Royal Windsor Horse Show - Day Three
Jumping
John Whitaker sped round the Castle Arena this afternoon to win the Martin Collins International grade A class with Beth Gillespie’s Tadmus. He displayed his mastery in horsemanship after the 10-year-old stallion spooked coming into the first element of the final double.
“I don’t know exactly what it was but something caught his eye,” said John. “And I’d already taken an extra stride to the fence.”
John pushed Tadmus on and he gave an enormous leap over the oxer and sailed cleanly over the last fence to set the winning time.
“He’s very quick across the ground and a competitive ride,” said John, who has partnered Tadmus since the beginning of the year. “I’ll be taking him abroad some more over the summer to help him gain more experience.”
If speedster Geoff Luckett jumps a clear round in a class, it’s not often he is beaten. And so it was in the BHS Frogmore Arena in the grades A and B jump-off, which he topped with the Old Lodge’s Brickfield Boy.
The class attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd who surrounded the arena and packed the grandstand. The competition provided them with plenty of entertainment and plenty of opportunity for oohs, aahs and cheers.
Geoff’s job wasn’t made easy however, as Louise Pavitt had set a strong target with her first day’s Land Rover grades B and C winner Warrior, but he managed to pip her by half a second.
The winner of today’s grades B and C handicap was Julie Andrews and the eight-year-old bay gelding Oslo Du Pre Fleurie, from the grade C section.
The winner of the senior intermediate top score jumping AmTrust Equine RWHS British Riding Club Championships was Rosie Stevens on her own horse Gracie.
Showing
Some of the finest examples of Britain’s native breeds lined up in Royal Windsor’s Castle Arena on Friday to contest the Land Rover Mountain and Moorland In Hand Championship.
Breeds on show in the highly competitive class included Welsh ponies and cobs, Shetlands, New Forest, Dartmoor, Dales, Fell, Exmoor Highlands and Connemaras, with the youngest entry a foal aged just three-weeks.
The supreme title was eventually handed to striking eight-year-old Fell stallion Llancloudy Gabriel, shown by Jules Jordan, who has owned him since he was seven months old.
“It’s his temperament which makes him so special,” said Jules, “he takes everything in his stride but also loves to show off.
“He’s a stallion but I can take him on sponsored rides, travel him with other horses in the lorry and he’ll also cover a mare and then happily go for a hack,” she added.
Pulled in reserve was black Dales mare Sunglow Black Pearl, owned by Suzanne Hobday.
Crowds were treated to an elegant mid-afternoon spectacle as the hack class winners went forward for the Count Robert Orssich Hack Championship sponsored by Horse and Hound.
The supreme title was taken by Small Hack class winner Katie Davis and her 11-year-old part-bred Arab Kingsford Silver Spray.
“He was fantastic, he was foot perfect,” said Katie, who lives just 30 minutes drive from the showground in Harefield,
She admitted to being emotional at her win with the grey gelding, who was bought unseen from Scotland as a three-year-old.
“It doesn’t matter how many times you win at Windsor, it’s still a very special show to win,” she said.
The reserve spot was taken by Large Hack class winner Katie Hounsom and Classic Top Totty, a bay mare by Trifolio.
Jayne Webber continued her domination of the Royal Windsor cob classes by taking the championship title with five-year-old novice Fait Acobblie.
The chestnut gelding’s owner Carol Bardot also won the title last year with her heavyweight riding cob the Keystone Cob.
