“It’s challenging, shall we say!” said Gemma, of trying to fit everything into days that only have 24 hours each. “But it’s a really nice afternoon, the sun’s shining, all the owners are here and everyone’s happy. I’m thrilled to bits.”
Gemma was drawn halfway through the seven-strong jump-off, and first in Thomas Pritchard and Princess SW were the ones to beat, on 37.22 sec. Gemma put her foot down, and took advantage of the Warrior stallion’s huge scope and stride to finish in 36.99.
“I didn’t watch the first two go but the one before me was really fast and went third, so I thought ‘I’m really going to have to get a wriggle on!’” Gemma said.
“He’s a big horse and really careful but he has the most enormous stride, so I probably took 10 strides less than everyone else. For such a big horse, he’s got a real turn of foot.
“The owners absolutely loved winning here, it’s the best arena in the world.”
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(Image credit: Boots and Hooves Photography)
Warrior Special was bred down the road from Hickstead at Brendon Stud and he was sold aged six to Nadia Al Mutawa, who flew him to her home in Kuwait.
“He did a couple of 1.40ms as a seven-year-old but because it’s so hot there, they don’t have summer competitions,” Gemma said. “Nadia wanted him to come back and Shirley [Light, of Brendon Stud] very nicely suggested she send him to me.
“When he arrived, I thought he wasn’t really my type, but the very first time I jumped him at home, we had a partnership.
“He’s really coming into himself this year; he was second in the Chard grand prix and won at the Great Yorkshire Show; we’re thrilled with him and excited about the future. I think he’s got all the scope for the really big jumps.”
Gemma is competing in Saturday’s feature class, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and this is creating another challenge.
“I’m riding my World Championships horse in the advanced at Aston-le-Walls in the morning,” she said. “I’ve got a 7.30am dressage, I should be done by 9.45am, then it’s a two and a half-hour drive back here, so we’ll be hot-footing it – I could really do with a helicopter!”
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.
