Equestrianism
Eventing gets underway... just BY JULIA DUNGWORTH
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The Fitzwilliam Hunt had an amazing turnout for George Adams’ testimonial meet at Milton Park on March 2 where they hunted until 5.45pm and I’m sure would have carried on had it not been for the lack of light. There were more than 200 mounted plus a plethora of foot followers all to wish George goodbye – he has been hunting for 44 years and I’m sure he will be irreplaceable. Hunting has nearly finished for the season apart from a few of the smaller packs who will keep going until the end of March. After a deluge of rain, some of the last meets have been cancelled or cut down to a one-horse day, but luckily all the local packs managed their last official meets and again with spring almost happening overnight, they were all massively well supported as usual. With the end of hunting, the point-to-point season is well underway. The Cottesmore made a great start at Garthorpe at the end of February, when more than a thousand people endured the Baltic conditions to watch a great afternoon of racing. There were doubles for trainers Gerald Bailey and Tommie Morgan and also wins for leading jockeys Gina Andrews and Claire
Hart. One of the best performances of the day came from Agent For Chaos who was a winner in the Maiden at Thorpe Lodge just a fortnight before with part-owner Kelly Morgan on board. Here Sam Davies-Thomas rode him in the restricted race but the performance was no less impressive and he finished very strongly, a distance ahead of Brianogue. The horse has only been in the Morgan yard for six weeks, having been spotted in Ireland, but will now look for an intermediate to contest the rest of the season. Wittering Academy’s (and Julia Dungworth Eventing!) arena eventing series has reached its finale. This year we were blessed with breaks in the weather for all three competitions. The last competition in February saw record entries and a double again for Linda Cowd riding Tommahawk. Not only did she win the 75 & 58cm, it also meant that lucky Linda won the league too and walked away with a huge swag supplied by Nagsessentials. Maddie Price riding her own horse Moss was a hugely popular winner in the 1m open, again having been victorious in December meant that she also took the league. It was not a great start to the eventing season again with the sad death of Olivia
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Inglis who was tragically killed after a rotational fall. Even though it wasn’t in Britain, the aftershock was felt across the continent and filled our social media pages with over three million people posting tribute photos in support. You may have seen some of the posts #rideforolivia, where her friends and family are planning to use them to make a mosaic. Eventing in this country also took a hammering with the weather and many events cancelled their first events including locally at Oasby, which luckily only managed to get away with cancelling the first day, which is even more unfortunate as Oasby very generously give a pound from each competitor to charity! Nicole Mills is obviously benefiting from her new facilities at Casewick Stud and pulled off a win in the BE90 with Silver Banner Girl. Also Tamsyn Iveson won one of the 90 sections on her own Dougie, made extraspecial as it was the horse’s first ever event and a horse that Tamsyn had broken in herself. Oliver Townend probably pulled off the best performances of the weekend with a win in the Open Intermediate with Black Tie and a third with Dromgurphy Blue.
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“Great beers, great food and a great atmosphere” Traditional pub food but so much better! Come and find out about our Gin Club! www.bluebellhelpston.pub 01733 252 394 10 Woodgate, Helpston, PE7 7ED
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/// A P R I L 2016
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70-71 SR football OK.indd 61
20/03/2016 11:41