Emma-Jo Slater continues winning spree at Scope Festival

Emma-Jo Slater’s winning spree continued at the British Showjumping Scope Festival yesterday, as she won the Smarter Builders 1.15m with Simply Billie Bunter — making it a championship hat-trick for the rider.

“This win was unexpected, but the fast favourites made mistakes,” said Emma-Jo, who was also crowned British novice champion (Cosmic Savannah) and Katherine James 1m novice champion (Rembrandt Blue).

Abbie Squires found her hero in Enrique to register her biggest win — the Hopkinson under-21 championship.

“I couldn’t have gone any quicker,” said Abbie, 19, who left Pippa Allen (Bonfire) and William Whitaker (Foniks) trailing behind.

In typical flying form, Laura Renwick secured the Springs Equestrian seven- and eight-year-old championship on Julia Biddle’s Parvati De Breve.

The seven-year-olds dominated in the jump-off of this handicapped class, with Laura’s decisive riding winning from the front.

At her first Scope Festival, amateur Olivia Gent celebrated her 18th birthday 24hours early as her ride Beau Verina took the Tagg66 four-year-old championship.

“It’s only our fifth show and I’ve never won anything like this before,” she said.

Simon Crippen landed the Equiport five-year-old title on Alo Brake’s impressive stallion Acco.

“This was the biggest track he’s jumped, but it didn’t faze him,” said Simon.

After specifically targeting the class on Roy and Marlene Edwards’s Vijlada MW, Andrew Davies returned triumphant with the Halsall Electrical grade C championship.

“This mare makes my job easy, she’s an out-and-out trier,” he said. “And she needed to be — the jump-off was big!”

The Whittaker Horseboxes senior riders championship jump-off was anything but slow as riders responded to spectators’ shouts — current HOYS and British Open amateur champion Ian Wynne proved fastest to claim with Don Douglas.

Jessica Mendoza captured the AJ Walter Aviation pony adventurer with budding star Saorsie.

“She’s the best thing I’ve sat on since Tixlylix,” said Jessica, 14, who acquired the six-year-old mare at Christmas.

AJ Walter Aviation pony adventurer ch.— 1, Saorsie (J Mendoza); 2, Dirty Gerty (A Bradstock); 43, Cloonsahinch Andy Og (C Winchester). Tagg6 4yo ch.— 1, Beau Varina (O Gent); 2, B Alba R 68 (A Botham); 3 eq, Sussex Caretino (L Pavitt); & Braveheart V (T Davies). Equiport 5yo ch.— 1, Acco (S Crippen); 2, HFS Valentino (S Buckley); 3, Fleur Van Overis (S Lane). Springs Equestrian Partnership 7&8yo ch.— 1, Parvati De Breve (L Renwick); 2, Valentino VII (S Hutton); 3, Wild Thing (A Condon). Smarter Training Group 1.15m ch.— 1, Simply Billie Bunter (E Slater); 2, Vesuvius Vu (J Smith); 3, Retreats Watch This (K Grimster). Halsall Electrical grade C ch.— 1, Vijlada MW (A Davies); 2, Blush II (L Whitaker); 3, Trevoulter Lady Utah (H Webster). Whittaker Horseboxes senior riders ch.— 1, Don Douglas (I Wynne); 2, Florry (R Tillson); 3, Borana (R Barton). under 21.— 1, Enrique (A Squires); 2, Bonfire (P Allen); 3, Foniks (W Whitaker).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now