Triple Header of Equissage Pulse Senior Novice Second Rounds
Thursday 30 May 2024
The long bank holiday weekend provided plenty of jumping opportunities for British Showjumping members, especially those aiming to qualify for the Equissage Pulse Senior British Novice Championship Final. Parwood, Ponderosa, and Speetley Equestrian Centres each hosted a Second Round Qualifier on Sunday, 26th May 2024.
At Parwood Equestrian Centre, a competitive field of 53 riders participated in the Equissage Pulse Senior British Novice Second Round. Twelve riders advanced through the initial two rounds to compete in the jump-off. Georgia Sim impressed by completing triple clears with both her rides. She placed 8th with Mexico Star but took the win on Calcourt Brightspark, both owned by Ann Costin.
Calcourt Brightspark delivered an outstanding jump-off performance with a time of 33.89 seconds, narrowly beating Emmy Giannotta on Cynthia IV, who finished just 0.46 seconds slower. With less than six seconds separating 1st from 6th, Georgia commented:
"It was a competitive jump-off with twelve in it. She's a really good mare, and this was our second attempt at Second Rounds; the first time, she only made it to the first jump-off. She's a very sweet mare and is really nice to ride. I wasn't actually going for the win; I wanted to get a triple clear, which I also did with my other ride, Mexico Star. But she's naturally fast and covers the ground well. We've only owned her for six months; my Grandma bought her for me to jump. She has come up through the ranks really well and has all her Discovery and Novice double clears.”
The Equissage Pulse Senior British Novice at Ponderosa Equestrian Centre also featured tightly fought competition. Catherine Vale and her horse, Quiz IV, secured first place with an impressive jump-off time of 47.60 seconds, earning their qualification for the British Showjumping National Championships. Tackling course designer AJ Naylor’s 12 fence first round, an impressive 19 of the starting 31 horses progressed to the second round, with a further 13 making it though to the final jump off. Though Catherine Vale’s time proved too hard to reach, eight combinations completed the class with the triple clear needed to gain their qualification to the final, pending official grading.
At Speetley Equestrian Centre, Emily Hobson had her moment of triumph. Jumping a quick triple clear with Toni Bishop's About Matilda, Emily competed against 11 others in the jump-off and emerged victorious with a final time of 47.15 seconds, almost exactly two seconds ahead of Olivia Fox on Issy Wells' Rehy Santa Fe.
Emily Hobson commented: "I jumped her at Willow Banks last weekend, and she did really well but just had an unfortunate pole in the third round, so we decided to aim her at Speetley to get qualified. It was a very technical course but a really good course to jump, and she tried her heart out for me. We were just going for the triple clear and didn't expect to get the win, but that is an added bonus. We'll take her to local shows to keep her ticking over and hopefully have a good run at Nationals. She is owned by Toni Bishop, who comes and rides her as and when life allows. She's a good girl and such a lovely horse to ride."
This weekend's competitions were a testament to the hard work and dedication of the riders and their horses, setting the stage for an exciting Equissage Pulse Senior British Novice Championship Final at the British Showjumping National Championships.
Parwood Equestrian Centre - Saturday, 25 May 2024
1st - Georgia Ann June Sims & Calcourt Brightspark 0/0/0 33.89
2nd - Emmy Giannotta & Cythia IV 0/0/0 34.35
3rd - Darcy Baillie & Nesta Dream 0/0/0 35.03
Ponderosa Equestrian Centre - Saturday, 25 May 2024
1st - Catherine Vale & Quiz IV 0/0/0 47.60
2nd - Catherine Vale & Tyersal Cinderella’s Clover 0/0/0 48.80
3rd - Annmarie Vizard & Horatio II 0/0/0 49.61
Speetley Equestrian Centre - Sunday, 26th May 2024
1st - Emily Hobson & About Matilda 0/0/0 47.15
2nd - Olivia Fox & Rehy Santa Fe 0/0/0 49.16
3rd - Chelsea Mae Skelton & Sir Nate JS 0/0/0 50.36
NB: Results pending official grading.
Image: LRG Photography / WickedPixs / MLG Photography
