EVENT & READER REPORTS
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS: LOCAL RIDERS REPRESENT GREAT BRITAIN L-R Sarah, Suzannah, CarrieAnne and Sophie
our members of Saffron Walden & District Riding Club took their horses to France recently to represent Great Britain at the World Club Tournament and have returned home with Gold medals. The club, as 2018 British Riding Clubs 100cm Show Jumping National Champions, was selected by British Riding Clubs to represent Great Britain. The team members were: Sophie Reason from Sible Hedingham, riding Heartstopper (Angelina), Carrie-Anne Adams from Halstead riding The Drover (Dan), Sarah Hamlett from Linton riding Grafique Banta (Banta) and Suzannah Engelmann from Saffron Walden riding Lissin Rocket (Rocky). The temperatures whilst in France were between 38° and 44° which made conditions very
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L-R Sarah Hamlett and Grafique Banta (Banta), Carrie-Anne Adams and The Drover (Dan), Sophie Reason and Heartstopper (Angelina), Suzannah Engelmann and Lissin Rocket (Rocky)
tough and the welfare of the horses the team’s top priority. The competition took place over two days and three rounds with best three scores to count in each round. All four riders left all the jumps up in round one to finish on a score of zero along with Chile, France and Morocco. They clocked up another three clears in round two, with just one time penalty to add to finish
in the lead on a score of one, ahead of Italy on eight faults in second with Ireland in third on eleven faults. Going into round two Great Britain were seven penalties ahead and jumping last (reverse order of standings). Italy’s first rider jumped clear, as did Britain’s first rider Sarah. Then came another clear from Italy’s second rider whilst Sophie
jumped well to lower just one pole for four faults. Italy then confirmed their final score as eight penalties with a third clear whereas Carrie-Anne’s horse was unsettled by the rain that had started to fall from an incoming storm and had uncharacteristic fences down. The storm then broke with wind and rain that completely flattened the jumping course and the competition was temporarily halted. As the scores stood the Italians would complete on a score of eight penalties and the British team were carrying five penalties with one rider still to jump. They needed a clear round to win. After thirty minutes the storm abated and competition resumed. It was a long a tense wait for Britain’s final rider who would jump last of the whole competition. Finally, Suzannah entered the arena and to much relief delivered the required clear round to secure the Gold medal for Great Britain with Italy taking Silver and Belgium Bronze. It was such an amazing experience for four regular riding club riders to get to compete internationally. To win for their country and then have a full podium medal ceremony including British National Anthem was incredible and a very proud moment.