The Bolesworth International will return in June 2024 as a two-week back-to-back summer festival tour.
Taking place over the 6 – 9 June and the 12 – 16 June 2024, the first weekend of the event will have more of an industry focus, whilst the second will focus on attracting the public with lifestyle and entertainment elements like 2023, as well as an Eventing Grand Prix, Mini Major and Puissance class.
Both weekends will incorporate similar schedules with CSI 3*/CSI 1*/CSI Am/CSI YH (5, 6 & 7yo)/CSICh/CSIP classes, with riders able to take advantage of a total of six Longines Ranking classes over the course of the event, including two 1.55m Grand Prix.
The Bolesworth Elite Auction will take place on Friday 7 June, with applications taken soon for foals due early in 2024, yearlings and exclusive implanted embryos.
The full schedule will be announced in due course.
The new format for the Bolesworth International means that the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, incorporating the FEI World Breeding Championship qualifiers will unfortunately not take place in 2024.
Nina Barbour, Bolesworth Managing Director said: “We’re hugely excited by this new format and our plans for 2024, as our priority at Bolesworth remains developing equestrian events to a world-class standard now and into the future.
“The decision to not move forward with the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships was extremely difficult, and we are hugely grateful for the support we have had from the team at Al Shira’aa and all our other partners to date. All options were investigated to retain the event, but unfortunately, the need to consolidate and use infrastructure for two weeks meant finding a suitable date to run it back-to-back with the International was not possible.
‘We feel strongly that it’s so important for our up-and-coming riders and horses to have opportunities to jump at an international level over more than one week at the same venue; before this, riders have had to travel abroad to find, and look forward to hosting six ranking classes over the 11-day period, including two CSI3* 1.55m Grand Prix’s.”
Iain Graham, CEO of British Showjumping said: “We are very grateful for the backing of Al Shira’aa and the team at Bolesworth in the support and profile they have given to the Young Horse Championships. Next year will see Nina and the team at Bolesworth host two CSI 3* competitions in June, and we as a sport are very fortunate to continue to have the opportunity to compete at this level at this fabulous venue in Cheshire!”
Day one of the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Show got off to a great start. Below is a summary of the highlights from the day.
Ashdale Sports Horses 4 Year Old Qualifier
43 of the 77 starters jumped clear in the Ashdale Sports Horses 4-Year-Old Qualifier and therefore have qualified directly for Saturday’s Final and have been placed equal first in this A1 class. The remaining 34 combinations will have to jump clear in tomorrow’s qualifier in order to qualify for the final.
Dallamires Stables 5 Year Old Qualifier
The second class of the day in the International ring was the Dallamires Stables 5-year-old qualifier, where 124 horse and rider combinations were hoping to jump clear and qualify for the Final on Saturday. 52 jumped clear and placed equal first. Unlike in the 4-Year-Old Qualifier, the competitors must jump both qualifiers and are awarded points depending on their finishing positions. Tomorrow’s qualifier will be a two-phase competition where each combination will jump against the clock in the second phase where the top 50 will be decided across both qualifiers and qualify for their final on Saturday.
Windmill Farm Estate 6-Year-Old Qualifier
Over in the castle ring we kicked off with the first of the Windmill Farm Estate 6-year-old qualifiers, where we had 110 starters in the two-phase competition. Benjamin Bick came out on top, riding John Renwick’s, “Michelob” just only 0.11 seconds over Nicole Pavitt in a second. The second qualifier will take place on Friday morning and will be when we find out which combinations qualify for the 6-year-old final on Sunday.
Benjamin Bick with Michelob (GBR
Nicole Pavitt with Cornet of Follyfoot (GBR)
Nicole Lockhead Andeson with Quanthargos PS (GBR)
Photos courtesy of 1st Class Images
Helite UK CSI1* 1.25
The first of our International classes was the Helite UK CSI 1* 1.25 in the Castle Arena. This two-phase was won by the ever consistent, Mark Edwards and Casque d’OR (owned by Amber Bundock) in a time of 21.76, beating Tallulah Mackenzie Smith in second and Lucille Jane Porter in third.
Mark Edwards with Casque d’OR (GBR)
Tallulah Mackenzie Smith with Karaibes (GBR)
Lucille Jane Porter with Lufrieda (GBR)
Al Shira’aa 7 Year Old Qualifier
A dominant performance once again from Ben Bick saw him and Diamonds Diabolo Z take the win in the Al Shira’aa 7-year-old qualifier where he also took third, with John Crippen snatching second. Out of the 79 starters, 23 jumped double clear and 16 combinations in the prize money. The second qualifier on Friday will determine the top 50 that will qualifier for Sunday’s final.
LeMieux CSI2* 1.30
The final class of the day in the Castle ring was the first of the LeMieux 2* classes. Kara Whiteway came out on top of the hotly contested 1.30 class out of 74 combinations, with a time of 21.92 just under a second ahead of Ireland’s Sven Headley and Philip Spivey in third.
The final day at the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show on Sunday delivered plenty of intense action across all classes, from the ultra-competitive big-money Dodson & Horrell CSI3* Grand Prix, to the fun Fancy Dress Mini Major pairs relay.
The climax of the week came when title partner Dodson & Horrell’s 1.50m Grand Prix took to the ring. It was won by Louise Saywell with Kingsborough Kasper, second was Angelie Von Essen on Daniel and third, Robert Murphy on How Easy.
This highly-revered event at Bolesworth has been developed for the best of the best, the one riders aspire to win and is a huge test for both horse and rider. After two rounds of qualification, 50 riders were seeded through to the main event.
The course was designed by world renowned course designer Louis Konickx. Before the start of the class, Louis stated that he was using the event to test a few ideas ahead of designing the course at the World Championships at Herning in Denmark next month. Consequently, the course proved to be challenging, big and technical with a tight time resulting in only three riders going clear in the first round.
The top 25 per cent went through to the second round carrying faults forward from round one. The only three to go clear in round one put in faultless performances to fill the podium, with Louise Saywell leading from the front. She said: “I’m totally ecstatic with Kasper. In his last three or four Grand Prix’s he’s been double clear and in the top five. He won the last one at Keysoe two star, so this was a big one. He hadn’t done a 1.50m, but he’s just got such a lot of talent. We always believed he could do it, however, until they are doing it, you never know.”
-CSI 3* Grand Prix winner Louise Saywell with Kingsborough Kasper Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show 2022
Earlier in the day, Bolesworth’s managing director Nina Barbour donned her riding boots and won the opening class on home turf. She won the Röwer & Rüb Amateur 1.25m Grand Prix on her 12-year-old mare Ardis. Nina said: “I’m delighted with my horse Ardis; she is actually owned by my mum, Diana Barbour. She’s back from injury which has taken a few years but she’s a little star and I’m really happy with her.”
The Le Mieux CSI3* Mini Major class has always been a Bolesworth crowd-pleaser and didn’t disappoint. Professional and pony riders, all kitted out in fancy dress, engaged in a competition to each complete a round in the quickest time, with the fewest faults. The youngsters thrilled the Bolesworth crowd with their skill and determination and Guy Williams with team-mate Alex Leggott won the class in convincing style.
Elsewhere at the Dodson & Horrell International Horse Show, the Ride & Drive relay on Thursday, headed by England football legend Michael Owen and supported by Lexus Chester, kept the crowd on their feet cheering as the riders and drivers charged around the Bolesworth International arena.
The Science Supplements A-List Auction was presented to an enthusiastic audience on Friday evening, attracting intense bidding. Amazing Luck Z, a stunning 5-year-old gelding by Aganix out of the full sister of Cian O’Connor’s top ride Good Luck, topped the Ridden Lot, selling to Ireland for £105,000, while the hammer dropped on the Chacco Blue Yearling Chacornwall JHH Z at £36,000.
It was Ladies Day on Saturday where many hospitality guests took the opportunity to put on their glam rags to win exclusive prizes from the team at Liverpool One. And, throughout the weekend the show took on a family-orientated theme with dog shows, dog agility, pony rides and a Dressage horse simulator among the non-equestrian activities.
The next event at Bolesworth is the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, 10– 14August. This five-day young-horse showcase will feature additional attractions for the whole family and incorporate the World Breeding Jumping Championship Qualifiers for 2022. International Showjumping will run alongside the classes.
For more information on the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show and Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, visit: www.bolesworthinternational.com
Sunday Day 5 Results Roundup:
Dodson & Horrell CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix
1. GBR Louise Saywell/Kingsborough Kasper, 2. SWE Angelie Von Essen/Daniel, 3. GBR Robert Murphy/How Easy, 4. GBR Adrian Speight/Millfield Balony, 5. GBR Anna Power/McQueen, 6. GBR Yazmin Davis/Zanbowa Z, 7. GBR William Funnell/Equine America Billy Diamo, 8. IRL Anthony Condon/Sfs Vincomte, 9. GBR Annabel Shields/Creevagh Carisma, 10. IRL David Simpson/Medoc de Toxandria.
Röwer & Rüb Amateur 1.25m Grand Prix
1. GBR Nina Barbour/Ardis, 2. GBR Tony Pearson/Berlin, 3. GBR Dafydd Watkin Jones/Quando de L’Ecuyer
Le Mieux CSI3* Mini Major
1. GBR Guy Williams/Alex Leggott, 2. GBR Jay Halim/Summer Weirzbicki, 3. GBR Robert Murphy/Annabel Widdowson.
Cavago CSI3* 1.35m
1. GBR Harry Wainwright/Pinheiro Beech, 2. GBR Louise Saywell/Sharp Image, 3. GBR Mark Edwards/Ede Peasy.
Al Shira’aa CSI-YH 7-year-old Final
1. GBR James Whitaker/Just Call Me Henry, 2. GBR Louise Saywell/King Blue, 3. GBR James Smith/Wicked Vancouver.
Beaverbrooks CSI YH 5-year-old Final
1. GBR Emma Stoker/Comme Ci, Comme Ca, 2. GBR Drew Walton/Solid Gold Hs Z, 3. GBR Carmen Edwards/Escape The Gossip.
In the final part of this series, we look at team GB’s Jumping squad, to see if they have what it takes to win the gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Jumping Squad
Scott Brash (34) based in Horsham, West Sussex (from Peebles, Peeblesshire) with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Hello Jefferson (bay, gelding, 16.1hh, 12yrs, Cooper van de Heffink x Irco Mena.)
Breeder: Bernard Mols BEL, Groom: David Honnet.
Ben Maher (38) based in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, with Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright and his own Explosion W (chestnut, gelding, 16.1hh, 12yrs, Chacco-Blue x Baloubet de Rouet.)
Breeder: W Wijnen NED, Groom: Cormac Kenny.
Holly Smith (30) based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, with Ian Dowie’s Denver (bay, gelding, 17.1hh, 13yrs, Albfueheren’s Memphis x Chico’s Boy.)
Breeder: MG and AA Woertman NED, Groom: Kate Dodd.
Travelling reserve
Harry Charles (21) based in Alton, Hampshire, with Ann Thompson and his own Romeo 88 (bay, gelding, 17hh, 12yrs, Contact van de Heffinck x Orlando.)
Team GB Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Olympic Games, Mark England, said: “We are delighted to welcome returning Olympic gold medallists Scott and Ben to Team GB for the Tokyo Olympic Games who add an incredible amount of experience to this exciting side. I’d also like to congratulate Holly on her selection; a pivotal moment as she becomes the first female named on the Team GB jumping team in 45 years and we have no doubt that this debut Games will be a very special experience for both her and her teammates.”
Speaking about the selection, British Equestrian Performance Director and Equestrian Team Leader for Tokyo, Richard Waygood, said; “This is an exciting squad with three riders and incredibly talented horses in peak form ahead of the Games despite the challenges of competing with a COVID restricted calendar. There’s a great mix of experience and youth and will be a great sense of camaraderie in the camp as we strive to push for podium performances.”
The Jumping Squad Facts
● Holly Smith is the first woman to make an Olympic Showjumping team since 1976 when Debbie Johnsey just missed out on an individual medal in Montreal.
● Holly runs a hugely successful producing and dealing business with her husband Graham. Horses they have discovered for relatively low prices include Dougie Douglas who gave Holly her first big break; and Quarrycrest Echo who won eventing team gold at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon with Piggy French.
● Holly has juggled professional show jumping and running a successful business with being a mum to Rosie. She also hunts in her spare time. Rosie is also turning out to be a chip off the old block and proving a fearless and talented rider.
● In London 2012 Ben Maher and Scott Brash won Team GB’s first show jumping gold medal for 60 years.
● Reserve rider Harry Charles is the son of Peter Charles who also helped win the team gold in 2012 alongside Scott, Ben and Nick Skelton.
● This will be Hollie and Harry Charles’ first Olympic appearance.
● In 2015, Scott became the first and only rider in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam of show jumping- winning all three of the sport’s most prestigious events in a year.
● Scott retained the title of World No 1 in the Longines FEI world rankings for a whole 12 months- that is quite a feat.
● Scott’s horse philosophy: “I believe you can only achieve exceptional things if you build a partnership with a horse and that takes time and trust” and “Horses as family, always.”
● This will be Ben Maher’s fourth appearance at an Olympic Games. He first represented Britain in Beijing (2008) followed by London (2012) and then Rio (2016).
● Ben thinks his horse Explosion W is the greatest he has ever sat on. At one stage their future together was in jeopardy as the horse was up for sale. Luckily for Ben, he was bought by owners and Ben retained the ride.
● Explosion W was awarded the accolade of leading show jumping horse in the world in 2019. He is by Chacco Blue who has been one of the best represented horses amongst his progeny at most Championships since 2015. The stallion himself topped the prestigious WBFSH show jumping sire rankings for two years in 2018 and 2019.
● Di Lampard is Team GB’s first female chef d’equipe.
The FEI announced last night (1 March) that all international events in 10 countries in mainland Europe would be cancelled with immediate effect, until at least 28 March. This was due to an outbreak of the most serious strain of EHV-1 (Equine Herpes), the neurological form which attacks the central nervous system of the horse and is highly contagious. It is known so far that four horses have been euthanised over the weekend and 84 horses in Valencia alone had tested positive.
A spokesperson from the FEI refers to it as “the rapid evolution of a very aggressive strain of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1).” It has been traced back to Valencia in Spain and has already resulted in related outbreaks in at least three other countries in Europe.
This rule applies to all FEI sports, not just showjumping. However, the FEI have also decreed that in order to prevent huge numbers of horses simultaneously departing the Jumping Tours on the Iberian Peninsula, in Italy and Belgium that have been ongoing for a number of weeks, these specific Tours will be allowed to continue as individual “bubbles” on the condition that absolutely no new horses are allowed to enter the venues and no positive cases of Equine Herpes (EHV-1) are confirmed.
The Jumping Tour venues in Spain- Vejer de la Frontera, Portugal- Vilamoura and Italy- San Giovanni in Marignano and Gorla Minore (ITA) will have stringent biosecurity protocols in place and additional FEI Veterinary Delegates onsite. According to the FEI, horses will only be permitted to leave these venues when they are in possession of an official health certificate from the local Veterinary Authorities. Any horses leaving these venues without this documentation will be blocked on the FEI Database. It is also illegal to transport a horse without an official health certificate.
The popular Spanish venue of Oliva Nova had already advised the FEI that it will be cancelling the rest of its scheduled competitions in the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour III. Opglabbeek in Belgium has also informed the FEI that it has cancelled its events in March.
A number of European countries have already cancelled all their events to reduce transmission of the virus as far as possible. The UK- not part of the list, has not returned to competition due to Covid enforced lockdown conditions.
The ten countries in question are France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Poland, Netherlands, Germany and Slovakia. The decision has been made in accordance with FEI General Regulations Article 112.3, which state: “The Secretary General shall have the authority to remove any Competition and/or Event from the Calendar if justified circumstances relating to a Competition or the Event are established.”
Speaking on their decision, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said:
“This was not an easy decision to block events in mainland Europe, particularly after the major disruption to the FEI Calendar caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but this EHV-1 outbreak is probably the most serious we have had in Europe for many decades and our decision is based on clearly identified epidemiological risk factors.
This strain of EHV-1 is particularly aggressive and has already caused equine fatalities and a very large number of severe clinical cases. We need to keep our horses safe.
We are also aware that a large number of horses left the venue in Valencia without an official health certificate, meaning they had an unknown health status. Some horses were already sick, and the risk of transmission from these horses is a major concern.
Cancelling these competitions in mainland Europe, with the exception of the ongoing Jumping Tours in the Iberian Peninsula and Italy, limits the number of horses travelling internationally and therefore reduces the likelihood of this very serious virus being transmitted on an increasingly wider scale. We also strongly recommend that the affected member Federations should also cancel their national events.
We are very conscious of the fact that this is a very stressful and distressing time, and that this is potentially hugely disruptive for those athletes aiming for their Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) or confirmation results for Tokyo, but we are looking at ways to alleviate that in order to assist athlete/horse combinations in getting their MERs or confirmation results once the events in mainland Europe are allowed to resume.”
The FEI is conscious that some athletes have already arrived on competition venues or are en route, and is directly contacting all impacted athletes entered in Events between now and 28 March 2021.
A widespread testing programme is being carried out. Symptoms of Equine Herpes include:
High temperature
Nasal discharge
A dry cough
Loss of appetite
Reduced performance
Lethargy/depression
Unable to pass urine or droppings
Poor limb coordination- in severe cases unable to stand
It can be spread via direct horse to horse contact but also contaminated equipment, handler clothing or boots.
The London International Horse Show at Olympia signals a round-up of the equestrian year. This coupled with that festive feel-good factor shared amongst riders and spectators alike, makes it one of the best shows on the European circuit.
This year was no different and it further reinforced the gravitas of Olympia, which first took place in 1907 making it one of the oldest and most prestigious shows on the continent. With seven of the world’s top ten show-jumpers competing, including World Number one and two Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs. This together with the reigning Olympic dressage gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin plus Carl Hester and the FEI Driving World Champion Boyd Exell, proves the show as one of great significance to the equestrian world. And beyond- Olympia is one of only three British equestrian events still broadcast annually by the BBC.
The show attracted riders from a wealth of nations but in almost every discipline, it was British riders who dominated. With the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics less than seven months away, riders have something to prove to selectors. In addition, the end of January is the cut off point for horses to change hands if they are to be campaigned by riders at the Olympics. So you could say Olympia gave us a bit of a glimpse of what may be to come.
The Dressage World Cup class at Olympia is the only British qualifier for the Longines FEI World Cup Final and it was as hotly contested as ever amongst Britain’s leading riders. The top three places in both the FEI World Cup Dressage Grand Prix were filled by Charlotte Dujardin (Mount St John Freestyle) in first, Carl Hester (Hawtins Delecato) in second and Lottie Fry (Everdale) in third. It was something of a deja-vous the following day when the placings were replicated in the World Cup Freestyle to Music.
This was Charlotte’s fourth win in the FEI World Cup. Although it was a first with the talented British bred mare by Fidermark, having previously won it and set the record on Valegro. “This was her third ever Freestyle. The crowd felt even closer tonight and it was a difficult floorplan. She really tried and listened to me. I’ve had my highs and lows this year (referring to disqualification at the European Championships for blood on a flank) and it is great to end the year with such a positive ride.”
With the Olympics in mind, judge Andrew Gradner was particularly pleased with the British dressage domination: “These horses are young, so there is more to come. This is my favourite show and judging horses of this calibre here is such a treat.”
Olympia is a personal favourite for many leading British showjumpers and whilst there was the notable absence of John and Michael Whitaker from the line-up, Olympic gold medallists Ben Maher and Scott Brash both brought a team of horses and Holly Smith had three.
Whilst the World Cup was won by Swiss rider, Martin Fuchs on Sinner, Scott further cemented his place at the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas with a fifth placing on Hello Jefferson. Speaking in the press conference, Scott believes that this could be his mount for the Tokyo Olympics this year. Indeed the 10 year old gelding by Cooper vd Heffink seems to improve in form with each outing. The pair were crucial to the British FEI Nations Cup victory in Dublin back in August which set them in good stead for a team bronze and Olympia qualification at the European Championships in Rotterdam.
Scott pulled off another great display of horsemanship in the final class of the show, The Turkish Airlines Olympia Grand Prix. This time riding Hello Vincent, a recent purchase and previously the ride of Jodie Hall McAteer, the 19 year old British starlet who also had a good show with a win in the Voltaire Design Under 25 British Championship. Scott was notably enthusiastic about the young gelding. “I’m so proud of Vincent- he was amazing. Winning my last grand prix of the year, in front of a home crowd- it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Seven riders made it through to the jump-off and four of them were British. Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander was the only non-Brit to squeeze into the top four with a second place on brand new ride Identity Vitserol.
Third place went to Holly Smith on Hearts Destiny who has enjoyed her best season yet with a Nations Cup win and the Aga Khan Trophy in Dublin and a bronze medal at the Europeans. Holly enjoyed an outstanding Olympia and took the Leading Rider accolade by an incredible 28 points.
“I’m absolutely delighted with all three of my horses but Heart’s Destiny has taken me to places I’ve only dreamed of. The calibre of riders here at Olympia- seven of the world’s top 10- makes it all the more special.”
Fourth place in the Grand Prix went to 25 year old James Wilson, a new face on the British Nations Cup team this year. Riding Imagine de Maze, the mare has kept James starry eyed this year. “This horse has made all my dreams come true: my first World Cup, my first Nations Cup and now my first Grand Prix placing. She has catapulted me right up there and now I’ve got Tokyo in my sights.”
So in our humble opinion, and if Olympia is anything to go by, the Brits may have more than just Tokyo in their sights. Bring on the medals!
Scott Brash restored British showjumping hopes after winning the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup in Verona. Riding Lady Kirkham’s Hello M’lady, the Scotsman jumped the fastest clear round in the jump off to claim the title, in a strong field including World Number one Steve Guerdat.
“This means a lot and I am delighted with my horse” said Brash who heralds from Peebles in Scotland. “M’lady is a fantastic horse but a delicate mare. She can get a little stressed with the atmosphere so it took me a bit of time at the show just to get her to relax but her talent showed through today. She also jumped at the European Championships to help qualify Great Britain for the Olympics “.
Brash was on the team which won gold in the London 2012 but Britain’s success at team championship level has since been erratic. The 34 year old has also occupied the limelight less frequently of late, for a man who has been top of the world rankings more than once and was the first rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam, showjumping’s most lucrative prize in 2015. In a sport where you are only as good as the horse you are sat on, Brash has lacked the horsepower after many of his top horses have been retired or off with injury. Despite a prolific career, he is not yet qualified for Tokyo
Olympic ambitions are what motivates Brash. He has aimed for the World Cup Series to increase his chances of Olympic selection and with it, another gold medal. Whilst Britain has qualified for Tokyo, he needs to gain enough FEI points in order to be considered for a team or individual place. “The Olympics is on my mind. M’Lady is going to be one of my strongest contenders for next year. She has been off for quite a while through injury sustained a few years back but it is nice to feel her competitive at the top of the sport again. I have high hopes for next year”.
Last week we published a story about the future of British showjumping. This week we want to retract it. The Brits are back on top after decisive win at Dublin on Friday following on from Ben Maher claiming his fifth London Global Champions title.
When the going gets tough, the British get going. It was the final leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup at the Royal Dublin Show. Team GB were at the bottom of the Western European table after a disappointing season and the chance of qualifying for the Final seemed long gone. Our British riders showed enormous courage, stoicism. Di Lampard’s team of Ben Maher, Scott Brash, Holly Smith and Emily Moffitt, jumped phenomenally to finish the two round competition on just one time penalty. Some 11 points ahead of Italy in second with Ireland in third on 16 points.
The Nations Cup victory propelled the British team from the bottom of their division to seventh place – a result which has booked them a ticket to the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona. The significance of this is that it offers another chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in addition to the European Championships in Rotterdam, later this month.
This has been a challenging period for British showjumping who despite winning team gold in London 2012 and individual gold in Rio 2016 are still not qualified for Tokyo 2020. They are also reliant on good results to retain their significant Lottery Funding. For the majority of the Nations Cup season Britain have existed at the bottom of the table for the Western European League. The pressure was immense in Dublin, yet they put in a stellar performance and pulled off victory without needing Holly Smith to compete in the second round.
It must have come as a huge relief to Performance Manager Di Lampard who has been challenged by a lack of choice available to the British team in terms of strong horse-rider combinations, for a number of seasons. She was full of praise for the number of loyal British owners who have put their faith in the British system and made their horses available for these championships.
“We’ve ridden the storm this season, we’ve had the downs and the difficulties, but it had to change, some time and with a good team and the right spirit I felt it was going to come right this week”said Di after collecting the coveted Aga Khan Trophy, at a prize-giving ceremony attended by The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. This was the 27th British win of the prestigious Aga Khan Trophy in the 93 year history of the event.
Di herself has been a winning rider of this trophy, during her career as a leading showjumper. “I remember 1996, winning the Aga Khan Cup with Abbervail Dream, the sportsmanship of the crowd was incredible as we went toe to toe with the Irish” she reflected.
“With the win we secure a place in the Barcelona final and we were determined to carry that out – the Aga Khan trophy was always coming home with us!” As she pointed out, there’s been something of a generational shift going on in British showjumping.
“Over the last three years we’ve been producing young riders and a larger squad of riders, and you can’t rush these things. They need the right horses and they need owners to stick with them and that all takes time”she explained. The changing of the guard can indeed be a painful process, but today’s result showed that British showjumping is definitely on an upward curve once again.
Rider injury has also plagued the British camp and three of the team members have suffered heavy falls in recent week. This was Holly Smith’s first competition back since breaking her shoulder five weeks ago. Amanda Derbyshire, who has had a successful show at Dublin but was not competing in the Nations Cup. Her other top horse Roulette, was sidelined after a crashing fall of horse and rider at the Hickstead Nations Cup last month which left Amanda in hospital with facial injuries and her horse at Newmarket Equine Hospital where he is recovering well.
With this pivotal victory achieved in fine style, Di Lampard is focused on the Longines FEI European Championships later in the month where Maher, Brash and Smith will be joined by Amanda Derbyshire and Laura Renwick on the British Team. “Now we are really confident about going to Rotterdam and winning a medal and our place in Tokyo” she said.
Should we be worried about the state of British Showjumping?
After winning team gold in London 2012 and individual gold in Rio 2016, it seems hard to believe that Team GB have not even qualified for Tokyo 2020. After a disappointing Nations Cup Series where Britain are at the bottom of their division which will mean they cannot qualify for the Nations Cup Final. Our final chance for Olympic qualification comes with the FEI Longines European Championships in Rotterdam, Holland, which take place from 19–25 August 2019.
Yet all is not lost, the Brits are famous for pulling it out the bag when it really matters. They have been here before and it was a similar “last chance saloon” story before Rio. Furthermore with two Olympic gold medallists, currently Britain’s highest FEI-ranked showjumpers on the list in Ben Maher and Scott Brash, supported by three talented girls, their chances are strong.
The selected squad has been named by British Showjumping selectors as:
Scott Brash MBE (33 years) from Peeblesshire and based in West Sussex with Lady Pauline Kirkham & Lady Pauline Harris’ Hello M’Lady (bay, mare, 13yo, Indoctro x Baloubet du Rouet).
Amanda Derbyshire (30 years) from Leyland in Lancashire and based in the USA with Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Luibanta BH (bay, mare, 11yo, Luidam x Abantos).
Ben Maher MBE (36 years) from Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire with Poden Farms’ Explosion W (chestnut, gelding, 10yo, Chacco Blue x Baloubet Du Rouet).
Laura Renwick (44 years) from Maldon in Essex with Arabella Prior’s Dublin V (chestnut, gelding, 11yo, Vigaro x Calvados).
Holly Smith (30 years) from Wymeswold in Leicestershire with TJ Hall Ltd’s and her own Hearts Destiny (British Bred) (bay, gelding, 10yo, Heart Throb x Rabino).
Performance Manager Di Lampard said “The European Championships this year are absolutely crucial if we are to qualify for the Olympic Games at Tokyo next year. I have full faith that the selection panel have put together a very strong team who could not only secure a qualifying ticket for Tokyo but also medal in both the Team and Individual Finals. I would like to personally thank all the owners that have made their horses available and of course the riders who are as committed as I am to delivering for Great Britain. In addition I extend my thanks to the dedicated support team at the BEF and British Showjumping who also play a vital role”
British Showjumping Chief Executive Iain Graham commented “We go forward to Rotterdam with a strong team in whom I have full confidence. In Ben and Scott we have two London 2012 Team Gold medallists who have also held the top spot individually on the world ranking lists. Both Holly and Amanda have proven themselves as Championship Team riders and Laura Renwick has been having consistent success at top level. I would like to congratulate the entire team on their selection and also thank the owners who have generously made their horses available for the British campaign as we set our sights on Tokyo.”
According to Scott Brash, he has been saving his horse for this opportunity. “My plans for Hello M’Lady this year have been entirely based around preparing her for the Europeans, so that I knew she would be ready for these all-important championships from where we need to qualify for Tokyo 2020. I was delighted to receive the call-up for the team and would like to take this opportunity to thank my owners Lord and Lady Kirkham and Lord and Lady Harris for their ongoing support.”
Amanda Derbyshire who suffered a dramatic fall in the FEI Nations Cup at Hickstead is excited to be a mainstay of the team. She was best of the Brits at the World Equestrian Games in Tyron last year on Luibanta. “I couldn’t be any happier to be selected for what will be my second Championships. Obviously I wish I hadn’t had a fall recently but I feel confident that I and Luibanta will be going to the Championships in fighting form.”
Ben Maher will be bringing his Global Champions Tour Champion Explosion W. “Representing Great Britain at championship level is always an honour and I would like to thank the Moffitt family and Poden Farms for making their outstanding horse, Explosion W, available for Rotterdam. This is a crucial championships for us in terms of qualifying for Tokyo and I am delighted to be part of the team that has been entrusted to deliver that all-important Olympic ticket.”
The ever green Laura Renwick has made a number of Nations Cup appearances but this will be her first championship for Team GB. “I’m really excited and proud to have been selected to represent my country at not only my first European Championships but also one that is extremely important to Great Britain in terms of Olympic qualification. I would like to thank my owner Arabella Prior and her family who own Dublin V and of course my husband John for his ongoing support and belief in me.”
Holly Smith is another consistent performer with ice cool nerves and a seriously talented partner in Hearts Destiny. “I’m delighted and honoured to be representing Great Britain again on a Championship team. We have a serious task ahead of us in Rotterdam in respect of qualifying for Tokyo and I’m absolutely focused on giving it my best shot at making sure we do just that.”
In any sport when the underdog wins, it makes for great entertainment. So when the Mexican team took a decisive victory in the very first leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida the press conference was a joyous affair.
The youthful foursome fought off some of the world’s most successful nations including the USA, Canada, and Ireland. In fact, it was the youngest two Mexican riders with the least team experience who sealed the deal with their double clear performances. These came from 23-year-old Eugenio Garza Perez riding Victer Fin DHZ and 24-year-old Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane on the athletic grey mare Hortensia van de Leeuwerk. The other two riders played their part with low-faulted rounds from Fernando Martinez Sommer (29) on Cor Bakkar and Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado (25) riding Tino la Chapelle.
Tryon’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 course designer, Ireland’s Alan Wade, set a track that tested rideability, and the final line of a one-stride triple combination to big oxer proved the undoing of many. However with three first-round clears the Mexicans were already in command at the halfway stage on a zero score, trailed by Ireland and USA on eight, Israel close behind with nine, last year’s Wellington winners from Canada on 12 and the three-member Colombian side already trailing the field with 16 on the board.
The Mexican quartet kept a cool head and clung on to their lead in the second round, which caught out a number of the world’s leading riders such as World No 2 Mclain Ward and Beezie Madden who both faulted. Fernando Martinnez Sommer commented on the technicality of the course. “The course was difficult enough, for me my horse has a very big stride so I had to go a bit steady all the time.”
All four riders were quick to praise their Chef d’Equipe Constant van Paesschen, not just for their Nations Cup victory but what he has delivered to Mexican showjumping during his short career so far. Stany van Paesschen had similar positive words “From when I came two years ago, I said I am going to try as much as I can to push some young riders forward. We have some great young riders but we also have some great support from professional and older riders. I think we have a great team.”
Garza Perez, who trains with legendary Irish rider Eddie Macken and is the only member of the Mexican side to be based in the USA, said: “Today’s result is a testament to the quality of the next generation of young Mexican riders.”
He was a member of the historic site that posted that spectacular win in Dublin last August. “That day was an inspiration to us all!” he pointed out. And now the main Mexican goal is a place at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2019.
“There’s an Olympic place on offer in Barcelona and we intend to take it!” He said.
Team Israel had a great show too. Daniel Bluman’s double-clear with Ladriano Z bolstering an impressive all-round performance that saw them add nothing to their first-round nine-fault tally for the second spot. The Americans looked strongest at the outset, with an extremely experienced team of Beezie Madden, McLain Ward and Laura Kraut joined by young star Lucy Deslauriers. But single errors proved costly, so they will be hoping to turn the tables when their regional League moves to Mexico next time around. Only Mexico, USA, and Canada were entitled to qualifying points in today’s competition, so they claimed 100, 80 and 60 points respectively.
