Arena UK Festival show jumping

Robert Whitaker claimed the two biggest prizes at Arena UK’s Major Grand Prix Festival (12-16 September).

He produced a classy round from first draw with Lacroix in the 1.40m grand prix and a speedy performance on Mandy Hall’s Rudeski in the 1.30m equivalent.

Robert banked the £8,000 first prize in the larger height class and £1,800 in the 1.30m, then added a further £1,700 to the balance with fifth place on Prima Vera in the 1.40m.

Billy Twomey’s stable jockey Anthony Condon won the young riders grand prix with the sole double clear of the class on Whinny Jackson.

It was Laura Renwick’s day in the young horse classes, taking the top honours in the six-year-old grand prix with Beluga and the five-year-old grand prix with Vernon G.

Johnathan Dixon produced a cracking performance to win the Cooper Parry Star of the Future grand prix with Zegreanne Z.

Paul Barker made the most of a late draw in the 1.25m grand prix to claim the £1,200 prize with Temple Ryefield, while Corinne Collins took the Coutts Bank 1.15m Grand Prix with Nick Ward’s Haddon House Precious.

Sussex-based former jockey Leesa Long claimed the use of a silver Peugeot 107 for 12 months after victory in the Peugeot 107 Urban 95cm class on Kathleen Rocliffe’s Berwick St James. The Peugeot 107 Urban 1.05m car was won by Leanne Jackson on her husband Andrew’s Parlinus.

Read Horse & Hound’s full report from this show, including fantastic photographs, in the current issue (20 September, ’07)

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