Rachel PROUDLEY riding BPETITFOUR VD WARESLAGE winners of the International Showjumping - Speed Horse of the Year
CSI3* - during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 9 - 13 th October 2024
Last to go of 24 starters, the 19-year-old rider and Petitfour VD Wareslage produced a faultless round, to win by nearly half a second from Jodie Hall McAteer and Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof.
Mark Edwards had set the standard from fourth draw; he and his father Martyn’s fantastic nine-year-old mare Royal Tale jumped clear in 56.91, a time to which none of the next 18 combinations could come near.
But second-last in, Jodie and her mother Mandy Hall’s 14-year-old mare, the winners of the accumulator the previous day, somehow went even tighter, even faster, to cross the line on 56.33. Surely this was the winning time – but Rachel proved otherwise.
She and John Chadwick’s nine-year-old gelding went fast as lightning and smooth as silk, without a check in sight to finish on 55.97, to a cheer that lifted the roof.
Rachel PROUDLEY riding BPETITFOUR VD WARESLAGE winners of the International Showjumping - Speed Horse of the Year
CSI3* - during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 9 - 13 th October 2024
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Rachel, who won the HOYS 128cm championship in 2016 with Painted Lady IV, and the silver league in 2021 with Cartino III – and came third in the puissance here last night on her first ride in the class – admitted she had not thought even Mark’s time was beatable.
“It was a very fast round and then Jodie went quicker – but we made a plan, walking the course, I stuck to it and luckily it paid off,” she said. “We set off at a good canter and that set us up for a good rhythm.
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“He’s so fast; not very big but he’s got the heart of a lion.”
Rachel, who is based with Irish rider Richard Howley at HK Horses, rode Petitfour for them, then John bought him and she kept the ride.
“He’s a lovely horse and I’m very grateful to have him,” she said. “To John, and the team at HK Horses; this wouldn’t be possible without them.”
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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.
