Strong entries provided a great day of competition at Houghton Hall. Clear rounds were the norm across the classes with three riders posting style scores of just 8.0.
Eighteen-year-old Alida Tysterman, from Cambridgeshire, claimed the Novice section riding Innocent Flight, who has previously competed up to two star level with Emma Carmichael. The pair jumped a marginally faster round than Natalie Pettitt on Riffelalp; both girls posting that impressive low style score. It was a particularly good day for Alida who also took the runner up spot in the BE90 JAS class riding Sannan Valley Sequence.
Daniella Johnston, 15 and from Lincolnshire, took third place in the Novice with Ballysheil Mr Monaghan on a style score of 10.1, but they put that first round to good use by trouncing the opposition in the Open section. Adding two time penalties to a style score of 8.0 they finished seven points ahead of Jane Buchan and Carleton, with Jack Cooke on the Tanya Kyle produced Tarbert Eiffel in third; all the more impressive in that this is Daniella’s first season partnering her 14.2hh eight-year-old, plus she had already bagged the BE90, this time riding Ardwhoihane Hero.
A mere 0.2 of a penalty separated the top three in the BE100 section. Essex 14-year-old Emily Uden and Campion Capella, who won their closing BE horse trials of 2015 at Pulborough, had the advantage, completing on their style score of 10.
Jo Thorogood was compensated by claiming both second and third spots with My Newtown Clover and A Lover Fee respectively, while in the BE90, won by ‘the girl to beat’ Daniella Johnston and with Alida Tysterman in the runner up spot, Ines Harper took the remaining podium place riding Some Might Say.
