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H&H Festival of Eventing: ‘He’s a diamond in the rough’: promising young event horse jumps his way to 100cm victory

Gemma Redrup Gemma Redrup

    • The leaderboard of the 100cm championship at the Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS, had a huge shake up on the final day today (28 May).

    Eventual winners, Julia Dungworth and the eight-year-old Gortmore Ballyneety, enjoyed a meteoric rise thanks to a clear showjumping round, climbing from eighth after the cross-country to take first prize.

    “This event has done ‘Gala’ the world of good and it has been a brilliant experience for him,” said Julia of her Irish-bred gelding. “I can’t recommend this competition enough to other riders.”

    Julia has owned Gala for just under a year after one of her teaching clients brought him for a lesson.

    “He bucked his old owner off in the lesson and I said ‘I like that horse’,” admitted Julia, who finished on her dressage score of 33.25. “He’s really sharp — he’s not spooky at fences, but if someone took their jumper off by the side of the arena, he would bugger off with me! I couldn’t let the rosette be pinned on his bridle today as I would have gone through the hedge.

    “Gala is a diamond in the rough and I have high hopes for him for the future — he will get it but just needs this sort of competition to help give him some grounding.”

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    Second place went to Emma Freeman and Quick Dolla Bill, who also flew up the placings from ninth thanks to a clear showjumping round. While another to benefit from a clear round on the final day was Helen Fraser and Justanumber, who rose from 10th to third. Overnight cross-country leaders Doriel Watson and Claude II dropped out of the top 10 after an expensive showjumping round.

    Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout major shows like London International and more 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

    Gemma Redrup
    Gemma Redrup

    H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor
    Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
    Gemma Redrup

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