Relative British Showjumping newcomer Isabel Lindsay continued to make an impact on the junior sport in Scotland with another win at Strathallan Castle.
The show outside Auchterarder, run by the Central Scotland branch of BS, provides many competitors with a first opportunity of the year to find their feet on grass.It attracted riders from across the country offering eight Royal Highland Show qualifiers for junior and senior riders with tracks designed by Diane Beaumont and George Blackie respetively.
Riding her nimble dun pony Bailey XII, the Fife Hunt Pony Club member from Balcarres, outside Colinsburgh, continued an enviable run of form, having taken to the top of the rostrum on the lions share of her recent BS outings.
“Bailey is quite a forward going pony that doesn’t need much leg,” Isabel (12) reflected on her round at Strathallan.
Drawn fourth of the six-strong jump off for the class, she took all the shortcuts on offer, making light work of the up to height track to clock the fastest time.
“He has a big stride and really covers the ground but we also did all the turns that were there to save time,” she added.
Twice qualified for Hickstead now this year, Isabel has set her heart on achieving similar qualification for the Horse of the Year Show.
Enjoying a hugely successful year amidst the ranks of national showjumping both at BS and as representatives of the Fife Hunt PC they recently became one of only 10 partnerships across the UK to achieve selection to join the Rider Development Pathway, in Cheshire, next month.
They were also crowned champions of the Pony Club Dengie showjumping winter league following a tough run national battle at the championship final at Warwickshire College, Moreton Morrell.
Affiliated to showjump for a little over a year now, the reigning Scottish 138cms champions will now head to the Highland Show to stake their claim for another title.
Last year, their Highland performance was highlighted by taking second place in the hotly contested Liz Fox JC Championship in front of a packed crowd of spectators.
Fellow Fife rider Fraser Reed also enjoyed an exceptional run with his pony Mr JK, taking pole position from the small pony open class and standing second on the podium to Isabel in the 138cms RHS qualifier.
The Bell Baxter school pupil has owned the 15-year-old pony for the last season and a half and since also notching up a Hickstead qualifier at the beginning of this year, Fraser’s recent results have put him top of the pile in the Scottish Pony Performace League for 138s.Having contested eight out of the 10 Royal Highland qualifiers on offer for this height bracket to date, Fraser and Mr JK have maintained an impressive double clear record throughout.This solid performance has rewarded them with four first placings including at The Cabin last month three seconds and a third.
With the luxury of indoor and outdoor all weather surfacing across Scotland’s show centres Strathallan provided Fraser with his first opportunity of the year to compete on grass.
Using the small open as a warm up, he said: “Mr JK just cantered round happily to win it. He wasn’t bothered about the change of footing at all.”
Drawn fifth out of the six clears through to the jump off and immediately after Isabel and Bailey Fraser said he just couldn’t catch her unassailable lead.
Fraser, who stables at Edenside, Guardbridge and who trains with Alistair and Gaymond Gatherum, now heads to the Highland with two cracks at the whip, having recently forged a strong partnership with Gordon Bowden’s 148cms mare Bay Friend.
Travelling north to Tillyoch recently, they achieved qualification for the JC final and also topped the 1m15 class, which in turn qualified them for the Scope Festival in August.
Since starting his riding career at the age of seven, Fraser has represented the bronze medal Scottish Team at under 10 in Ireland and progressed last season to jump in the 138cm team in Wales.
He returns to the Royal Highland with some unfinished business, having last year filled second and sixth placings in the 138cms final.
Across the senior contest Royal Highland qualifiers were lead by Lanarkshire’s Declan Irvine and Ayrshire riders Trevor Nicholson and Stephanie Babes, whilst the feature class The Strathallan Grand Prix, which itself also provided passage to the Highland was topped by James Smith.
James, from his base in Dumfries and Galloway, took to the top of the podium onboard Leona Smith’s flying grey 13-year-old mare Cumina a horse which he partnered in the Young Riders Championship of Great Britain at the Horse of the Year Show, back in 2010, and at the U23 British Championship Final at London Olympia last year.
They returned recently from the Sunshine Tour in Vilamoura and following a recent win in the Under 23 Championship qualifier at Gleneagles, will return to Olympia for attack for the same title this year.
With the Royal Highland creeping ever closer, and many riders now already qualified, James also bagged a second ticket to the Young Masters final on-board John Mcgeoch’s horse Hope Springs, which had finished in fourth spot.
equestrian@thecourier.co.ukResults
Juniors
Pony open: 1 Fraser Reed, Mr JK; 2 Chloe Templeton, My Best Buddy; 3 Mya Roxburgh, Styx Evo VIII. 128cm pony RHS qualifier: 1 Alexander Mclean, Madonna; 2 Megan Morris, Boughton’s Fairfield Bertie; 3 Mya Roxburgh, Bathleyhills Sea Mist. 138cm pony RHS qualifier: 1 Isabel Lindsay, Bailey XII; 2 Fraser Reed, Mr JK; 3 Alexander Stormonth, Shappen Pilgrim. 1m05 pony open: 1 Matt Argo, Midnight Minuet; 2 Alexander Mclean, Red Flamenco; 3 Alex Mchattie, Expressive Hopscotch. Liz Fox JD/JC RHS qualifier: 1 Olivia Coia, Las Dream; 2 Alexander Mclean, Red Flamenco; 3 Kirsty Blackley, Trebeddau Gwen; Also qualified Amy Beck, Sile Na Gig. 148cm pony rHs qualifier
(inc north East Championship): 1 Nicole Lockhead Anderson, Just Dolce; 2 Graham Babes, Dollar Girl; 3 Graham Babes, Park Avenue II.
Seniors
Newcomers: 1 Abbie Carruthers, Capriole II; 2 Martin Arnott, Her L’Amour; 3 Gemma Mackintosh, WSF Oslo. 1m10 open: 1 Greg Taylor, Coolys Cruiseland; 2 Morven Pringle, Lennox II; 3 Craig Hamilton, Sebastians Native. Foxhunter (inc RHS qualifier): 1 Declan Irvine, Keeford Carousel; 2 Alex Barr, Tiffany II; 3 Liz Dun, Wadermus. Power/Performance RHS Grade C qualifier: 1 Trevor Nicholson, Amadeus V (D); 2 Lucy Macangus, Zambrotta; 3 Aileen Craig, Crocodile Rock; Also qualified Laura Templeton, Omar Sheriff Z. Strathallan Grand Prix (inc RHS Young Masters qualifier): 1 James Smith, Cumina; 2 Alex Barr, Collaterol II; 3 Nicola Mcarthur, Cadavloro; Also qualifed
James Smith, Hope Springs. Aurora Hotels Collection RHS Amateur qualifier: 1 Stephanie Babes, Corgary Atoz; 2 Gillian Anderson, Congeniality B; 3 Heather Donaldson, Carrick Aldato Gem; Also qualified Amy Ogilvie, Wizard XI.
Discovery: 1 Elinor Macdonald, Hunter Of Beauty; 2 Martin Arnott, The Boss Man; 3 Ailsa Black, Indy IV. 1m open: 1 Rachel Kane, Tesoro; 2 Sandra Low-Mitchell, Do Or Die; 3 Rebecca Maher, Be Grand.