A New Riding Year Begins

Our youngest riders, including those who do not have their own ponies, were able to gain experience and represent Cranleigh in an NSEA Grassroots Competition at Sands Farm, Warnham on Saturday January 12th, and the results were further evidence of the growing success of riding at Cranleigh.

Those riders just setting out on their jumping careers competed in the 40cm class and there was a fifth place in this class for Evelyn McCagherty.  Daisy Roberts, Imogen Fortescue, Issy Hollidge and Charlie Phillips then joined forces in the 50cm team competition where we stole second place as a team and Issy Hollidge won individually.  In the 60cm team competition, Issy produced another speedy clear round to lead the team into fifth place with the help of Daisy, Charlie and Elsa Hardcastle.  As some of these riders were competing in a show jumping competition for the first time, these were excellent results.

The afternoon provided the chance for our older riders to get back into the ring after a quiet couple of months, with the 70cm team of Charlie Johnson, Sam Hollidge, Lily Hibbert and Lila Millard coming sixth.  In the individual 80cm class Lily Hibbert finished fifth and Sam Hollidge was unlucky not be in the final line-up after a very stylish clear round.

On Sunday, Farlington School ran a team competition at the same venue for the more experienced team riders.  Our 80cm team of Sophie Miller, Ella Pilling, Jess Pilling and Poppy Watkinson finished on a zero score but their slightly slower time meant they were fifth in the final line-up.  The same team finished the 90cm team class on a team score of zero too, knocking our older riders into a top hat to finish in second place, the highest placed of the three Cranleigh teams in this competition.  Ella Pilling, in her first competition for the school, finished fifth individually in this big class, which was an outstanding result.

We put forward two Open teams and were placed third and sixth in this competition, with some polished riding from several of our riders at this level and a particularly good time from Amelia Adorian securing her a fifth place individually.  Charlotte Livingstone and Amelia Holden also produced clear rounds in this biggest class with support coming from the other team members: Chantelle Phillips, Henrietta Walker-Duncalf, Christi Radkiewicz and Amelia Shotter.

MCA