British Showjumping fixtures at the Gleneagles Equestrian Centre have become none too dissimilar to buses for Scotland’s riders.
They have waited patiently since the Scottish HOYS contest last autumn for another competition at the popular central venue, only to be greeted by two major shows at once.
Run on consecutive weekends, but proving equally popular, were the Senior Premier (as reported in The Courier, on March 29), and Ron Brady and Mandy Hendry’s Senior Spring contest, which were both supported by bumper entries.
But providing competition from British Novice level right up to 1m30, the latter show catered for a far wider pool of riders. The promise of a full complement of Royal Highland qualifiers at Foxhunter, Amateur, Grade C and Young Masters championship level also had wide appeal.
Leading the charge to the Gillespie and Gleneagles 1m30 open championship podium, which incorporated qualifiers for the Royal Highland Young Masters, Aberdeenshire rider Aimee Bell made the best of a return to competition following a break for school prelim exams.
“We’ve had two brilliant shows at Gleneagles,” reflected the 16-year-old, who is in the middle of studying for five Highers at Fraserburgh Academy.
“Poe kept a clean sheet at the Premier, jumping three out of three double clears across the 1m40 classes including a second placing in the under-23s Olympia qualifier and sixth in the Grand Prix.
“That meant my goal at the Spring Show could very much be focused upon qualifying for the Royal Highland Young Masters,” she added.
Although her 12-year-old gelding Cameron Poe lost a little concentration in the Saturday 1m30, resulting in an uncharacteristic dropped pole, Aimee made certain they upped her game for Sunday’s crucial contest.
Drawn last to go in the jump-off and safe in the knowledge there had only been one double clear, she said her job was made much more straightforward.
“The time wasn’t set too fast, so we just had to go reasonably quick but stay clear,” explained Aimee.
“Poe is quite quick naturally over the ground and the jumpoff course was relatively spread out so that is where I made up enough time to take the win.”
With a Royal Highland ticket now in the bag, Aimee, who is supported by mother Sally and father John, a farmer, can continue momentum towards the dream of Horse of the Year Show and Olympia competition.
To remain eligible for HOYS, Aimee who is ranked 17th must maintain a top 20 young rider standing throughout the year.
To qualify for Olympia, meanwhile, she must amass enough points from qualification rounds.
“My second place at the Gleneagles Premier has given me a good start for the year,” she said.
Dedicated to training, Aimee travels to Fife as regularly as possible to train with former Scottish number one Douglas Duffin, who used to own and ride Poe, a Grade A showjumper, for around four years.
Another rider to glean valuable experience from Douglas’s teaching is his current stable jockey Jordan Thompson, who topped the 1m30 on Saturday.
Piloting the 12-year-old Grade A French-bred gelding Oslo Du Pre Fleuri, Jordan was first into the jump-off arena and had to assert his lead.
“I knew I had to lay down the gauntlet and go quickly to leave myself with any chance of coming away with the win,” said Jordan, who also took home a third placing and qualification for the Royal Highland Amateur championship that same day.
Jordan and Oslo a relatively new partnership have notched up numerous wins over 1m20 and 1m30 tracks over recent competitions.
“I’d like to cement a qualification for theYoung Masters at the Highland also, as I was placed in the final at Ingliston last year,” Jordan said.
Not to be outdone by his pupils, Douglas Duffin took home wins from both the Saturday 1m15 and Sunday Discovery with Zorro V and Maggie May IV respectively.
Zorro also progressed to take a third in the Saturday 1m30 whilst, on Sunday, Maggie May was additionally second in the British Novice.
Meanwhile, Fife rider Alistair Gatherum, who competes from his base at Edenside Stables outside Guardbridge, topped the Foxhunter entry and set straight his path to the Highland with his own gelding Gabor.
Alistair sourced the rising eight-yearold Belgian Warmblood gelding as part of a consignment of 10 horses from the Continent when he had just turned two.
Sidelined and allowed to mature while Alistair was riding in the United States for four years, he was brought into work as a six-year-old in 2012.
“He truly is a low mileage gelding and in fact I took him into only his second Grade C that weekend at Gleneagles,” explained Alistair.
“I’ve been slowly bringing him on to the stage that he is happy to come straight out at that level.”
From his position as last to go in the Foxhunter jump-off at Gleneagles, Alistair had been sure that the first combination into the arena Gillian Donnell and M2 Cruise had set an unassailable lead.
“Gabor is only just starting out at these larger classes, so I didn’t want to push him on too quickly,” he said.
“He is naturally quick across the ground, though, and in the jump-off every jump came to me very nicely, which is how he must have just nipped into the lead.
“There were a few good turns to be had, but the style of the course really suited me and Gabor. He is careful, so I can let him run on forwards,” said Alistair.
In the Grade C, where Alistair and Gabor were “unlucky” to incur four faults in the first round, Dunfermline young rider Mark Turnbull took another Highland win.
Topping the class was his ride Cartouch III, ahead of already qualified combination Lisa Hood and Crailyn Clover Bay, who took second, with Rowanlea’s Leo Lorimer and Speer taking third.a
taking third.
Results
Saturday. Discovery: 1 Kirsten Mirrey, Alexia III; 2 Trevor Nicholson, Bellini III; 3 Susan Deasy, Quasi Jumper. 1m05 open: 1 Craig Hamilton, The Eastern Advocat; 2 Rowan Ball, Bon Ami V; 3 Stephen Lohoar, Whisper XII.1m15 open: 1 Douglas Duffin, Zorro V; 2 Stephen Lohoar, Whisper XII; 3 David Harland, Fauber. Foxhunter (incorporating. the Royal Highland Foxhunter championship qualifier): 1 Alistair Gatherum, Gabor;2 Gillian Donnell, M2 Cruise; 3 Amy Ogilvie, Wizard XI. Royal Highland amateur championship qualifier: 1 Louisa Timmins, Spindra Z; 2 Susan Deasy, Woliena BB; 3 Jordan Thompson, Oslo Du Pre Fleuri. 1m30 open: 1 Jordan Thompson, Oslo Du Pre Fleuri; 2 Laura Hutt, Zidane X; 3 Douglas Duffin, Zorro V.
Sunday. 1m15 open: 1 Stephanie Babes, Corgary Atoz; 2 Louisa Timmins, Spindra Z; 3 Heather Denholm, Bowes Warrington Walter. Royal Highland Grade C championship qualifier: 1 Mark Turnbull, Cartouch III; 2 Lisa Hood, Crailyn Clover Bay; 3 Leo Lorimer, Speer. Gillespie and Gleneagles 1m30 open championship (inc. Royal Highland Young Masters qualifier): 1 Aimee Bell, Cameron Poe; 2 Kirsty Aird, Jumping Mac Flash; 3 Vicky Davidson, Celtic. British novice: 1 Craig Hamilton, Zimone II; 2 Douglas Duffin, Maggie May IV; 3 Craig Hamilton, Jalisco. Discovery: 1 Douglas Duffin, Maggie May IV; 2 Loren Jamieson, Candour Spirit; 3 Rachel Aiton, Foxhill Pride. Newcomers: 1 Declan Irvine, Keeford Carousel; 2 Mark Turnbull, Cincinnati II; 3 Daniel Scott, Casmo Z.