From A-grade A levels to Hickstead grand prix win in two days, talented teenager takes it all in her stride
An 18-year-old rider beat stellar competition at the British Young Horse Championships at Hickstead days after she got her exam results
Acing your A levels then winning a grand prix at Hickstead – it’s all in a week’s work for Izabella Rogers.
The 18-year-old rider and her mother Nicola’s Diagolda PS triumphed in a stellar field in the Cheval Liberté 1.30m grand prix on Saturday (15 August), at the Al Shira’aa British Young Horse Championships.
Diagolda had not been to a show since January as Izabella was preparing for her exams – in which, as she found out days before, she achieved two A* grades and an A.
“I’m super pleased with that – I can ride horses for a bit longer now!” she said, adding that she thought Hickstead would be a good show to “get her back into the swing of it.”
The pair were 15th of 22 in the jump-off, which included speed merchants Matt Sampson and Harriet Biddick, not to mention Lottie Tutt, who came second by quarter of a second with Billy Dynamite. Their round was smooth and harmonious, Izabella forward all the way, taking advantage of the mare’s effortless speed.
“I wasn’t going for the win!” she said. “I was just going for a confident, clean round to get her back into it, but after fence one, I just landed in a perfect rhythm and thought I’d just keep going. She’s got a massive stride and I can dare her and she just keeps going. I’m super pleased.”
Izabella is to start an online psychology degree, allowing more time to ride and go to shows.
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“Having two years of not really competing, I’m hungry to get out there and start proving myself again,” she said.
Shane Breen takes British Young Horse Championships 1.40m grand prix
The 1.40m grand prix at this show was one of the only Hickstead titles Shane Breen hadn’t won – but he changed all that with a horse he thinks will be a key player for him.
Shane and CSF Thomascourt Zena saw off 54 other combinations, of whom only seven others made it to the jump-off, to beat William Funnell and Billy Tutu by half a second. The Irish-bred mare showed her huge scope and phenomenal acceleration, taking a stride out to the double, and to the last, to keep her nose in front.
“I’m delighted,” Shane said. “She’s been stepping up this last couple of weeks so I was quietly confident and looking forward to it. Ben Townley and his team built a super course, and there were quick ones in the jump-off so I thought if I’m clear I’ll try to give them enough to do, to hopefully risk having a fence down, and it worked in my favour.”
Zena had success with Sandy Mclean in Abu Dhabi early this year, and Shane has jumped her at 1.45m level recently.
“She’s taken it all in her stride,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to next year with her, I think she’ll be a key player in my team. She’s perfect for an old fella like me! As she’s simple. She’s lovely, very sweet and intelligent, very comfortable and careful; she ticks all the boxes.”
Shane added that winning this title means the only major Hickstead class he hasn’t won so far is the King George V Gold Cup – so watch this space.
Read the full championships report in this week’s H&H magazine, out 20 August.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.