The final fence stood at 1.90m in the fourth round and the 11-year-old grey Cruze, by Crusador out of a Kannan mare, was the only horse to clear the full line successfully.
“I literally just borrowed him for Horse of the Year Show and this show,” said Joseph, who was the joint-winner of the puissance at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with the horse.
“I teach James Ingham, who owns him. I was lucky enough to be able to come to this show so I asked if I could borrow him and he let me and it worked out. James jumps him regularly at 1.40m and 1.50m and does a good job – he does all the hard work!”
Asked why he thought the horse would suit these classes, Joseph said: “He has masses of jump, masses of scope and he’s careful enough with it – you don’t just need a big slow one for this now as the materials are very light. He has all the jump in the world, he could jump a bus.”
Joseph said this class – which requires riders to jump a double (which is removed for the third and subsequent rounds) and then a line of four uprights – is more difficult for him than the puissance.
He explained: “It’s a lot more technical in a way. Obviously the puissance is a ridiculously big jump, but with the four in a row, it’d be easy enough to have the first part down for me as well – it’s not just about the big one at the end.
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“It’s a case of keeping the horses concentrated and settled all the way down. My horse especially is quite a tense horse and nervy so one fence would be a little bit easier for him. There’s a lot for the horses to take in here, ponies running around in the warm-up and especially after the excitement the other night, he knows he’s good now! He has little bit more about him today.”
The London Horse Show six bar and puissance are open to certain qualified riders outside the main five-star tour and another young Brit, 22-year-old Nathan Bull, took second this afternoon. He was the only rider besides Joseph to make it through to round four, although he was caught out by that final effort. His mount was his own 12-year-old Moonstern Jx.
Joe Stockdale (Dublon), Austria’s Christoph Obernauer (Kleons Cocario), John Whitaker (Sharid) and Sebastian Hughes (Colorado Blue) all jumped clear in the first round, but had one down in the second to share third.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
