Red House Show Jumping Finale 2014
It was an action packed season for 2014 with both competitions being decided on the final day.
Rebecca Barraclough had led the Peter Hall Cup in the early part of the season but was then unfortunate to suffer an injury back home in her yard leaving her unable to compete. This left Grace Addyman and Julie Richardson to fight it out for the top spot. Julie had some good results as the season progressed with Grace close behind and it was in the final Open class of the year that Julie still led by 8 points. However, an uncharacteristic 3rd refusal led to her elimination and Grace went on to gain a class win with a faultless 2 rounds on Maggie. The 8 points to Grace left both riders equal on points, the first time this has happened.
The Beginners Trophy produced another cliffhanger as the lead had changed hands several times over the summer. Going into the final competition Anna Kessel on Smartie was equal on points with Emily Poulton on Tilly. In the jump-off Emily went clear in a fast time, then Anna knocked down the very last jump in her jump-off round which put her into 3rd place for the day. This gave Emily a final 2 point lead in the Trophy.
Awarding the Satin Shield for Progress always gives the judges a pleasant problem as so many riders and horses improve hugely over the season. However this year there was a stand-out partnership in Michael Smith and Annie. Michael came to our evening competitions in May as a complete novice and had to rely on Annie's greater experience to help him through the early events. As the season progressed his confidence grew and he soon progressed from only appearing in the Beginners arena into having a go at Pre-Novice and Novice classes as well.
Photos by Beate Gordon
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