Everything Horse magazine Magazine, October 2014 | Page 10

EQUESTRIAN NEWS
2014 SEIB RACEHORSE
TO RIDING HORSE
SHOW CHAMPIONSHIP
Held at the Land Rover Burghley
Horse Trials

The main arena at the Land Rover
Burghley Horse Trials was the
venue for the final qualifier for
the 2014 South Essex Insurance
Brokers Racehorse to Riding Horse
Championship on Sunday the
7th September. This is the third
time the qualifier has been given
a Sunday prime time slot at this
world famous three day event. The
entries were of an exceptionally high
standard and were judged in front
of a packed crowd. Class sponsors,
SEIB and the team at the Land Rover
Burghley Horse Trials have worked
hard together to facilitate the

staging of this qualifier in the main
ring.
Taking first place was Jack The
Giant, ridden by Allister Hood
from Norfolk and owned by The
Jackpots syndicate. Claire Oliver
and Willie Reardon’s Chouxdamour
took the runner up spot and former
Cheltenham Gold Cup contender,
Midnight Chase took third place
for Lady Clark and Sally Hayward.
Chouxdamour and Midnight Chase
took the two Horse of the Year
Show qualifying tickets for the
SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse
Championships as Jack the Giant
had previously qualified.
Ride judges were David Bartram and
Sara Leatherbarrow and Richard
Ramsay judged conformation. They
were all impressed with the standard
of entries and the behaviour of the

Image below: Jack The Giant Image Credit Jonathan Clarke

horses in the electric atmosphere
of the main arena at the Land Rover
Burghley Horse Trials.
Allister and Jack The Giant’s win at
Burghley is the latest in a string of
successes throughout this season.
The 12 year old, by Giant’s Causeway,
won the Hickstead Tattersalls
Racehorse Show Championship
in June and then qualified for the
SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse
Championships at Summerhouse
Equestrian Centre. Allister said, “It is
a great thrill to ride in the main ring
at Burghley – our local event. They
used to have hunter classes in the
main ring about 30 years ago and I
haven’t ridden in this ring since! Jack
The Giant felt amazing and was ever
so well behaved in front of the very
appreciative crowd”.
Jack The Giant had 9 wins and 7
places from 26 starts on the flat and
over fences during his racing career.
He was trained by Barry Hills on
the flat, and latterly was with Nicky
Henderson for his jumping career. He
finished 8th in the Melling Chase at
Aintree in his last race in 2010 and
had amassed nearly a quarter of a
million in prize money before being
retired from racing in March last year.
His owners, The Jackpots Syndicate
has seven members; Di Haine, Sophie
Waddilove, Sharon Fellowes, Cheryl
Claydon, Jane Bailey, Char Collins and
Mrs Thompson Jones.
Second placed Chouxdamour
took one of the two all-important
HOYS qualifying slots at the Land
Rover Burghley Horse Trials ridden
by former SEIB Racehorse to
Riding Horse winner, Claire Oliver.
Chouxdamour was trained by Nicky
Henderson, Claire said, “Both Willie
Reardon and Nicky Henderson
will be thrilled that we have
qualified for HOYS. Chouxdamour
is a great hunter and has done two
seasons with the Ledbury and in
Leicestershire. Willie lives in Dublin
but comes over to hunt. It is a shame
he is on holiday and has missed
today”.
Claire continued, “We knew
Chouxdamour was capable of this
and that he would love the big
ring at Burghley”. Chouxdamour

10

Everything Horse UK Magazine • Issue 13 • October 2014