For the second year in succession, Angus rider Lucy Guild and her “superstar” Titi D’Oase were crowned Young Masters Champions at the Royal Highland Show.
“He’s such a class horse,” explained Lucy of the Grade A Burgraaf-sired 15-year-old bred out of the Elmshorn mare Oase Van De Hefinck which has won in excess of £44,000 to date in his showjumping career.
“He just wants to win.”
They bagged their ticket to the final at the Highland at Fife Show, but also later won the 1m30 qualifier at Tillyoch, before heading to Bramham as a pre- Highland warm-up.
“I had drawn a plan in my mind before the jump off, so I knew what I was going to do regardless of the time that anyone set in front of me,” said Lucy, drawn third to go in the arena.
Indeed, setting the bar as the first to go in the jump-off and ultimately running out the second prize winner was Lucy’s younger sister Aimee Bell and her powerful gelding Cameron Poe.
“It was a long gallopy course, with just a handful of turn-backs, so it really was just a case of putting your foot to the throttle and going for it in the hope the clock stopped fast enough,” said Lucy.
But fast enough she certainly was when Titi pulled out all the stops to clinch an unassailable lead. “I went back into the arena later in the jump-off with my younger mare (Hugana Vant Heike ) with the aim of bettering my own time again but she had an unlucky pole.
“She’s certainly proved herself one for the future, though.”
Lucy co-owns eight-year-old Hugana, which is the reinging Winter Grade C Champion, with Fiona Good. Lucy who rides from a base at Drumcarrow, outside St Andrews, but who works full time at her father’s building company in Forfar to fund her riding took her top prize money from Ingliston’s vast grass main arena, but she was also full of praise for the new £500,000 all-weather jumping arena in ‘Ring 6’.
She said the new high-performance Pro-Wax and Equaflow surface system, installed by London 2012 games suppliers Andrews Bowen Ltd and spanning 100m by 56m, is undoubtedly now “the best outdoor arena in Scotland”.
“It was amazing to ride on. In fact it got better and better as the show went on,”said Lucy.
“I just hope show organisers will take advantage of the facility and it will pave the way for more shows throughout the year at Ingliston. Scottish riders are desperate to benefit from the investment,” she added.
Romping home with the one-two podium double from the highly sought after Andrew Hamilton Foxhunter Championship final was Kelly Connor-Baillie, riding Zeldzaam and Cartier V respectively.
Applauded for her “flawless” riding over the duration of the show which also saw her collect second prize money in the Grade C Championship final Kelly returned home to Kirkcaldy from Ingliston wearing the leading Scottish rider’s crown.
Kelly picked up the ride on both horses, which are owned by South Africa’s Savannah Price a student at St Andrews University as a “catch ride”.
Savannah bases both Zeldzaam and Cartier V with former top Scottish rider Douglas Duffin, near Dollar, but he was competing at Bolesworth over the same weekend.
“They were both being specifically aimed at towards the Foxhunter Championship final,”said Kelly. “Luckily I qualified each of them on their attempts at SNEC and Newmilns.”
Progessing to the final, which was held on the all-weather Ring 6, Kelly was drawn first in the first-round on Zeldzaam and well down the order in 28th on Cartier.
“When I walked Mark McGowan’s track I did think it was tough, with a few tricky lines, both of which were going towards the stand and the sponsors,” said Kelly.
“However, it was also the style of course which suited both horses as it needed a good canter from start to finish.”
Returning to the jump-off, again drawn first with Zeldzaam, Kelly said it really was a case of “throwing caution to the wind”.
“I knew I had Cartier still to follow him and, because the new surface felt amazing, I had the confidence to go slightly faster than I might previously have done in the old grass ring.”
Laying down the gauntlet, Kelly’s time with Zeldzaam proved unassailableand even she was unable to better it on Cartier.
There were ultimately only three double-clears across the field: “They both really gave it their all but I think Zeldzaam really clinched it with his turn out of the double.
“He is super nimble and I knew that I could turn him in mid-air and trust him to leave the fence standing.
“I was over the moon with both horses as this was undoubtedly their biggest test to date,” she said.
Across the junior sections, Fife rider Fraser Reed finally nailed an elusive Royal Highland win when he stormed around the 148cm championship jumpoff riding Gordon and Katie Selby’s 13-year-old mare Bay Friend the reigning JC Indoor Champion to bag the only double clear.
The Bell Baxter school pupil who stables at Edenside, Guardbridge, and trains with Alistair and Raymond Gatherum had nine cracks of the whip to secure a red rosette from Ingliston having qualified various ponies across the 138cm, 148cm and JC finals, but the sale of his former HOYS partner Mr JK in advance of the show paved the way for Bay Friend to become his front runner.
Qualifying at the first available opportunity Bay Friend bagged her ticket for the RHS with a win at SNEC, back in March.
“We set off pretty steady over the first half of the course, but once I got the double of uprights out the way I was able to up the pace over the final line,” said Fraser.
“My time ultimately could have been beaten, but the other six combinations all had poles by trying to go faster,” he added.
“I just love jumping at the Highland.
“The new surface rode brilliantly allowing for much tighter turns than if the arena had still been grass.”
Since forging his riding career at the age of seven, Fraser has represented the bronze medal Scottish team at under-10 in Ireland and alongside Bay Friend brought home a silver medal from the Welsh Home Pony International as part of the Scottish 148cm team last year.
In October, Fraser also achieved a third place with Mr JK at the Horse of the Year Show.
He heads next to the British Masters at Southview and will also contest the JC Final at Hickstead.
equestrian@thecourier.co.uk RESULTS
Ultrabed Highland Challenge: 1 Johnathan Dixon, Albion Qc; 2 Emily Ryder, Zippo III; 3 David Harland, Fauber.
Jim and Jean Gillespie Memorial A and B Stakes: 1 Julie Andrews, Ayrton IV; 2 Alec Trickett, One Two Watch II; 3 Aileen Craig, Ayrton UH.
Addington Manor HOYS Talent Seekers: 1 Julie Andrews, The Drawness; 2 Kimberly White, Heathrow; 3 Lance Whitehouse, Shadow Ladel; also qualified Leo Lorimer, Candela 50.
BS International Stairway: 1 Kerry Brennan, Wellington M; 2 Tim Stockdale, Bling Bling IV; 3 Chloe Winchester, Avoca Valkyrie.
Power and Performance Grade C Championship final: 1 Mark Turnbull, Cartouch III; 2 Kelly Connor-Baillie, Zeldzaam; 3 Nicholas Williams, Ali III.
Andrew Black Haulage and Storage A and B Championship final: 1 Christopher Moorhouse, Hamilton H; 2 Chloe Winchester, Hi Midnight Millie; 3 Christopher Smith, Use Me.
NSR Communications Ltd Mini Major: 1 Amanda Millin and Nicole Lockhead Anderson; 2 Alex Barr and Sandy McLean; 3 David Harland and Crista Lockhead Anderson.
Saltire 1m40 Breakfast Stakes: 1 Chloe Winchester, Zandokan H; 2 Chloe Winchester, Hi Midnight Millie; 3 Kimberly White, Vogue II.
Sign Company and Danny’s Snacks 138cm Championship final: 1 Shaunie Greig, Drumaclan Flight; 2 Olivia Gillespie, Shappen Pilgrim; 3 Atlanta Vailionis, Tate Mist.
Sign Company and Danny’s Snacks 128cm Championship final: 1 Shaunie Greig, Bellfield Benjamin; 2 Shaunie Greig, High Chaparral; 3 Shaunie Greig, Madonna.
Andrews Bowen Grand Prix: 1 Julie Andrews, Ayrton IV; 2 Chloe Winchester, Avoca Valkyrie; 3 Graham Lovegrove, Cento Love.
Liz Fox JC Championship final: 1 Cameron Rogan, Landlord III; 2 Robbie Clancy, My Castlehill Lass; 3 Nicole Lockhead Anderson, Gangnam Style.
Sign Company and Danny’s Snacks 148cm Championship final: 1 Fraser Reed, Bay Friend; 2 Cameron Rogan, Landlord III; 3 Alexander Mclean, Red Flamenco.
Andrew Hamilton Foxhunter Championship final: 1 Kelly Connor-Baillie, Zeldzaam; 2 Kelly Connor-Baillie, Cartier V; 3 Amanda Jane Millin, Grauffs Clear Round.
ChemCem Accumulator: 1 Jemma Kirk, Quelisto; 2 Stephen Crosby, TGF Rubin; 3 David Harland, Fauber.
The Aurora Hotel Collection RHS Amateur Championship final: 1 Janette Walker, Bo-Gi; 2 Rachel Duff, Zonieke 2; 3 Sandra Low- Mitchell, Westmur Daniel.
The Equi-Trek Dumfries Young Masters Championship final: 1 Lucy Guild, Titi D’Oase; 2 Aimee Bell, Cameron Poe; 3 Graham Babes, Boucheron.
Four-year-old Potential Sports Horse: 1 Graham Babes, Glencoe; 2 Sandra Low-Mitchell, Laurbergs Corsini; 3 Robert Brewster and Son, Gibsy.
Five-year-old Potential Sports Horse: 1 Holly Miller, Felicio III; 2 Margaret Matthews, Master Calvaro; 3 Laura Hutt, Robin II.