Charlotte and Florentina Take Liverpool Honours
Double Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin proved the headline act on the opening day of the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show.
Charlotte, who earlier in the evening paraded her multiple major championship medal-winning horse Valegro to gasps of delight at the Echo Arena, returned with Florentina VI to win the Intermediate 1 Freestyle Invitational, sponsored by Equitop Myoplast.
It was another fine display by Charlotte and the eight-year-old mare, with the horse among a string of outstanding young equine talent being developed at her Gloucestershire base.
Their score of 81.938% put them a distance clear of the field, although there were also some fine performances that completed the podium places.
Britain’s Katie Bailey took second place aboard Boccelli 6 on a score of 77.188%, with this year’s World Equestrian Games para-dressage gold medallist Sophie Wells finishing third.
Sophie, riding C Fatal Attraction, scored 76.813%, while fourth spot was filled by Amy Woodhead, riding Branduardi.
Stylish Performance from Jack Whitaker to Head Equerry Horse Feeds Under 25 Grand Prix
Jack Whitaker produced a stylish performance to take centre-stage on the opening night of the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show.
Jack, son of British Olympian Michael Whitaker, won the Liverpool International Under-25 Grand Prix, sponsored by Equerry Horse Feeds.
And he did it with time to spare at the Echo Arena, winning the jump-off on eight-year-old mare Scenletha by more than two seconds.
Oliver Fletcher, the richly promising 15-year-old from Oxfordshire, took second and third spots on KBIS Caicos and Hello Disckoboy, respectively.
For Jack, it ended a succcessful year highlighted by him winning a silver medal at the Youth Olympics in Argentina.
“I think three in the jump-off was just about right,” Jack said. “It was a big enough and technical enough course.
“I didn’t want to go flat out, I just wanted to make sure I was quick and clear. I did quite a quick turn back to the second fence in the jump-off.
“I keep forgetting she is only an eight-year-old. She is looking like a nice horse at the moment.
“She is really careful, and this would be her biggest win so far.”
There was a thrilling start to the show in the afternoon’s international class – a two-phase competition sponsored by Gornall Equestrian.
It gave riders an opportunity to familiarise themselves with their surroundings and have the chance to make an immediate impact.
And it was Scotland’s James Smith who took the honours in a thrilling race against the clock, with just nine hundredths of a second separating the top three finishers.
James triumphed with Simply Splendid in a time of 26.74 seconds, edging out Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano on Kingston van het Eikenhof, while Yorkshireman Paul Barker took third spot aboard Happy Boy.
Tabitha Kyle added another title to her growing collection as the final day of the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show got underway. The Leicestershire-based rider, a Liverpool winner last year, took the 138cms Championship, sponsored by Powder Systems, in fine style.
Last to go of six combinations in the jump-off, Tabitha timed her run perfectly on the 15-year-old gelding Lissduff Royal. European Pony Championship team gold medallist and individual bronze medal winner Essex’s Claudia Moore looked to have done enough with the 20-year-old Sonas Barney, clocking 26.42 seconds, but Tabitha had other ideas, posting a time of 25.30.
Charlotte Bevan and Rathcoona James took third, with Tom Francis-Jones and Kiltormer Hero finishing fourth.
“It’s amazing to win here,” Tabitha said. “It was a bit pressurised. I knew the only time I could make up in the jump-off was to the last fence.
“The pony likes this place. He won last year as well. I can really trust him. When I move him forward, he will just go with me, and he turns really quickly.
“The people here are very encouraging, and I love coming to Liverpool, and we will certainly celebrate today.”
The 128cms Championship, sponsored by Pony of the Year Show, went to Ireland’s Senan Reape and 18-year-old Mickybo. Ten combinations from 21 starters made the jump-off, and Senan delivered a classy round to emerge victorious, finishing more than a second clear of the field.
The 10-year-old, from County Sligo, clocked a time of 26.20 seconds, with Sophie Wicks and Camizion taking second spot in 27.12, and third going to Fergal Holohan with Harri Potter in 28.96.
“This is my first time at the Liverpool show, and it’s a great show. I love it,” Senan said.
“I was a bit nervous going into what was a very big class, but I have done a good few competitions with the pony since I got him earlier this year.
“I have been riding and competing since I was four, and it feels really good and very exciting to win here.”
Brilliant Victory for Harry Charles
Harry Charles underlined his status as one of world showjumping’s most exciting prospects by claiming a brilliant victory at the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show.
The 19-year-old, from Alton in Hampshire, won the 1.45m international speed class, sponsored by Hope Valley Saddlery, with bay mare Doulita.
It proved to be a thrilling competition, with Harry’s time of 57.28 seconds proving just enough to edge out Graham Babes. They were both members of Great Britain’s gold medal-winning European Young Riders team earlier this year.
Graham and Boucheron went within touching distance of Harry’s time, finishing just 40 hundredths of a second short, while long-time leaders – Turkey’s Derin Demirsoy and Dadjak Ter Puttenan – took third, with Julie Andrews and Wilando B filling fourth spot.
Harry lavished praise on the 10-year-old Doulita, as he claimed a Liverpool win approaching the end of a memorable year for him.
“It was an amazing win,” he said, after collecting a £7,300 victor’s purse. “I own the horse, which makes it extra special. I’ve had her a year, and every day I have put work into her to get her to this level.
“Saturday was one of her first ranking classes, and she came third in that. I really let her go the full way today, and she jumped amazingly. She is such a naturally fast horse and not the easiest to ride, but I saw so much potential in her.”
Harry, son of London 2012 Great Britain team showjumping gold medallist Peter Charles, added: “At the moment, I will be using her as a speed horse. She has tackled everything so well, and I feel she has the potential to be maybe a grand prix horse in 2019.
“It has been an absolutely fantastic year for me. Liverpool last year was my first real big show, and since then my whole career has taken off.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to win every time, it is the best feeling in the world, and I chase that every day in training. I want to make sure I do my best.
“My string of horses is building really nicely.”
Sula and Harriet Top the Bill in Mini Major
Sula von Bulow and Harriet Nuttall produced a show-stopping double act as they topped the bill at the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show on Sunday.
They teamed up to win the fancy dress Invitational Mini Major Relay, sponsored by Archco Developments, and they did it in style, beating a quality field with more than a second to spare.
Eight-year-old Sula, who lives in London and was kitted out in a Bumble Bee from the Transformers costume, said: “It was so much fun. I enjoyed every second of it, and it was so exciting to see everyone jump like they did.
“It was so cool to be in the same team as Harriet, and to win is amazing.
“I never had an opportunity like this before to ride at such a big show, and it was just so cool to do it on my pony that I love with all my heart.”
It was Somerset-based Harriet’s second win inside 24 hours at the Echo Arena, and she added: “It is one of my favourite classes.
“It’s so nice to do something with the kids. Sula was so fast, and her turns were so tight. She is an amazing rider.”
Paul Barker and Isabella Saunders-Cook finished in second place, and third spot went to Emily Ward and Persia Calderbank.
And there was also an outstanding display of pony riding by Eve McCoy, 11-year-old daughter of 20-time champion jump jockey AP McCoy, who produced a blistering clear round in partnership with Tony Pearson that her watching father would have been proud of.
They had to settle for sixth place, though, with fourth going to Sula’s sister Noora von Bulow in partnership with Oliver Fletcher, while Holly Smith and Lilly Aspell finished fifth.
Harriet Jumps to a Memorable Win at Liverpool
Great Britain’s Harriet Nuttall signed off day two at the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show with a memorable victory.
Somerset-based Harriet, who features prominently among an exciting group of young British showjumpers, won the four star jump-off class, sponsored by Voltaire Design. And it meant double delight for the Voltaire brand, whose UK and Ireland general manager Matt Tarrant presented the prizes, as Harriet features among their sponsored collection of riders.
Twelve combinations from 31 starters made it through to the the jump-off, and it was Harriet who prevailed with Galway Bay Jed in a time of 34.40 seconds.
And that proved enough to eclipse the time of Germany’s Tobias Mayer with Queentina, while Sweden’s Angelie von Essen finished third on Cochella.
A delighted Harriet said: “The horse has had a bit of a break, and he has come back and feels so good.
“I wasn’t meant to go that fast, but he was really, really good. He kept working hard and giving it everything, and I feel when you are jumping a four-star class that you just know the time to push on.
“Tobias was really fast, and I am so happy to have won. The horse felt amazing all the way through.”
Saturday’s opening four-star competition – a speed class sponsored by The Pullman Hotel – went to Egypt’s Sameh El Dahan.
Sameh, riding Miss G Tracy clocked a clear round in 57.22 seconds to eclipse Germany’s Tobias Meyer aboard Couer de Lion 22 in 57.26, while rising British star Harry Charles took third aboard Doulita.
“It is always exciting to have a good win at the very start of the week because it keeps you confident for the rest of the week,” Sameh said.
“There were so many fast riders in the class, so I knew I had to give it my all, and then if I am lucky, I am standing on the podium at the end.
“The mare is quite a new horse for me. It was a bit of a gamble because she is 13 and she hadn’t jumped for a year, but we really liked her and decided to buy her. She has been going from strength to strength.
“We have been getting to know her, maybe four or five shows together, and it was great to to get the right result on the day.
“She is very brave and quite quick, so there is a lot to like about her. When she trusts the rider, she gets better. It’s a big atmosphere here – there is such a buzz – and as riders, you really feel that.”
Essex based Claudia Moore completes a brilliant double
Essex teenager Claudia Moore completed a brilliant double at the TheraPlateUK Liverpool International Horse Show on Saturday.
The 14-year-old, who lives near Brentwood, won the Liverpool International 148cms Championship, sponsored by Carden Arms. And in doing so, she repeated her victory of 12 months ago in the same class, completing a memorable 2018.
Claudia was a member of Great Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the Pony European Championships this summer, when she also claimed individual bronze. And she carried that form with her to the Echo Arena, emerging triumphant by more than four seconds after six combinations contested the jump-off.
Scottish challenger Shaunie Greig, a prolific winner on the pony circuit this year, had one fence down aboard Casino Royale VIII, and Claudia followed her into the arena, clocking 31.49 seconds on the 10-year-old mare Delflip.
And it was a time that proved too much for her challengers, with Lila Bremner – daughter of the television impressionist Rory Bremner, who was among the audience – going closest aboard Lapislazuli.
Anoushka Mauree, riding Miami Moonbeam, finished third, with Shaunie and Casino Royale VIII fourth and Jake Myers and Razorlite II fifth.
Reflecting on her victory, Claudia said: “It was the most nerve-wracking experience. I won this class last year, and I really wanted to come first again and make it two years in a row.
“She has been such a lovely pony for me. She tries so hard for you.
“I didn’t watch Shaunie’s round in the jump-off because I knew I would change my round if I watched it. I knew she would be extremely fast, so it was just about doing my own thing and sticking to what to what I was going to do.
“There were people to jump after me who are big competitors, so I was nervous as to whether or not my time would be quick enough.
“This is one of the most amazing shows. Nina Barbour does such a good job with everything, and I am really honoured to be able to jump here in that amazing arena.”
