Winner. Jack Whitaker (GBR) and Equine America Valmy de la Lande in CSI5* The Defender Stakes - Jump Off - 1.55m at The Royal Windsor Horse Show, Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom. May 16th 2025
There was nearly a Whitaker whitewash on the first day of Royal Windsor Horse Show, when Jack and uncle John landed an emphatic British one-two in the CSI5* Defender Stakes, while Donald picked up fifth.
The first jump off class of the programme was a real chance for riders to test their mettle in a top-tier international field, with 15 of the 33 starters posting clears, of whom 13 came forwards for the second phase.
It was difficult to predict a winner from such a bumper line-up but experience prevailed when John — the oldest rider in the class at 69 and also riding the oldest horse, 17-year-old Equine America Unick du Francport — laid down a superb bar from fifth to jump.
Times had been closely packed, with the quickest rounds, including the faulters, clocking between 40.71sec and 40.77sec.
But Jack Whitaker smashed the target on his experienced campaigner Valmy De La Lande, attacking the course in an untouchable 39.40sec to relegate his uncle to runner up.
John acknowledged that he was “very pleased” with the way “Frank” jumped but “not so pleased” with Jack.
“He has no respect for his old uncle!” he joked.
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“I didn’t know if I’d be fast enough, there was so many in the jump off, but he jumped great. They had to go some to beat me, but Jack did it.”
Jack had ridden a superb round, leaving no margin to spare with the 16-year-old stallion, whose best result at Royal Windsor previously was a very close second in 2023.
“John didn’t give me any tips, he won’t give me tips!” Jack said.
‘Normally when he is like that, he is hard to beat’
“I just missed watching him but they said he was very good and very smooth and normally when he’s like that, he is hard to beat but at that height and that level Valmy is unbelievable, you can rely on him so much.
“I was pretty confident going into today,” he added. “I was on good form and I feel like I know which buttons to press with him now.
“When he’s like this I can just ride at jumps with him and nearly go as fast as I want to go.”
The hot-headed son of Mylord Carthargo seems to be improving with age and his recent run of form has included victories in the CSI2* and CSI3* grands prix in Arezzo.
“In his head he is so sharp, to the point when he was a younger horse, he was a bit of a pain in the arse and was harder to handle,” Jack said. “He’s always been so consistent and jumps a lot of clear rounds but it was hard to win on him before.
“Now he’s getting into his old age a bit he’s starting to calm down.”
Donald with his brilliant King George V-winning mare Millfield Collette, one of two other Whitakers, along with Robert, to make the second phase, took a less-risky turn to the final line to finish clear, 2.96sec behind the lead to finish as next-best Brit in fifth.
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