A Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Second Round took place at The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe in Bedfordshire recently and it was Tim Davies who took the honours.
With just two qualifying tickets available for the Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Championship Final, which will be held during Horse of the Year Show in October, all combinations were aiming for a treble clear. With an initial starting field of 100, course designer David Conway set a challenging track to whittle the numbers down to seventeen for the second round and seven for the third round. Just one combination could produce the goods to earn a treble clear.
Tim Davies from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk piloted Lisa Volk’s Nielson Red, a 6-year-old Belgian bred gelding whom Tim has been competing since January, to victory setting the pressure with clear in a time of 44.51 seconds. Second placed Joe Trunkfield’s two rides were the only combinations to beat the time Tim had set crossing the finish line in 42.96 seconds but one fence down meant he and first ride Flipper Darco UK Z, an 8-year-old British bred owned by Caroline Philips, were relegated to the runner up spot.
Joe claimed third place with Gail Chapman’s Geronimo PC Z after faulting at the penultimate fence but crossing the line in 44.18 seconds. Fourth and fifth place were awarded to Phillip Miller aboard the Brendon Stud’s Klaris Yee-Hah and Colin Keeling with the Clements Equine owned Renkum Olinthos respectively.
The top two combinations secured their place in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Championship Final at Horse of the Year Show and the top five took home the chance to compete in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Masters at the British Showjumping National Championships.
