Townend rises to Stark’s tough Chatsworth test

Eventing fans were able to see a wide range of the sport from Novice level up to Britain’s only FEI World Cup CIC three-star qualifier.

Emily Baldwin led the World Cup event with her own and Jill Barker’s Drivetime, to finish on a score of 54.8. Ruth Edge took second place with Applejack II (61.7) and Sarah Cohen was third with Treason (69.4).

Emily was delighted with the result which made up for Badminton when the pair had a stop at the lake. She said: “It was so great to put the ghosts of my recent Badminton experience to rest.

“When he is on form, he is fantastic, his dressage test on Friday was really impressive and he was fantastic through the water across country which was great as I felt we had a point to prove.

“Ian Stark’s course was really tough, it was more like a four-star in that it made riders think and caused a lot of problems. He (Drivetime) was foot perfect in the showjumping round – he marched into the arena at great speed and totally enjoyed himself. He will be totally unbearable for the next few weeks as he knows when he has done well.”

Yorkshire’s Oliver Townend won the non-World Cup CIC three-star with Neo du Breuil on 54.4, Sarah Cohen was second on Irish Jester (59.6) and Lucinda Fredericks took third place with The Navigator.

Pippa Funnell had wins in both International Novice (CIC one-star) sections with two young horses from the Billy Stud, Billy Beware and Billy Black Jack.

A new addition at Chatsworth this year was the Burghley Dubarry Young Event Horse five-year-old qualifier, a competition that showcases the future stars of eventing.

There were over 40 entries for this with first place going to Leicestershire rider Chloe Newton with Fernhill Nearly Darc.

Veteran endurance horse Guadalcazar (Harry) celebrated his 25th birthday recently with a ride through Rothwell Country Park, accompanied by some 20 other veterans and a few younger companions.

They all took part in a 20km ride along the banks of the river Calder, organised by the West riding Group of Endurance GB, which was followed by a birthday cake for their riders.

Harry, ridden by Esther Young, has been West Riding novice champion, open champion and veteran champion during his 14-year career. Other veteran horses taking part included 29-year-old Ben, who has covered over 7,500km; Phoenix Playboy, 19; Wayside Falcon, 26; Cadah Ibn Ahmoun, 23; Shaharazade,26; and 23-three-year-old Scarlet O’Hara, a New Forest Pony.

The West Riding Group hope to run the ride again at Rothwell Country Park in November to give non-veterans the chance to take part. The group’s next event is at Wharncliffe Chase, Wortley, Sheffield on June 11-12. For a schedule and entry forms go to www.westridingegb.co.uk

Three members of the Rockwood Harriers branch of the Pony Club have been selected to represent Great Britain in the International Polocrosse tournament at this year’s Polocrosse World Cup.

This is the first time that the event is being held in the UK and teams from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the USA, Zimbabwe and Zambia will compete at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre, near Rugby, from July 8-17.

The international Pony Club competition will run alongside this and two teams from Great Britain will play against Northern Ireland and the USA.

The Rockwood Harriers team members are Emily Gilfillan,17, from Flockton; Morgan Griffiths, 18, from Huddersfield and Katy Wise,16, from Upper Heaton.

Members from 12 Pony Club branches went through the selection process before the team was decided. Ruth Jackson, district commissioner of the Rockwood branch, said:

“It’s a very great honour for three of our members to be selected. Our branch was one of the first to start playing and has been instrumental in promoting polocrosse throughout the Pony Club.”

HIGH Park Schoffield won the recent King George V Cleveland Bay Stallion Championship for an impressive third time.

Owned and shown by Jo Firth, from Dewsbury, the stallion is by Storth House Temptation out of High Park Susan.

Jo, who also took the Best Turned Out prize with the stallion, said: “I am absolutely ecstatic.

“I have owned him since he was a yearling and he was worth every penny.

“His temperament is tremendous which means a lot and he is producing fabulous offspring which are making great riding horses.”

The reserve champion was Whitehouse Trooper owned by Mrs I Nichol and bred by Mr and Mrs J D Douthwaite.

The annual competition to find the champion stallion was held at Lincoln University where the stallions were judged on conformation, breed type and movement by Anne Burrington from Somerset. The equine unit at the university has well established connections with the Cleveland Bay Horse Society through the university’s own Cleveland Bay breeding programme using its home-bred stallion, Lindon Principal.

The yearling class was won by the university’s Lindon Scientist. Caroline Scurrah’s Knaresborough Outlaw took the youngstock class and the open Cleveland Bay stallion class was won by Wyevale Brayden, shown by Sarah Wylie.

Steve Pullan’s Jaguar Moon won the part-bred youngstock class and the ridden part-bred class went to the university’s Lindon Joint Honours. The ridden pure-bred class was won by Hampton Court Yeoman, owned by Zara Williams.