The Scottish branch of British Showjumping brought two days of thrilling competition and razzmatazz to the Scottish National Equestrian Centre with its end of season 2014 Trophy Show event.
Offering a plethora of championship finals for senior and junior competitors, trophies, rugs, sashes and a prize fund of more than £3,000, the competition attracted support from across the country, with 523 starters across 15 classes over the weekend.
Winner of the 1m20 Open Championship was Fife rider Nicola McArthur and her consistent partner Cadavloro, owned by David Kerr.
Nicola, who has ridden for Davy for just over three seasons, said the 12-year-old son of Caretino thrives in big arenas such as at SNEC, where he can really get a bit of pace going.
Having tipped an unlucky pole in the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Championship a couple of classes earlier, Nicola said she opted to pop ‘Euro’ into the 1m20 because he was clearly still full of running.
“He’s really on cruise control at this level,” she said.
“1m20 classes are now well within his comfort zone, so you can really just let the handbrake off and trust him to skip around carefully.”
With Euro a proven jumpoff expert, Nicola added: “He’s pretty nimble but he loves to jump out of a gallop more than anything.”
Reflecting on the tracks at the Trophy Show, which were built by Shaun Sands with Mark McGowan acting as assistant designer, Nicola said the jumps were certainly up to height but gave the horses every opportunity as they were forward flowing. As a result, they rode really well. The partnership took the win after turning inside to the last line of fences a double, five strides to a big oxer as the last.
“Most people seemed to be going around,” she said. “But Euro has the biggest heart so I know I can push him and he’ll keep on giving me 110% in every way.”
Enjoying the space the SNEC arena provides, their 1m20 Open Championship win follows on from a 1m30 win at Oatridge two weeks previously.
Earlier in the season they topped the hard-fought 1m30 class at Blair Castle, won the Scottish Open Outdoor Championship at Ayr and were crowned Scottish branch North of Scotland Open Champions during the Cabin’s Sunshine Tour in the summer.
After recently returning to Scotland’s rather tepid temperatures from the balmy heat of the showjumping Sunshine Tour in Portugal, Angus rider Leo Lorimer brought Speer back into competition with a bang, winning the 1m10 Amateur Trophy class.
Leo, who rides from his base at Rowanlea, Carnoustie, has partnered Speer for the last five seasons, progressing from British Novice level to beyond 1m30 level. He last rode the 12-year-old gelding of his mother Irene and uncle David competitively at the Royal Highland Show in June, having qualified for the Grade C Championship at the Gleneagles Spring Show.
Going into the arena near the start of the 62-strong class of horse-and-rider combinations, Leo said he just went in to “do what I needed to do”.
Aiming for a double clear, but certainly not holding back on the clock, he said the win was a great way to get Speer his former Star of the Future finalist back up and running.
“He’s a very scopey horse and on his day he’s capable of snatching the wins,” said Leo.
He gave Speer time off over the summer to concentrate on developing another of his rides, Stella Who. Stella was one of five horses Leo and girlfriend and fellow rider Shannon Kelly took to Portugal for the autumn Sunshine Tour.
Although they suffered “one hell of a journey”, falling foul of three blowouts on the trailer they were towing behind their lorry before they even made it out of France, Leo said their six-day journey south (which should have only taken four) was “absolutely worth every second of it.
“It was an amazing experience and one which I want to be able to do over again.”
During the trip, Leo stepped Stella up from Newcomers to 1m30. With that experience under her belt, he said he will now be able to run her alongside Speer at that level.
The tour also proved successful for Shannon, who is similarly based at Rowanlea, Carnoustie, after she collected a number of wins at 1m10 with her regular partner HiVoltaire.
Shannon, in turn, owns Hi Midnight Millie which bagged a double of championship wins and the lion’s share of the top prize money at the Trophy Show for the team from Scottish former number one Douglas Duffin’s yard at Kincardine.
Piloted first by Douglas himself to nail a fast double clear and top the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Championship, the eight-year-old Dutch-bred mare then returned to the arena with stable jockey Jordan Thompson securing the Young Riders’ Championship title.
Jordan had previously ridden Millie last season from British Novice level up to Grade C before Douglas took over her ride and they progressed to finish eighth at HOYS in both the Foxhunter and Star of the Future finals.
“It’s probably my biggest win of the year,” said Jordan, who has mostly been competing on a younger string of horses of late. Jordan, who has been trained by Douglas for a number of years, has been working at East Muirhead Stables for the last two years and took third place in the same championship class last year.
“I wasn’t expecting to win at all,” he said after being drawn second to go in the five strong jump-off.
“I just went for the clear and, as all of the riders who went in after me went faster I had a nail-biting time waiting to see if they faulted.
“Surprisingly, they all did.”
Results Seniors 95cm open: 1 Caroline Paxton, Antonio VP Wisbecq; 2 Nancy Kirkpatrick, Toulaman; 3 Iona Drummond, Starfield Diva. 1m open: 1 Emerson Sender, Valdiron; 2 Shona Robertson Brogan, FA Hills Little Missi; 3 Hayley Bilsland, Corraghoe Down. 1m10 Amateur Trophy: 1 Leo Lorimer, Speer; 2 Logan Creighton, Porscha H; 3 Suzanne Lumgair, Jack Up. Ladies’ and Gentlemans’ Championship: 1 Douglas Duffin, Hi Midnight Millie; 2 Aileen Craig, Ayrton Uh; 3 Laura Hutt, Zidane X. Grade C Championship: 1 Iain Warnock, Harperland Micky Finn; 2 Douglas Duffin, Cartier V; 3 Alex Barr, Bettilina. 1m20 Open Championship: 1 Nicola McArthur, Cadavloro; 2 Logan Creighton, Oldlands Vivaldi IV; 3 Graham Babes, Toklund. Young Riders’ Championship: 1 Jordan Thompson, Hi Midnight Millie; 2 Mark Turnbull, Ashton Dollipierre; 3 Declan Irvine, Hojmarks Rosetta.
Juniors 11 and under: 1 Emma Woods, Solo Vivace; 2 William Stewart, Miss Daisy D; 3 Crista Lockhead Anderson, Glen Hill. 80cm warm-up: 1 Charley Hamilton, Bee Bop A Lula; 2 Megan Morris, Boughton’s Fairfield Bertie; 3 Megan Morris, Limaut II. 90cm Trophy class: 1 Charley Hamilton, My Diamond Geezer; 2 Ellie Meldrum, Sylvester 60; 3 Gabrielle Purves, Crystal Magic. 1m open: 1 Alexander Stormonth, Ballyhannon Celtic Grey; 2 Rebecca Bowden, Crag Storm; 3 Atlanta Vailionis, Little Maggie May. 128cm Indoor Championship: 1 Shaunie Greig, Bellfield Benjamin; 2 Alexander Mclean, Tatty Desire; 3 Anneliese Aitken, Whinney Lass. 138cm Indoor Championship: 1 Nicole Lockhead Anderson, Sonas Barney; 2 Shaunie Greig, Aristo Justice; 3 Atlanta Vailionis, Stoney Burke. JC Indoor Championship: 1 Fraser Reed, Bay Friend; 2 Alana Hood, Trevoulter Brenins Treasure; 3 Emma Crawford, Stars Surprise. Central Championship: 1 Emma Crawford, Maximus Gladiator; 2 Jessica Thomson, Braveheart Warrior; 3 Alexander Mclean, Red Flamenco.