Over the weekend, we had everything from five-star showjumping action next to the beach in the glamorous resort of Saint Tropez on the French Riviera, to two-star competitions on home soil, with some exciting sport to follow across the board.
Here is your weekly round-up of international jumping action.
1. “She was a bit wild”: Malin Baryard-Johnsson’s great mare H&M Indiana scorches to victory
Swedish showjumper Malin Baryard-Johnsson rode the brilliant 14-year-old mare H&M Indiana (Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Animo’s Hallo) to victory in the Longines Global Champions Tour of Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez. The pair headed an electric 12-way jump-off in which all bar four combinations jumped double clear. The runner-up spot went to Dutch rider Harrie Smolders on Monaco with US rider Spencer Smith third with some fantastic turns on Theodore Maniais. The best-placed British contenders were Ben Maher (Faltic HB) and Scott Brash (Hello Mr President) finishing with four faults apiece. The new leader of the overall season rankings is Pieter Devos of Belgium, whose double clear with MoM Toupie De La Roque pushed him into sixth place in the grand prix.
“I am so proud, I am so happy, H&M Indiana is just amazing,” said Malin, who earlier in the show described her charismatic mare as “a bit wild” when helping GCL team Stockholm Hearts to a first-round victory.
“Indiana was quite wild yesterday in the warm-up and she was a little bit wild today as well, but she’s jumping her heart out and I’m super, super happy,” she said. “This arena is a big difference from last week [in Madrid] and the good thing is that it is a smaller ring so I have a little bit more control.”
2. “You don’t owe me a single jump”: McLain Ward pays tribute to winning teenage mare HH Azur
US rider McLain Ward and the 16-year-old HH Azur won the $200,000 (£159,000) Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm, USA – this was McLain’s second successive victory in the class.
“I think she [Azur] still has some big wins left in the tank even though she’s more in the sunset of her career,” said the Olympian during a week of good wins. “I always tell her when I get on, ‘You don’t owe me a single jump, but if you could give me a few more, that would be nice’.”
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The winner of the 62-starter CSI2* grand prix at Wellington in Hampshire was the super consistent duo of Adrian Speight and the 16-year-old British-bred gelding Millfield Baloney, by Balou Du Rouet, collecting the £6,000 top prize. The pair held off a strong challenge from Louise Saywell riding Ian Dowie’s exciting nine-year-old Kingsborough Kasper, and further down the line-up in sixth, fresh from her appearance at Badminton Horse Trials, was Pippa Funnell with another talented British-bred Billy Kodak (Billy Mexico x Vechta).
Over at Sentower Park in Belgium, multi-gold medal-winning event rider Michael Jung landed the CSI3* 1.55m grand prix riding Edo Sandro. Darragh Kenny claimed the runner-up spot for Ireland riding Chic Chic.
Speedy French rider Julien Epaillard has guided his nine-year-old home-bred Donatello D’Auge through the ranks and just a few weeks after winning their first CSI2* grand prix, the pair landed a five-star class at the LGCT show in Saint Tropez.
“This is his first 1.50m class and only nine years old,” said Julien. “I bred this horse with my wife so I am very proud to see him like this. The horse is not super fast and I was not expecting this win today.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
