Teenager and horse bought unseen take championship title
(Image credit: Henry Kinchin)
Isobel Stenning scored victory in the Voltaire Design novice championship with a flying round on the Irish-bred CSF Kilkishen at the Blue Chip Championships.
A dog-leg line in course-designer Paul Connor’s 12-fence track proved the downfall of many and just 17 0f the mammoth 105-entry posted first-round clears to return for the jump-off. Ami Measor claimed three of the rides and set a competitive standard on Mac Luidam. But it was not to be.
The lead changed constantly at the start as the first four riders risked tighter and tighter turns but Isobel used her fourth draw to devastating effect to win with 0.44 sec in hand. She pushed Molly Heaps and Carrickview Lily Lou into second place.
“This win is one of my highlights, especially as I have produced her myself,” said Isobel, 18, on the Mylord Carthago x Lancer III seven-year-old she purchased in a Goresbridge auction.
“We’d only seen videos and bid online and didn’t meet him until he came off the lorry,” explained Isobel, who found the chance taken paid dividends. “He has been absolutely faultless since then, he takes everything in his stride.”
This was Isobel’s only second visit to the Blue Chip Championships.
“I came here once before on ponies, this is my first time with horses,” said Windsor-based Isobel, who has recently started riding horses full-time. “I used to event and switched to showjumping when I was aged 15 and 16, now I’m taking every opportunity to crack on with showjumping and my career.”
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