British female riders win grands prix on both sides of the Atlantic

Great Britain’s top three female showjumpers Holly Smith, Amanda Derbyshire and Laura Renwick each won a big-money grand prix at the weekend, sending out positive signs in a crucial year for the sport where Olympic qualification is the big target.

In Wellington, Florida, Amanda Derbyshire won the $134,000 Horseware Ireland grand prix with relatively new ride Roulette BH, for whom “the big aim is 2020”.

She finished fastest in an all-female jump-off with Gochman Sport Horses’ 10-year-old gelding by Moschino, previously ridden by Ben Walker and Phillip Miller, whom she describes as “very, very strong”.

“I was really lucky in the double at the end — I didn’t have much control by then — but luck was on my side,” she said. “For the past nine months, we’ve been working on rideability so in the jump-off I can actually let him go.

“We took it pretty slow last summer, and we didn’t face him at all the big stuff. I think by doing that we’ve trusted each other. He’s jumped three grands prix here [at the Winter Equestrian Festival], and he’s been clear every time. We have big plans.”

British success in Europe

Holly Smith’s victory came with her WEG partner Hearts Destiny at the CSI4* Suzuki grand prix on the Sunshine Tour in Spain. She was pitted against seven of the world’s leading riders in the jump-off but rocketed home clear, a full second quicker than her rivals.

Picture by Manuel Queimadelos

“My horse is exceptional, this is the first grand prix that we have won together and I am delighted with him,” she said. “There was a long gallop to an enormous upright, followed by a very tight turn back afterwards and I was unsure if I should do one or two strides.  But I went for one stride knowing I had to go for it if I wanted to win!”

Continues below…

First lady rider claims Hickstead’s King George V Gold Cup

The King's Cup at the Longines Royal International Horse Show has been won by a lady rider for the first

Runaway Shetland Mildred joins in with 10km race

The unusually hairy competitor kept up with runners from the 7km to the 9km marker, where she was eventually caught

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Sealing a sensational weekend, Laura Renwick triumphed in the 1.50m CSI3* grand prix at Vilamoura, Portugal on the 11-year-old Dublin V, a son of Vigaro who was previously ridden by Anthony Condon, William Whitaker and Simon Crippen. She beat her countryman Will Fletcher on Persimmon V into second place.

Don’t miss the full reports on all this week’s showjumping action in Horse & Hound, out Thursday 21 March.

Jennifer Donald

H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.