of great, top-notch riders,” said Ben. “In the end, I was the only one to jump a double clear, but the format of the class meant we had to ride very, very fast, whatever the position we were in before the second round.
“It always feels good to get a win and I’d like to dedicate this one to my whole team. The indoor setting really suits Point Break, just like Gregor Bodo’s course. In the first round, he showed all his skill, particularly over the final obstacles which came up very quickly and we saw just how much they could push the riders into making faults. It’s a great source of pride to me to win against such an incredible field.”
Laura Renwick narrowly misses out on a three-star Grand Prix win in Valencia
Despite the horrific storms and loss of lives in Valencia, Spain, the Autumn Moura Tours at the showground remained unscathed and competition continued, with Laura Renwick taking a close second in the feature 3* Grand Prix.
Forty-five riders came forward to tackle the 1.50m Grand Prix track, and only 10 survived to contend the jump-off. Laura has established a great relationship with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 11-year-old Enjoy CK Z (Echo Van’t Spieveld x Coronado) and this class was no exception as the pair provided another foot-perfect round to claim the runner-up spot just 0.27 seconds behind the winner, Spain’s Ivan Serrano Saez on Rain Man.
Laura claimed victory in the 1.30m speed section A with the home-bred nine-year-old Kosmos A (Arezzo VDL x Namelus R), galloping ahead of their 16 rivals to record a win by almost four seconds.
James Smith continued with his winning run on this tour, topping Friday’s 3* 1.45m on Juno Rose 23. Fifty-three competitors contended this speed class with James and the 10-year-old Erdento daughter outpacing the lot by 2.60 seconds. A rail down in Saturday’s 3* 1.45m speed denied the pair a two second win, the costly four faults dropping them down to fourth, but James did win take another win, the Six-year-old 1.20m two-phase by 1.16 seconds with a new ride, the Glenfiddich VDL x Indoctro stallion Najib SMH.
Chloe Aston clocked up four wins, a doubling up with Flavie Van De Helle and Cisca Von Rotheck Z. Flavie topped Thursday’s 66-strong 3* 1.40m two-phase for Chloe in a British top three, the Carlow Van De Helle x Carvallo 13-year-old mare recoding a 0.60 second win over Laura Renwick’s NFS Angelina and George Whitaker’s Zirocca Zoom in second and third. Their second win came in the final day’s 3* 1.40m, Chloe and Flavie outpacing their nine jump-off rivals by 0.30 seconds. Chloe’s other two wins came in the early Seven and Eight-year-old classes, the eight-yearold Cisca (Cicero Z x Flamenco De Semilly). topping the first 28-entry 1.30/1.35m speed with almost two seconds in hand over Claudia Moore’s Lover Boy SVO. The final win came in the 27-horse 1.30/1.35m with immediate jump-off by half a second.
Brits secured victory in several of the supporting classes: Adrian Speight notched up a 1.30m double with the seven-year-old Martins Candy Gold (Sligo Candy Boy x Morgangold Major), heading the first 54-strong speed with a 2.22 second advantage over Logan Creighton’s Calini, and a later 1.30m two-phase with more than nine seconds in hand. Logan claimed an early Six-year-old speed on Soraya D Z with a handsome four seconds over Nick Williams’ Dan. Jemma Kirk outpaced 22 rivals to take a Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/135m two-phase by 0.64 seconds on the Irish-bred eight-year-old Loughnatousa Buachaill and Charlotte Walker continued with her success on Caroline Toombes’ Victoria’s Painted Secret CW (Painted White Van Het Burghof x Kennedy) with a victory double in the Five-year-old 1.10m two-phase classes.
Graham Babes takes a podium place in the Autumn MET 2* Grand Prix
Graham Babes claimed second in the Autumn II Mediterranean Equestrian Tour 2* Grand Prix in Oliva Nova, Spain, with Monks I Am Casall.
Sixty-seven riders faced Austrian course-designer Franz Madl’s 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m track but only six answered all the questions to access the jump-off, Sienna Charles unlucky not to join them with only one time fault on Chawton.
First off Graham set a competitive target with his sister Stephanie Babes’ 10-year-old Monks I Am Casall (I’m Special De Muze x Casall) and held onto the lead until last-to-go, British-based Australian Chris Burton made the winning bid on Kennedy HX to win by 1.10 seconds.
Adrian Whiteway headed a British one-two in an early Gold 1.45m speed against 26 rivals, winning with the 12-year-old Cooley Network (Boswell Mr Heart Breaker x Coronado) with 0.92 seconds in hand over Jake Ward’s 10-year-old Harley VDL stallion Jaguar X – winner of a Gold 1.40m by 1.29 seconds
Sienna sped up on Valkiry De Zance to take second in Friday’s Gold 1.45m. A total of 73 riders contended this world ranking speed, Sienna and the Diamant De Semilly x Double Espoir 15-year-old finishing two seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Koen Vereecke on Oilily De Muze. Millie Allen guided Clearround Il Mondo Z into fourth.
Sienna also picked up third in Saturday’s world ranking 2* 1.45m, on this occasion riding Stardust. Ten of the 51 starters returned for the jump-off, Sienna and the Chacco-Blue x Con Air 7 14-year-old mare slipping into third 0.67 seconds off the winning time set by Spain’s Alberto Marquez Galobardes on Ucello Massuere. Millie again finished fourth, this time riding E-Maitresse TVH Z.
The Brits were out in force in the supporting classes: Olivia Gent outpaced 55 rivals to take the Silver 1.35m speed on the seven-year-old mare Avant Garde HST Z with 0.39 seconds in hand. Marnie Green scored a hat-trick, doubling up with Ice Cold Z with Silver 1.25m and 1.30m wins, and topping another Silver 1.25m on Pewit Dezesseis, with more than 70 entries in each class. Emily Sage headed a Bronze 1.40m speed by four seconds with the 11-year-old Harley x Otangelo stallion I Am A Harley and beat 74 rivals in a Bronze 1.30m speed by 0.55 seconds on the nine-year-old Corydon Van T&L stallion Cadiz Z. Nathan Bull steered the Cupido 12-year-old Milton Van Vrijhern into the top spot of a Gold 1.35m speed with 0.80 seconds to spare while Laura Mantel on Tequila Sunrise OS (Faltic HB x Osmium) and Taio Strevett on Bellini OS (Luidam x Baltimorre) won a Six-year-old apiece and Izac Ketteridge with RSH Sweepstake (Cascol Z x Billy Congo) and Harry Turner riding Basingwerk Big Dick Z (Big Star x Dick Z) each topped a Five-year-old class.
James Davenport takes a podium place in the 3* Celeste Trophy in Spain
James Davenport claimed third in the 3* Celeste Trophy in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, with Happiness DK Z.
Sixty-six contended this 1.45m speed with James and the Hooch DK x Andiamo Z 12-year-old slipping into third 2.74 seconds behind the winner, Ireland’s Tom Wachman on Cathalina S – a 15-year-old Catoki daughter produced in Britain by Alex Thompson.
Joe Fernyhough headed Friday’s 3* 1.40m group two with Calcourt Countdown. Fifty-one contended this speed class with Joe and the eight-year-old Westpoint Quickfire x Landjunge mare racing ahead to win by 1.19 seconds.
Joe Trunkfield picked up second in the 52-strong 3* 1.40m speed group one on TJ Hall Ltd’s Grennanstown Sarco Luxhill, the Irish-bred 14-year-old finishing 2.59 seconds off the pace. Joe also topped a Six-year-old 1.30m two-phase on the Chacoon Blue daughter Chacoona Blue PS, outpacing 34 rivals by 1.21 seconds and pushing fellow Brit Jake Saywell on Night Star JB into second place. The pair also finished second in another Six-year-old 1.30m speed, less than half a second behind the pace.
Sammie-Jo Coffin is in the money at Peelbergen
Sammie-Jo Coffin picked up a win at Peelbergen, The Netherlands, with Elsalvador Van’t Schaaaphof Z.
They started the show with a win, galloping ahead in the 2* 1.35m two-phase, Sammie-Jo guiding the German-bred 11-year-old Emilion Van’t Scaaphof stallion into a 0.40 second victory, beating 55 rivals.
The pair went on to finish third in the 2* medium tour final on the last day. Nine of the 34 starters qualified for the jump-off with Sammie-Jo posting another clear round 2.51 seconds behind the winner.
