The School riding teams have been out in force again this term and returned from the recent Farlington Schools’ Team Jumping having all but swept the board at every height.

 

The Mini team (of Prep School riders) set the pattern for the day by coming second in a very closely fought jump-off after all four riders went clear to put us in the second round on a zero score. The Novice team, therefore, of Lizzie Wait, Chloe and Hattie Allison and Izzy Graham-Watson were out to better this in the next class and set about it in fine style by once again producing four clears in the first round to put us into the jump-off. It was here that Lizzie showed not only her experience but her determination and competitive spirit, producing some spectacular turns to bring the team home to win, over one second ahead of the St Leonards-Mayfield team. 

 

Our Open teams were not going to be outdone, however, and both the A team of Alice Wait, Phoebe Roberts, Imogen Way and Lizzie Wait (who stepped up to the bigger height at the last minute to fill a gap left by a lame horse) and the B team of Harri Snelling, Pippa Hawksfield, Cammie Millar and Imogen Way (on her second pony) produced clears in the first round to go into the jump-off.

 

 As you would expect in an Open class, no-one was hanging around, and it was Imogen Way who put in a superb round for the B team to put them in an early lead. She had not reckoned on the tenacity of Alice Wait, however, the last jump-off rider of the afternoon, who flew round, taking several fliers over the big course to beat Imogen by over a second and leave the A team in first place and the B team in second in what was a very competitive Open Team Class. A superb effort from everyone!

 

Earlier in the term we were again well represented at the National Schools’ Mini and Novice Eventing Championships at Stonar School in Wiltshire. Over the course of the two-day competition over 500 riders from more than 50 schools around the country fought for victory. The Mini team was, by and large, an inexperienced one this year but all our riders did extremely well against some very tough opposition: all of them made it through to the cross country phase, which is an achievement in itself, and an excellent dressage score from Hattie Allison meant she finished in 7^th place individually out of the 47 riders in her arena. She still has one more year left in this age-group too!

 

The Novice Team were representing us at this level for the first time: it is a huge step up from minis and they were presented with a challenging but exciting cross country course that was going to ask all the right questions of both pony and rider. Genevieve Clark set the standard for us by producing the 3^rd best dressage score in her arena with Tom Lane also riding very carefully to leave him in the top ten after the first discipline. Both Madeleine Iafrate and Lizzie Wait produced pleasing tests also and the team were well positioned to take on the two jumping phases. Double clears from Genevieve and Tom, and just an unlucky 20 penalties on the cross country course from Madeleine meant they maintained their positions and the team finished in 5^th place out of the 45 taking part. This excellent achievement should not overshadow the fact that Genevieve was placed 3^rd individually and Tom 6^th which both riders were rightly delighted about.

 

The All-England Schools Show Jumping Championships is the next challenge for some of these riders, with the aim of making it into the International Arena at Hickstead the main focus of their attention. Good luck to them!

 

Christine Allison (team manager)