Three riders of the future battled it out in the winter children on horses championship final on the closing day of the 2022 British Showjumping Spring Championships held at Northcote Stud (24—27 March).
15-year-old Jessica Cunnington zipped to the title aboard Samantha Hemsley’s nine-year-old stallion Iminko 5.
Jessica was continuing a stellar British Showjumping Spring Championships run; less than 24 hours earlier she had jumped young gelding Aredis Cicero to the five-year-old winter championship, and on Friday she’d also reigned in the winter children on horses direct qualifier with Iminko.
“We bought him as an unbroken five-year-old,” said Jessica, of Kannan-sired Iminko who she has produced from British Novice up to 1.30m level which he is currently jumping with consistency. “He’s really cool. He can be sensitive to the leg but if you know how to ride him he’s fine.”
This is Jessica’s first full year contesting horse classes.
“I love riding the horses; I think I ride them much better than ponies,” she noted
Jessica and Iminko tapped a single pole during their round, but their score left plenty of room between them and nearest rivals, Mia Grey and Fenix, who finished with 12 penalties.
“Iminko was on it today,” said Jessica. “I knew I had to just aim for a nice clear or have a fence to win it, but he actually jumped really well for me. He’s a really sane horse; you wouldn’t know he’s a stallion and at home he just lives a normal life. ”
Jessica will now aim Iminko towards a Horse of the Year Show qualification.
“I’m hoping to get onto some European teams, too.”
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