A Right Royal Rainstorm!

Four of Cranleigh’s senior riders (Tom Lane, Henrietta Walker-Duncalf, Issi Rennocks and Fred Philips) represented us in an Inter-Schools’ Competition at The Royal Windsor Horse Show on Saturday May 11^th and, despite the best attempts of the English weather, they finished a creditable eighth out of the 38 competing schools.

We were the penultimate team to ride, the afternoon had been a long one, but it was not anticipated that our start time would drift on to 8pm – yes 8pm – and having watched the preceding 36 teams competing in sunny weather it was with horror that spectators watched the black clouds rolling in towards the end of this huge class.  All I can say is that our riders, along with those who had braved the long afternoon with them, got well and truly soaked, with the heavens opening just as our first rider was about to enter the ring in light that was gloomy to say the least – she was then held up while they put up the show jumps that had blown over! The only thing to do was to keep a sense of humour and make a hasty exit to the shelter of the horse boxes after prize giving…

By contrast Sunday provided an opportunity for our youngest riders to participate and the rain held off for the most part – with only those waiting for the prize giving of the very last class getting a bit of a soaking!

Our 70cm team of Sam and Izzy Hollidge, Lila Millard and new team member Alex Moore came third, with Lily HIbbert joining them in the 80cm to replace Izzy.  All four of them produced clear rounds in this class to finish in second place, with Lily going on to produce a clear in the 90cm individual too.

It was an opportunity for our Grassroots riders to show how they are coming on too, and we were placed in all three team classes in this category: Lulu Garlick, Heather Andrews, Imogen Fortescue and Ella Gosper were 4^th in the 40cm; Lulu, Elsa Hardcastle, Amy Scheijde and Izzy Hollidge were 6^th in a very big 50cm class; and the same team came 2^nd in the 60cm with Izzy Hollidge also coming fourth individually.

MCA