Major win for young Whitaker

Ellen Whitaker became the second 17-year-old international winner of this year’s HOYS when she rode the stallion Quinten II to a stirring Colourhouse Speed Horse of the Year victory. Ellen also emulated her best friend, Louise Pavitt, by scoring her first

senior international win.

Ellen and Quinten went so fast that they still won despite 4sec added for a fence down. Keith Shore tried all the way on Pakko, but had to be content with second place.

“I think Quinten and I are starting to get to know each other,” said Ellen. “He’s very strong, but he’s starting to realise that I’m a girl and he’s listening to me now.”

Nick Skelton earlier scored his first victory of the show with a lovely round on John and Lisa Hales’s young stallion, Russel, in the Grandstand Media Cup. This two-phase class took some time to get going, but Nick’s performance delighted the crowd.

A packed house got right behind the riders in the Kraiburg Leading Junior Show Jumper of the Year, in which Sophie Broome made her final pony ride a winning one on the popular Spottie Dot Com. But Sophie and Spottie had to pull out all the stops to beat a tremendous target from Hannah Paul on Hopala.

The BEIB Grade C produced a hot jump-off and the honours went to last year’s champion, Billy Twomey, having his first ride on Graham Sparkes’s Market Force. The ride was given to Billy because Vicky Young had three horses through, but Vicky had some compensation when she finished third on Whinny Jackson behind Tim Stockdale and Fresh Direct Corlato.

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