Lara Whiteway secures back-to-back wins at Scope Festival
On day two of the British Showjumping/Scope Festival championship classes, Lara Whiteway scored back-to-back title wins.
The first came in the Mandy Hall pony members cup on International Playboy.
“I got the turns because of his fabulous flatwork” said Lara, who bought the 141cm former dressage pony four years ago. “We can’t bear to sell him, so my trainer Julie Andrews daughter Molly, 10, will now ride him.”
Zam Zara doubled up in the children-on-horses for Lara, 16.
“She’s been on the back-burner as I concentrated on the pony European championships” she said, “and I only brought her here last-minute because one of the ponies is sold.”
Children-on-horses team gold and individual silver medallist Millie Allen, 12, switched to ponies to take the Blue Chip pony newcomers masters on Song Girl.
“I knew I had to go for it” said Millie, who named this seven-year-old by amalgamating her two favourite 128cm ponies’ names — Flinor Songbird and Mathews Girl.
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Stacey Babes secured the Horse & Hound Foxhunter masters on Valdemar, snatching the title from Anthony Condon’s fast target with Wild Thing by half a sec.
“The track was tricky, but Valdemar is a trier” said Stacey.
A flying round in a 10-horse decider handed Welshman Felix McCartney the George Babes young riders B and C championship on Evamore.
“She’s the best I’ve ever had” said Felix, who has partnered William Jones’s homebred mare for the past two seasons.
Courting favoured odds with three in the jump-off, Emma-Jo Slater marked her second championship victory of the week in the Katherine James 1m novice on Rembrandt Blue. She also snared second on newly-crowned British novice champion Cosmic Savannah.
Day two results
Mandy Hall national pony members cup 1.15m ch. – 1, International Playboy (L Whiteway); 2, Falaza (B Vernon); 3, Kiltormer Grey (J Merrick). Blue Chip pony newcomers masters. – 1, Song Girl (M Allen); 2, Rumworth Taylors Twilight (C Duggan); 3, Rusty Boy (T Wilks). children-on-horses ch. – 1, Zam Zara (L Whiteway); 2, Usar Hune (J Mendoza); 3, Cornelius 27 (J Saywell). George Babes yr B&C ch. – 1, Evamore (F McCartney); 2, Billy Pop (T Wilks); 3, Cumina (J Smith). Horse & Hound/Angela Eardley show jumpers Foxhunter masters.– 1, Valdemar (S Babes); 2, Wild Thing (A Condon); 3, Midsummer Nights Dream (D Charles). Katherine James 1m nov.– 1 & 2, Rembrandt Blue & Cosmic Savannah (E-J Slater); 3, Pied Piper (A Norman).
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