Ros Canter continued her good run of form when finishing second in the CCI4*-L in the Bramham Horse Trials results. She jumped an immaculate clear round with Annie Makin and Kate James’ Pencos Crown Jewel to finish 1.6 penalties behind winners Izzy Taylor and Monkeying Around.
“She’s been on fab form this year. I always think of her as a little horse, but she’s just pulled it out the bag in every phase,” Ros said after her round with the 13-year-old mare. “This year particularly our relationship is stronger than ever and I think with a mare that’s really important.”
Ros said that she has learnt how Pencos Crown Jewel likes to be ridden.
“I’ve learnt she doesn’t really like going on the bit, so why do it very often? And I think over the past few years, I’ve potentially tried to overtrain her and make her something she isn’t. And actually today we just bombed around like I would on a pony and had a bit of fun and she went in there and loved it so it’s definitely the way with her,” explained Ros of the mare who has perhaps gone slightly under the radar over the years.
“She’s an absolutely fantastic horse, and when you look at her record over the years, it’s phenomenal, but because she’s always had that one horse that I’ve taken to a championships or something like that, nobody’s really recognised her – she’s been my second string for a long time, so it’s really great for her to get this result and for her owners too.”
Ros’ round wasn’t without drama though, as the wall at fence six blew over in the wind shortly after Ros had jumped it.
“I saw the wall fall down and it’s ‘Jasmine’s’ worst nightmare for something like that to happen,” said Ros. “She’s not a huge fan of people or poles – when we broke her in, she was terrified of poles – so we have to be quite careful in warm-ups that things aren’t anywhere near her when she jumps. But bless her, she just carried on and she’s such a little warrior – she just keeps on fighting.”
Ros was also eighth with Rehy Royal Diamond, an 11-year-old owned by Christopher and Jane Makin.
“He’s come on so much in the past couple of years. He’s always wanted to be desperately careful, but his timing was out quite a lot,” said Ros.
“He’s got an unusual style in the way he uses his neck and it’s often caught him out. But the past two years he’s just jumped clear round after clear round and it’s like he’s just suddenly realised how to do it. He’s really honest and he really wants to do the job, so that’s lovely.”
Kirsty Chabert finished third with Opposition Loire, who is also a mare. They jumped a super clear round, picking up 1.6 time-faults to finish on 32.5, 4.5 penalties adrift of Ros and Pencos Crown Jewel in the Bramham Horse Trials results.
“She was absolutely mega – I have no words,” said Kirsty after her round with the 11-year-old she co-owns with The Daisy Chain.
“She was really fresh and effectively napped into the arena to get going, but you go with it. She is a phenomenal jumper and she always has been on the last day, but she can have a pole through exuberance in short format events, but I cannot fault her today, she was amazing.”
Kirsty had considered taking Opposition Loire to the five-star at Luhmühlen instead of to Bramham.
“It was definitely the right decision to come here – this is still my favourite event!” laughed Kirsty. “She’ll have a few quiet weeks now and we might toy with the idea of Burghley, but she’s such a good horse, maybe she doesn’t need to do another exertion event this year.”
France’s Thomas Carlile and Darmagnac De Beliard dropped one place to fourth in the Bramham Horse Trials results after having a fence down.
“I’m chuffed bits with him – he’s been a good boy all week. I was pleased with his dressage and if anything I let him down a little bit and then he was superb on the cross-country yesterday,” said Tom of the nine-year-old owned by SCEA De Beliard and Jean Jacques Montagne.
“He’s a very good, careful jumper, but he’s still a little bit inexperienced with this atmosphere. I’m happy with his round – obviously I would have preferred a clear round, but the horse has generally done all three phases really well and he’s one that we really rate for the future.
“Had someone told me before we started that we’d finish fourth, I’d have signed for that. He’s young and there’s a lot to come from this horse. We will probably aim him for Blenheim and then prepare him for a spring five-star.”
Keep up-to-date with all the action from Bramham via horseandhound.co.uk and read the full magazine report in the 16 June issue of Horse & Hound
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