Drawn third from the final five in the Grand Prix jump off at the Kingsbarn Elite, Aimee Bell knew she simply had to stay clear to earn a podium finish.
Safe in the knowledge the top five riders had prize money guaranteed from a near £3,000 GP prize pot, it fell to the fastest four-faulter James Smith, from Dumfries and Galloway, to get the ball rolling in the jump off and throw down the gauntlet to the remaining four riders who had achieved a first-round clear.
Leaving the main arena penalty-free and with a rapid clear, the bar was set.
Aimee said this round dictated she had to keep a clean score sheet with her 12-year-old gelding Cameron Poe to prevent sliding down the leaderboard on speed.
“I opted for a steady round to stay double clear, which in the end proved good enough to clinch and keep the lead,” said the 16-year-old, who is in the middle of studying for five Highers at Fraserburgh Academy.
Juggling school work with showjumping from the north of Scotland has its challenges but Aimee said facilities like The Cabin Equestrian Centre have gone a long way towards helping her to succeed.
Indeed, it was at The Cabin where Aimee and Cameron Poe took the North East Open Championship at the Sunshine Tour last year, and where they have taken numerous wins from 1m15 to 1m30 level.
Aimee, who is supported by mother Sally and father John, a farmer, said she also travels to Fife as regularly as possible to train with former Scottish number one Douglas Duffin.
She said Douglas has helped her considerably with Poe a Grade A showjumper previously owned and ridden by him for around four years, but which Aimee has now owned for the last two.
Douglas also helps Aimee to warm up at shows and as a result played a role in not only her Grand Prix win on the Sunday at the Elite, but also her win in Saturday’s 1m30 open Bliss London Championship qualifier, in which she pipped him into second place with his HOYS puissance champion Volcano.
“I had to really go for the win in the 1m30 qualifier,” said Aimee.
“I went towards the end of the class and the time had been set really fast, so I had no option but to go for it.
“I’m so pleased with how Poe jumped, it was a great show.”
She added: “Obviously I’d love to qualify for HOYS or Olympia in the future, but in the meantime I’ll just keep on trying.”
Adding sibling rivalry to the Grand Prix tension, last into the arena Lucy Guild pulled out all the stops to try to nail the lead with her talented Titi D’Oase.
But despite a fast time, an unlucky rub relegated Lucy to second behind her younger sister, with Aimee’s round proving the only double clear of the class and worthy of the £1,000 top prize.
“James had set a quick time with one down so I knew I had to achieve a fast clear to win, or if I had one down I still had to be quicker than him,” said Lucy, who works full time for her father’s building company in Forfar to fund her showjumping.
“In the end, we had what is actually a really uncharacteristic pole so I put my foot down to ensure I could take the fastest time and get the money for second.”
Warming up for the Grand Prix, Lucy who is now based at Drumcarrow,
St Andrews, with Angus and Stephen Lohoar had started the four-day show with Titi as she meant to go on, snatching a win from Thursday’s 1m30 open.
“It was a win I really wanted as it was high prize money for a 1m30 class,” she explained.
“Again I was last to go, and the time set again by James was seriously quick so I’ve never ridden so fast in my life to get the win,” said Lucy.
Now 14-years-old, this Burgraaf-sired gelding was Lucy’s partner in winning the 2011 Young Riders Championship of Great Britain title at the Horse of the Year Show.
They had been placed third in the same championship final jumped over a 1m45 championship track in 2010.
Their track record also includes consistent placings in Young Riders at the London Olympia Horse Show, and an individual bronze medal at the Young Rider European championships in Comporta in 2011.
Lucy hopes to qualify for Olympia once more this year, for her final year in under-23s.
“We’ve always had an unlucky record in London, so I want to put that right at my last opportunity.
“Titi is an out and out superstar,” she said.
Across the show’s duration there were wins for numerous Courier Country riders, including rising star Mark Turnbull and event rider Wills Oakden, both from Fife.
Another Fife rider, Ellen Cameron, achieved the Newcomers’ win on the Saturday.
“I’ve been doing a lot of showjumping over the winter so we are getting braver at taking tighter turns,” explained Ellen, who took the class on her eight-year-old mare Hanleen Crown Jewels.
“I train with, and work part time for, Lisa Hood at her yard in Cupar and have a small set-up at home where I’m working with some young horses,” she said.
Ellen has produced Joules herself with Lisa’s help from BE90 level up to intermediate and international one-star eventing,
Hoping success runs in the family, Ellen is also bringing on another young horse Joules’ full sister with the aim of similar success.
l See also facing page for more from the Kingsbarn Elite.
Results
Thursday
1m20 open: 1 Mischa Irving, Zagy; 2 Douglas Duffin, Vaughan De Lozana; 3 Gillian Donnell, M2 Cruise. 1m30 open: 1 Lucy Guild, Titi D’Oase; 2 James Smith, Cumina; 3 Laura Hutt, Zidane X.
Friday
Newcomers: 1 Jemma Kirk, Titan Deschenes; 2 Amy Ogilvie, CMS Capital; 3 Shannnon Kelly, Hi Miss Coliene M. 1m10 open: 1 Jane Ault, Triomf L; 2 Fiona Burgoyne, Wise Talk; 3 Mercaddes McDonald, Ramzes II. Foxhunter/1m20 open: 1 Jemma Kirk, Tumoupi Pironnier; 2 Douglas Duffin, Hi Midnight Millie; 3 Jemma Kirk, Qualab De Safray. 1m25 open: 1 Jemma Kirk, Queusto; 2 Douglas Duffin, Hi Midnight Millie. 1m30 open Bliss Championship qualifier: 1 James Smith, Zeb; 2 Kelly Connor, Why Me II; 3 Laura Hutt, Zidane X. British novice: 1 Kirsty McCullough, Davinici Coda; 2 Daniel Scott, Something Special; 3 Emma Murry, Ballinteskin Felice. Discovery: 1 Mark Turnbull, Cincinatti II; 2 Margo King, Flo Fleve Van De Molen Kouter; 3 Declan Irvine, Ever Van Broaderhurst. 1m open: 1 Emma Murry, Clonbrock Misty; 2 Nicole Brogan, Ulixes; 3 Andrew Gray, Julius Caesar.
Saturday
British novice: 1 Lauren Moran, Parkview Girl; 2 Rachael Kane, Trust Me Charlie; 3 Daniel Scott, Gold Du Sud. Discovery: 1 Katie Maxwell, Gerlinda VH Molenhof; 2 Leah Johnstone, Bellaghy Conqueror; 3 Mary-Jane Clarke, Zaporto. 1m05 open: 1 Heather Denholm, Bowes Warrington Walter; 2 Olivia Mawson, Tesoro; 3 Shannon Kelly, Orpheus. Newcomers: 1 Ellen Cameron, Hanleen Crown Jewels; 2 Abby Carruthers, Way Auwega; 3 James Smith, Zotender.
1m10 open: 1 Douglas Duffin, Aslan II; 2 Mary-Jane Clarke, Baladine; 3 Denise Gilmour, Bentley M. Foxhunter: 1 Wills Oakden, Greystone Midnight Melody; 2 Douglas Duffin, Zambrotta; 3 Heather Denholm, Mr Uzzi. 1m20 open: 1 Mary-Jane Clarke, Baladine; 2 Sarah Gibb, Wot Not; 3 Mercaddes McDonald, Ramses II. 1m30 open Bliss Championship qualifier: 1 Aimee Bell, Cameron Poe; 2 Douglas Duffin, Volcano; 3 Declan Irvine, Hojmarks Rosetta.
Sunday
Foxhunter/1m20 open: 1 Ailsa Noble, Clincy Z; 2 Sarah Gibb, Wot Not; 3 James Smith, Santa. 1m30 open Bliss Championship qualifier: 1 Jordan Thompson, Oslo Du Pre Fleuri; 2 Mark Turnbull, Ashton Dolliepiere. Kingsbarn 1m40 Grand Prix: 1 Aimee Bell, Cameron Poe; 2 Lucy Guild, Titi D’Oase; 3 James Smith, Carmina. Newcomers: 1 Lucina Clark, Adonis GF; 2 Sarah Gibb, Ultimo Ashbank; 3 Abby Carruthers, Pocheon Boy. 1m10 open: 1 Sarah Gibb, Chellizana Z; 2 Hayley Brogan, Talis II. British novice: 1 Mischa Irving, Cento Blue; 2 Ashleigh Stein, Bamako Belle. Discovery: 1 Mischa Irving, Cassanetta; 2 Mischa Irvine, Cento Blue; 3 Mischa Irving, Why Not. 1m open: 1 Nicole
Brogan, Ulixes.