The top showjumping action continues apace, with plenty of top-level competition, British and Irish success and a win for a horse who’s recovered from a broken leg this weekend. Here’s your weekly round-up of just some of the international sporting action from the world of showjumping.
The big one
Fresh from winning the leading rider award at the Dublin Horse Show last weekend, Irish rider Mikey Pender won the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) leg at Valkenswaard on HHS Calais.
“I can’t believe it,” he said. “It’s my first five-star grand prix win so I’m absolutely over the moon. [This horse has] been so close, so many times and he definitely deserves it.”
Mikey also picked up his ticket for the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague in November.
“It’s amazing, the grand prix everyone wants to be in and I’m absolutely delighted I’ll be taking part in it,” he said. “He’s a very fast horse so I just did my own round and luckily it paid off. He jumped unbelievable and I still can’t believe it.”
Keep up to date with all the LGCT results
An amazing recovery
Sunday’s 1.55m jump-off class went to Brazil’s Yuri Mansur on Vitiki (pictured), a horse who broke his leg in a bad fall in 2018. The much-loved German-bred gelding returned to competition aged 12, in 2020, after long and extensive rehab, having undergone surgery and worn a cast to protect the fractured pastern. “It was an emotional day,” Yuri said as the horse returned to competition. “To have this moment once again is an amazing feeling and the way Vitiki is jumping is unbelievable.”
‘Not for one second did we — me, my wife, my family — stop believing that he would fully recover,” Yuri added later. “He’s feeling perfect – just the same as before, maybe even better.
“The main thing is he looks like he’s going to have a normal life again — I’m never going to use him every weekend but he can have normal training and go to regular shows.
“He’s feeling good and he’s really enjoying what he’s doing.”
Read more about this amazing horse
Britain on form
Nicole Lockhead Anderson took the Valkenswaard big tour 1.45m direct time class in Valkenswaard, on Tom Williams’ Chilli, and there was a second place for Ben Maher, on Enjoy CK Z, the previous day. Jack Whitaker and Scenletha won Sunday’s 1.45m, Jane Annett and Hold Up the 1.35m small tour class on Sunday, Alicia Smallman and six-year-old Lady Shergar a young-horse class, and Kathryn Fanshawe and Bow House Red a 1.10m CSI1* class.
Read the full Valkenswaard results
Winning in Wales
There was plenty of action at the Chepstow Summer International, including victory for Anna Power in the world ranking two-star grand prix with McQueen to take the King Hussein Cup.
“I was second to Mark Edwards last year on Blazer B but I never expected to come back and win it on a different horse with the only clear round,” said Anna. “He’s amazing and has got everything – scope, he’s brave, careful and fast.”
Mark himself had four wins; Flying Tinker II lived up to his name, taking two big tour 1.40m speed classes by half a second and six seconds respectively.
“He’s hit great form and been unbelievably consistent; he’s an amazing little horse and such a trier, I’m making the most of it and having fun,” said Mark, who also won the gold one-star 1.25m two-phase and speed classes on new ride Iron Man.
Harriet Biddick won the 1.35m speed with Carla X, and the medium two-star 1.40m grand prix by 0.04sec.
“She’s fast, clever, careful and a winner; a real fun horse,” said Hickstead Speed Derby winner Harriet, who bought Carla as a three-year-old and is now looking to the future. “I may try her in Hickstead’s Derby Challenge in September to see how she copes with the fences.”
Don’t miss this week’s edition of H&H (1 September) for the full report from Chepstow
You might also be interested in:
Horse who broke his leg makes return to five-star competition
18 months ago this horse was taken away in a horse ambulance with a broken leg
Watch how Michael Pender won the Hickstead Derby — including THAT jaw-dropping leap over the water
Take a look at the jump-off round that secured this young Irishman’s Hickstead Derby victory
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