The Northern leg of the Les Smith’s popular arena event series took place at The Cabin, with local riders leading the way.
In the 1m15 class, Emma Murray and her consistent Clonbrook Misty won ahead of Alison West and Elizabeth Watts’s Ridinghill Drambuie-sired Watt Luck.
Ellon-based Emma and 14-year-old Misty have been very consistent on the event circuit, having previously collected a Novice win at Aswanley, in the 2012 season.
Last year the pair completed international three-star competitions and also achieved a double clear in the one-day two-star at Floors.
Alison started Watt Luck as a young horse and has recently got the ride back.
She explained: “I started her as a youngster, so I am very lucky to get the ride back again. She has evented up to Novice level and I’ll continue from there this year.
“We would like to do a CCI, but we will have to see what happens.
“It was great for Les Smith to come up and run the event,” she added. “I think he built a great course which made you think as there were lots of twists and turns.”
Commenting on her win, Emma said: “I bought Misty from Sport Horse UK (Alan Spalding), in 2008.
“We ended our season last year with the international one-star at Blair and I would like to do a two-star this year.
“I showjump her through the winter and she is quick against the clock, so we have lots of fun in open classes. Just the previous weekend she won a 1m20 showjumping competition and went out the next day and won a dressage test.
“She is very clever and I have learnt a lot from her.”
Reflecting on the arena event, she added: “I thoroughly enjoyed the arena events and the course rode really well.
“It is a good challenge for the younger horses and having the different fences like skinnies, bounces and corners is a great education for them. I am looking forward to the season ahead which will start at Burgham.”
In the 1m class Jules Colburn and Skye finished on a clean sheet ahead of Sarah Gibb and Chellijana Z.
Sarah and Chellijana Z are more often seen in a show jumping arena, and the 12-year-old daughter of Chellano Z went from Grade C to Grade A in under a year.
Sarah commented: “She is very consistent and has a gold star record show jumping. We jump up to 1m25 and she normally does speed classes.
“This was her first ever arena event and I am hoping to do some more of them and also some outdoor events to have a change from pure show jumping.”
Emma Murray had her second win of the day in the 90cms class, this time on Ballinteskin Felice.
“Felice is a five-year-old Irish Sports Horse. She was double clear in both her classes,” she said.
“She is incredibly talented and I love riding her. She is super careful and we are hoping to event her this year.”
Kirsty Richardson and Ballymally Kinvara filled the runners up spot.
Kinvara, a five-year-old mare, is owned by her mother Fiona Quennel, the Cabin EC proprietor.
Kirsty said: “She won the four-year-old class at Dublin Horse Show and has been around two BE100 events.
She also gained all her double clears British Novice in just two shows and we are trying to get her Discovery double clears now.
“She is for sale so I will enjoy her whilst we still have her. She is a lovely mare.”
Alison West and Moira Cassey’s six-year-old Balhagerty Millions of Diamonds won the 80cms class ahead of Charlotte Harris and Tomenta.
Alison has ridden the Llansantffraed Owen Coch mare for the last season and was fifth in the BE90 at Burgie last year.
“Moira does dressage on her and I jump her, so I will be doing some BS through the summer,” said explained. “She went well in the 90cms, and I think she would have won but we went a bit too fast!”
Results
70cms: 1 Freya Hartley, Ryan; 2 Eilidh Herd, Annie; 3 Freya Hartley, Pippin.
80cms: 1 Alison West, Balhagarty Millions of Diamonds; 2 Charlotte Harris, Tomenta; 3 Kara Louise Milne, Deel Boy.
90cms: 1 Emma Murray, Ballinteskin Felice; 2 Kirsty Richardson, Ballymally Kinvara; 3 Joanne Greenup, Shanbally Chillout.
1m: 1 Jules Colburn, Skye; 2 Sarah Gibb, Gilliana Z; 3 Sue Henry, Tomahawk.
1m15: 1 Emma Murray, Clonbrook Misty; 2 Alison West, Watt Luck; 3 Sarah Gibb, Ultimo Ashbank.