Sebastian HUGHES riding COLORADO VOLO, Jack WHITAKER riding EQUINE AMERICA Q PARAVATTI and Guy WILLIAMS riding CRISPINA Z winners of the International Showjumping - Thistledown Investments Six Bar CSI3* during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 9 - 13 th October 2024
Three super horses and riders triumphed in the Thistledown Investments six-bar at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) – one joking that he “could have done with a sixth round!”
Jack Whitaker (Equine America Q Paravatti N), Sebastian Hughes (Colorado Volo) and Guy Williams (Crispina Z) all cleared 1.95m (6’5”) in the fifth and final round to share the spoils.
Of 22 starters, only 11 jumped clear in the first round. Four went out at that stage, one in the third round and three in the fourth, including Izac Ketteridge and Killer Queen, for whom the final pole fell so late, they were past the in-gate, Izac with his arm aloft, before it hit the sand.
And the final three all made the huge verticals look easy.
“She was getting better as they got bigger,” Jack said of the 12-year-old mare owned by his father Michael and Ernst Hofschröer. “The best she felt was the last time; we could have done with a sixth round!”
The versatile mare has been jumping big grands prix, including at Windsor and on the global Champions Tour, but also came second in a six-bar in Abu Dhabi in February.
Colorado Volo, owned by Sebastian, Caroline McGann and Danni Auburn-Yildirin, has had a good year, including second place in the Hertfordshire County Show Area Trial and contesting their first Hickstead Derby, and Cock O’ the North at the Great Yorkshire.
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“He’s such a versatile horse; this is our first international win here and it rounds off a wonderful year,” Sebastian said. “He’s a very sensitive horse – a lovable goof – and we have to manage him but he’s lovely. He settled after the first couple of rounds today and I could just ride him relaxed and jump for fun.”
Guy’s ride Crispina is also competed by her owner Tracy Holder, with whom she has had placings up to 1.35m this autumn, but Guy said six-bars are something she excels at.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
