Showjumpers challenged

On 16 May, the Open 1.5m Rider’s Grand Prix Tour took place and spectators flocked to the Peter Minnie Arena at the equestrian park in anticipation of an exciting event.

This, after the Knowles Husain-sponsored 1.5m Welcome Stakes class which took place on 14 May saw 26 horses compete – with only 10 clear rounds in the first round and three horse-and-rider combinations incurring one time penalty.

The stakes saw Shaun Neill and Clyde Z winning, followed by Bronwyn Meredith Short riding Fountain of Love in second, and Nicola Sime-Riley riding Sunny Park Stables Elpaso in third.

The riders took their time walking the 1.5m Rider’s Grand Prix Tour class and debated how to ride the course, which had some challenging turns and distances between the jumps.

The courses were designed by Rob Jansen of the Netherlands and proved to be of a high standard as only eight of the 33 horse-and-rider combinations qualified to ride in the second round of the competition.

In the end, Neill riding Clyde Z jumped to victory in 0:46:01. He was followed by Sime-Riley who cleared the track in 0:47:70 to place second, and Chris van der Merwe riding xx placed third in 0:48:38.

Marlene Sinclair of America, placed fourth, and Simon Hendry placed fifth.

The final 1.5m class of the show took place on 18 May and was the first leg of the South African tour towards the Longines FEI World Cup Final. The nail-biting class pulled spectators to the show venue again.

It was two-time SA Derby winner Nicole Horwood riding Mark White Nissan Capital Don Cumarco who clinched the win, and she was followed by Gail Foxcroft riding Equifox JFK in second, Neill riding Clyde Z in third, Deon Boardman riding Tanik Hune in fourth, Samantha McIntosh riding Lets Win in fifth, Barry Taylor riding Titanic in sixth, Peter Morrison riding MCSA Alzu Luanda in seventh and Dominey Alexander riding Discovery Enjoy 68 in eighth.