July 2015
EVENT ACTION: Bolesworth International CSI****
Yasmin’s
Redrow
Grand Prix
Success
Yazmin Pinchen hailed "the biggest win
of my career" after a superlative display
saw her crowned Redrow Grand Prix
champion at the Ashford Farm CSI****
Bolesworth International.
The 22-year-old Sussex rider delivered
three clear rounds aboard the 12-yearold chestnut gelding Van De Vivaldi,
which is owned by her mother Nancy,
to power home and claim a £19,800 top
prize.
Despite being the youngest rider
among a 49-strong field, Pinchen
displayed impressive composure as last
to go in a four horse jump-off alongside
Trevor Breen, John Whitaker and Keith
Shore.
With the other riders having collected
jump-off faults, Pinchen knew a clear
round would be enough to claim one of
British showjumping's most prestigious
prizes, and she delivered in style.
And her career looks set to go from
strength, with selection now confirmed
in the Great Britain team that will
contest next month's Nations Cup event
in Falsterbo, Sweden.
Irish star Breen finished second on
Oldtown KC, collecting £12,000, with
Whitaker and Lord of Arabia third.
Shore and Mystic Hurricane finished
fourth.
"John Renwick has been helping me,
and he just said to stick to my plan and
focus on going clear," said Pinchen.
"I have got a bit of an issue with my
adrenalin taking over sometimes!
"Going last in the jump-off was the
best thing ever. There was a lot more
pressure, but I knew I just had to go
clear.
"Luckily for me, I have had experience
of jumping a few Global Champions
Tour events, and it has given me more
confidence. I know my horses can do it,
it's just all down to me being positive.
"This is the biggest win of my career.
The horse is such a sweetheart, really. I
have had him for a long time, and I have
got a really good relationship with him.
"I just want to keep going and proving
to everyone that I can do it. It is just
about carrying on and being consistent."
Whitaker, 37 years Pinchen's senior,
praised the skills of course builders Bob
Ellis and Kelvin Bywater, whose track
tested riders all the way through.
"The course caused its share of
problems all the way around, which
is good, and the sign of good coursebuilders. It was a tough test," he said.
There was also an impressive display
by Britain's world number one Scott
Brash, who produced some majestic
riding with Hello Forever to finish fifth,
guiding the horse through two rounds
of jumping with brilliant precision and
accuracy.
But it was not to be for most of a starstudded international field, including
defending Bolesworth grand prix
champion William Whitaker or an inform Robert Whitaker, who had three
fences down aboard Catwalk IV.
International Debut
Delight for Nina
Emery
Nina Emery completed the first
international show of her career in
style by securing the opening grand
prix title on the final day of this year's
Ashford Farm CSI**** Bolesworth
International.
Emery, from Cannock in
Staffordshire, guided 12-year-old bay
mare Piana to victory in the amateur
1.20 metre grand prix, sponsored by
Gain Horse Feeds.
It proved a dominant display,
with the combination finishing 1.5
seconds clear of runner-up Joanne
Whitaker and Contendro Star, while
third place went to Bryony Holloway
and Why Not.
A total of 17 combinations made
the jump-off from a 32-strong field,
including Israeli rider Ariel Epstein,
who secured a strong sixth-place
finish with Corona.
Reflecting on a fine win in
Bolesworth's International Arena,
Emery said: "I have had the horse
for six years. I bought her from
France, and I have had her since
she was at British Novice level, so I
have brought her all the way through
myself.
"She has been very consistent for
me, and it is fantastic to win at what
is the first international show I have
ever been to.
"It's beautiful here, and the food
was fantastic last night. I think I
had too many puddings, though! I
thought if I had any more, the horse
would never carry me!
"You look around, and you just
think 'where else in England can you
go and jump somewhere like this?”
Great Win for James
Smith
Scotland's James Smith made it
a case of third time lucky in the
Ashford Farm CSI**** Bolesworth
International as he captured the
opening four-star class on a busy
final day.
Smith had already claimed two
second-placed finishes at Bolesworth
on the 14-year-old grey mare
Cumina, but he went one better in
the 1.35m final, sponsored by EquiTrek, to edge a thrilling jump-off.
A nd Smith did it from first to go
in the race against clock, posting a
time of 36.50 seconds to collect a
£2,970 top prize and edge in-form
Brazilian Marlon Modolo Zanotelli
and Cavalia into second spot, while
Laura Renwick and Ulievka De Breve
finished third.
"We've had Cumina for eight or
nine years now, and she has always
been a real winner. She always tries
and tries," Smith said.
"I knew that all the guys following
me in the jump-off were fast, so I
tried to do everything I could.
"It's a great arena here, and the
whole show - everything about it - is
amazing. You never see an arena like
that anywhere, really."
Smith called on all of Cumina's
impressive jumping technique and
speed across the ground to post an
impressive victory.
"She is a very quick mare and
she turns very well," he added. "She
jumped superbly. Because she is
small, she is always going for the
distances, and she doesn't waste a lot
of time”.
James Smith
Yasmin Pinchen riding Van De Vivaldi
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Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 22 • July 2015
Gladiators Rock Bolesworth
The Gladiators were on the march at
Bolesworth Castle for the Saturday
evenings performance - but it was
contender Jemma Coburn who stopped
them in their tracks.
The cult ITV series decamped to
the Cheshire countryside for one night
only in was their first-ever live outdoor
performance.
And the IFX Bolesworth Gladiators
Knockout certainly packed a punch
as legendary referee John Anderson's
battle-cry "Gladiator ready? Contender
ready?" pierced the evening sky in front
of a bumper crowd assembled around
Bolesworth's International Arena.
The competition saw teams of
showjumpers and contenders take on
Gladiators like Ace, Doom, Amazon and
Enigma across three Gladiators games
- Dual, Zorb and The Eliminator - and
it was Wirral-based Jemma who came
out on top for Team Redrow alongside
showjumper Jay Halim.
The contenders also included BBC
Breakfast sports presenter Mike Bushell
and dressage rider Nicolle Begovic, wife
of Stoke City and Bosnia goalkeeper
Asmir Begovic, and the audience
revelled in what was another memorable
July 2015 • Issue 22 • Everything Horse Magazine
Bolesworth occasion.
John Anderson said: "I really enjoyed
it. It was great fun, and a fantastic
experience in terms of the arena. It was
just magic.
"The audience was very appreciative,
making a lot of noise, although probably
not as much noise as I was making!
"That was our first-ever live outdoor
effort, and certainly the first time with
horses, so that was a new experience
altogether. I thought it went very well."
Jemma, a showjumper who competes
at international level, won a competition
on Facebook to fill a role of Gladiator
contender, and she added: "I had been on
the treadmill in preparation for tonight,
but I ride a lot as well.
"The crowd was amazing, absolutely
fantastic, and I had the best partner ever
in Jay."
Jay, though, readily deflected any
praise, stating: "It was a really good, fun
competition. Jemma and I know each
other really well, and it was thanks to
Jemma's efforts that we won."
And one of the Gladiators team,
Enigma, said: "That was brilliant tonight,
and so good to get back into the arena. It
was a really lovely atmosphere out there."
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