4 minute read
Showjumping The final
The showjumping causes plenty of snakes and ladders movement, but Piggy March and Vanir Kamira ultimately win with a fence in hand
JUST Andrew James and Celtic Morning Star jumped clear in the morning session and they had 1.6 time-faults.
Many of these early riders struggled to nail the 77 seconds time allowed, with faults coming from all areas of the course. The challenge was designed for the first time by Paul Connor and included some roll-backs, plus a double and a treble combination.
There are subtle undulations in this main arena, which are not noticeable until you actually walk the ground, and these contribute to a successful negotiation of the coloured poles.
The afternoon got underway with Pippa Funnell jumping out of order on Billy Walk On, who bagged a super clear to finish eighth, climbing from 13th after cross-country.
Other early clear rounds came from Tom Crisp with Liberty And Glory and Cornelia Dorr with Daytona Beach 8, both mares looking class.
Tim Price and the rangy Bango dropped from 12th to 17th after dislodging three rails and incurring 0.8 of a time-fault. A similar fate befell Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser, when they had two down, but they actually climbed two places into 12th.
FEELING FRESH
RICHARD JONES and Alfies Clover’s clear round never looked in doubt, with the 15-year-old making great use of his scope and carefulness to move up four places to seventh.
“We leave Alfie quite fresh as he knows what he’s doing now and he always comes out fresher on the last day – it takes a fairly special horse to do what he did yesterday and come out and jump like that today,” said Richard.
Wills Oakden (Oughterard Cooley) and Pippa Funnell (Majas Hope) then had 12 and 16 faults respectively, dropping to 13th and 16th.
Alice Casburn continued to impress when making the track look like a walk in the park, jumping clear with Topspin. She appears to have a very cool head, although admitted that she used to struggle with nerves such that she cried at the prospect of jumping 70cm.
“I’m just in shock,” said Alice, who finished fifth. “I shake when I get off for a good couple of minutes. I can’t believe it – to have finished off my year like this is phenomenal.”
Bubby Upton knew the writing was on the wall with Cola III as soon as she jumped the first warm-up fence, and they ultimately had four down, relegating them from seventh to 14th.
“Yesterday really took it out of him,” said Bubby, who was held at the final horse inspection.
Kitty King’s “tough” week continued when Vendredi Biats tapped off fence five, but they maintained overnight sixth.
Ros Canter’s Pencos Crown Jewel, who had never previously incurred more than eight faults in this phase, was another to fall foul of the final day test, adding 12 faults. This dropped them from fifth to 11th, but she is definitely one to watch.
A TENSE FINALE
TOM JACKSON and Capels Hollow Drift jumped a copybook clear round to propel them from fourth into the runner-up spot.
“That horse is just class,” said Tom. “To go round the crosscountry like he did yesterday and then jump like he did today – he makes my job so easy.“
Jonelle Price was a little disappointed to incur eight faults with Classic Moet, which
FINAL PLACINGS
1st Piggy March (GBR) on Vanir Kamira 2nd Tom Jackson (GBR) on Capels Hollow Drift 3rd Tim Price (NZL) on Vitali
Pippa Funnell scores an early clear round aboard Billy Walk On, climbing from 13th after crosscountry to eighth
ultimately dropped her one spot to fourth, but pleased with the overall result.
“When you’re up there in the mix, you dream of a clear round and what could be, but if you’d given me a top five at the start
of the week, I’d have been very happy,“ said Jonelle. “It’s still a phenomenal week for her – she showed why she deserves still to be here.”
Tim Price and Vitali started in second with six penalties in hand, and used up four of those at fence two, and then had the first and final parts of the treble at fence eight down too to drop to third.
“Showjumping is his weak phase, but he did a good performance in the dressage and
ALICE CASBURN
excelled yesterday,” said Tim. “That was bound to take its toll, especially on a horse that hasn’t been in this position before.”
When leaders Piggy March and Vanir Kamira came into the arena, they had 9.5 penalties in hand over Tom Jackson. Hearts were in mouths when she had the first part of the double down at fence four and Vanir Kamira proceeded to tap her way around the course. But they left the remaining poles in their cups, clinching victory to a truly rapturous reception from all those in Burghley Park.
“I think we hit every fence, we always have, sometimes they stay up, sometimes they don’t,” said Piggy. “This horse isn’t naturally the best mover or the best jumper. It’s her personality, her heart, her will to do the job for you that sets her apart.” H&H
