Ghoulish delights at Halloween Hunter

Thornton Lodge Farm are hailing the success of a frightfully good showing to celebrate the end of their season and Halloween.
Amelia VaccaroAmelia Vaccaro
Amelia Vaccaro

Traditionally held as Thornton Lodge’s last hunter trial of the year, the Halloween Hunter Trial, brought its usual array of fancy dress and scary treats.

And amongst the fancy-dress winners were Amelia Vaccaro – winner of the Minimus competition in her ghost costume on board Wilma.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Even the miserable autumn weather could not dampen enthusiasm with Sue Raper, of Thornton Lodge Country Sports, enthusing: “It was another great day for all the witches, ghosts, pumpkins, skeletons and scary things that arrived at Thornton Lodge Farm.

“We had a great day despite the terrible weather forecast and a week of showers we were very lucky to keep the show on the road! Many of the competitors rode in fancy dress and the cross country jumps, the woods and scary barrel graveyard were also dressed up in costume making it a very exciting competition.

“We’d like to express a big thank you to all the jump judges, starters and volunteers who gave up their valuable time.”

Whilst Vaccaro scooped the Minimus fancy dress prize, that category’s jumping prize was shared between Nigel Robinson on Gem and Emma Walker riding Pele. Second prize went to Mia Nichols riding Scooby with third shared between Stephanie Brough on Molly and Elizabeth Cornforth riding Trigger.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the Junior Novice section, first place went to Lara Hails on Trumpet. Equal second were Alice Readman on Dudley and Maisie Cuthbert riding Jack while third was shared between Ella Sharpe on Stan and Laura Dishman riding Flora. The fancy dress prize went to Caitlin Squire riding BJ’s Dream.

In the Senior Novice category, first prize went to Joanne Elsdon on Vino. Joint second were Charlotte Dunn riding Gemmazar and Catherine Fairburn on Costa. The fancy dress prize went to Lauren Thomas riding Prince.

Victorious in the Pairs category were Beth Porter on Dennis and Megan Farrington on Tommy. Charlotte Leighton on Hector and Kate Haw on Crunchie were second while Flo Plummer on Aisha and Kim Phelar on Sketch were third. The fancy dress prize went to Helen Black on Henry and Liam Goldthorpe on Oakley.

And in the Open category, first prize went to Roberto Vaccaro on board Boyo.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Runner-up was Karis Squire on Geler Tom with Kate Dennis on Rusty taking third. Kathryn Gilling, riding Bart, won the fancy dress prize.

Winners of the new ‘Nanny and Novice’ competition were Romy and Alex Cordingley riding Chilli and Murphy. They beat runners-up Liz and Anna Darley riding Ted with Freddie with Liz and Kate Darley riding Ted and Rolo back in third.

Renewed sponsorship underlines popularity

NEXT year’s Bramham International Horse Trials will start on Thursday, June 5 – with Equi-Trek returning as title sponsors.

Internationally renowned horse transport manufacturers Equi-Trek have signed for a third year ahead of the event which is set to take place between June 5-8.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And across the three sections, a total prize fund of in excess of £36,000 will be up for grabs.

Furthermore, in addition to a cash prize of at least £5,000, the CCI three-star winner will also take custody of keys to a Equi-Trek Sonic two-horse box for a year.

Tom Janion, managing director of Equi-Trek, said: “It gives us enormous pleasure to again be title sponsors of the world renowned Bramham Horse Trials. As the leading horse trials in the North of England it is highly appropriate that we give our support to this unique Yorkshire event.

“Our sponsorship enables us to put ‘something back’, therefore saying a big thank you to the equestrian world, which over the last 12 years has supported our company, even through a deep recession.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We wish the highly professional hard working team at Bramham continued success and growth in 2014 and I hope we can offer them our support for many years to come.”

A number of horses who have performed well at Bramham have gone on to greater glory at world and European level, notably 2012 and 2013 winners William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning.

That duo went on to win individual bronze at the European Championships in September.

The Box Office for the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials will open online on December 1.

Telephone bookings open on May 1.

For continued updates visit www.bramham-horse.co.uk