A top jumping mare scored her first international win since an operation to remove a huge tumour.
Z7 Caretina and Georgia Tame sped to victory over a challenging track in Saturday’s Horseware Ireland CSI3* 1.40m jump-off class at the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show (7-11 July).
Just four of the 73 starters kept a clean sheet in the first round of course designer Louis Konickx’s influential track to go forward to the jump-off.
“It was a really difficult course,” said Georgia. “I thought the course builder did a really good job as every line was a distance and the time was really tight. So in the places where you did have time to move on, you then had to really wait for the distance and think about the line as well.
“She’s great. She always tries her best. Last year during lockdown we found a 12kg tumour on her ovary. Bless her, she had been jumping with that [before we found it] and now she’s had it removed, she must feel a lot better!”
Surgeon Luis Rubio-Martinez proudly displaying the 12KG Granulosa Cell Tumour that he so expertly removed from one of…
Posted by The Breen Team on Friday, May 22, 2020
Georgia explained there were no signs to show anything was amiss with the mare, who had been jumping – and winning – across the international circuit up until the tumour was found.
“Because the horses weren’t doing anything [owing to lockdown], we sent her off to have embryos done as she’s so lovely and they found it when they did that,” she said.
She added the mare has made a “perfect” recovery and the pair have enjoyed top placings in international classes across the world since her return. Bolesworth marked Z7 Caretina’s first international victory since the surgery.
“I love riding her as she’s so much fun, you can always really give it a go and she’ll always try for you,” she said.
Georgia and the 10-year-old mare (Coltaire Z x Caretino) were drawn first to go in the jump-off and kept a forward rhythm across the twisting course, crossing the finish line in 33.09 seconds.
They’ve only gone and done it ?Z7 Caretina and Georgia Tame win the 3* 1.40 Jump Off class today at Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show??The Breen Team
Posted by Team Z7 on Saturday, July 10, 2021
Next into the ring were Ronnie Jones and Interstar B, who were up on Georgia’s time, but the gamble to the last didn’t quite pay off and their hopes of victory tumbled with the front rail of the final oxer.
Ireland’s Anthony Condon and SFS Aristio, a stallion son of Arko III, produced a smooth clear to stop the clock in 34.17 seconds – just over a second behind Georgia – and claim the runner-up spot. Third went to Ronnie and Interstar B, with William Whitaker and Miss Aragona PS fourth.
More from Bolesworth…
You might also be interested in:
Remember the name: seven-year-old star on the rise triumphs in high-class Bolesworth field *H&H Plus*
‘She’s a princess’: fortune favours the bold as fearless mare speeds to Bolesworth glory *H&H Plus*
Warm-up tactics and thirst for speed prove winning formula as strong partnership continue Bolesworth winning streak *H&H Plus*