The female of the species proved deadliest at the BSJA Stallions and Mares Show at Unex Towerlands (12 October), where mares took every individual honour.
Helen Tredwell’s Opportunity B galloped to a £1,000 victory in the 1.40m open. Louise Whitaker finished third on her mother Claire’s big Darco mare, Azucar, behind Ben Maher on Quainton Stud’s scopey stallion Quainton Quirifino Z.
Courtesy of the BSJA’s stallion committee, there was terrific prize-money on offer all day. An inspired Mark Armstrong took the £500 first prize in the 1.30m open on the French-bred mare Kannelle De La Baie, ahead of Philip Spivey on the consistent mare Nenagh.
Simon Crippen stood top of the line in the grade C, with a lovely, smooth round on Matilda M proved far too good for their 10 jump-off rivals.
The five-year-old title went to Valizise, partnered by Tim Davies. The pair wasted no time to demote Nicole Pavitt on Chakira Van Het Hek, a tall daughter of Kannan.
The joint-winners of the four-year-old class were Charlotte Flack on Clarendon Winston V (by Voltaire out of an Irco Polo mare); Allan Clutterbuck’s ride Temple Wovaldi (Indoctro-Wolfgang) and Caroline Healey with the Irish-bred Into Touch, a big son of Touchdown.
Read this report in full, including details of the stallions taking part which achieved their gradings, in today’s Horse & Hound (18 October, ’07)
