Young rider nets second title within 24 hours at British Showjumping Spring Championships
Three riders of the future battled it out in the winter children on horses championship final on the closing day of the 2022 British Showjumping Spring Championships held at Northcote Stud (24—27 March).
15-year-old Jessica Cunnington zipped to the title aboard Samantha Hemsley’s nine-year-old stallion Iminko 5.
Jessica was continuing a stellar British Showjumping Spring Championships run; less than 24 hours earlier she had jumped young gelding Aredis Cicero to the five-year-old winter championship, and on Friday she’d also reigned in the winter children on horses direct qualifier with Iminko.
“We bought him as an unbroken five-year-old,” said Jessica, of Kannan-sired Iminko who she has produced from British Novice up to 1.30m level which he is currently jumping with consistency. “He’s really cool. He can be sensitive to the leg but if you know how to ride him he’s fine.”
This is Jessica’s first full year contesting horse classes.
“I love riding the horses; I think I ride them much better than ponies,” she noted
Jessica and Iminko tapped a single pole during their round, but their score left plenty of room between them and nearest rivals, Mia Grey and Fenix, who finished with 12 penalties.
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“Iminko was on it today,” said Jessica. “I knew I had to just aim for a nice clear or have a fence to win it, but he actually jumped really well for me. He’s a really sane horse; you wouldn’t know he’s a stallion and at home he just lives a normal life. ”
Jessica will now aim Iminko towards a Horse of the Year Show qualification.
“I’m hoping to get onto some European teams, too.”
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Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.