Scarlett Baker, aged 18, from Chelmsford, Essex on board her own 24 year-old bay gelding Chat Balou took the top spot in the penultimate Dodson & Horrell 0.95cm National Amateur Second Round held on Saturday 25th October at Houghton Hall Equestrian Centre in Houghton, Cambridgeshire and each of the starters were vying for one of the direct qualifying places on offer for the Dodson & Horrell National Amateur Championships, which take place at Aintree Equestrian Centre in Liverpool during the 19th – 23rd November 2014.
Spectators saw twenty-seven combinations battle in out in this second round and eleven went on to contest the jump off. Six combinations then went on to secure a double clear and the order of the places then came down to the clock.
Scarlett and Chat Balou were drawn last to go in the jump off and they used this draw to their advantage. Having seen five double clears produced ahead of them, Scarlett and Chat Balou ensured that they delivered an accurate and fast round in the jump off to secure the quickest double clear of the class after stopping the clock in 34.01 seconds.
Second place was taken by 26 year-old Luke Humphrey from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire on his own 15 year-old dark bay mare Soraja. Drawn first to go in the jump off, the combination produced a solid round to ensure that they finished with a double clear. Their time of 34.98 seconds held the lead for almost the entirety of the jump off until the final combination entered the arena.
Luke enjoyed a successful class as he also went on to take third place with his own 11 year-old black gelding Back To Black II. This combination stopped the clock in 35.83 seconds to secure not only their place in the top three, but also a place in the Championship Final.
An additional eight combinations also went on to achieve their qualification for the Dodson & Horrell 0.95cm National Amateur Championship Final.
