Ponies prance at Nottinghill

The Lowveld’s annual graded jumping scene came to a nail-threatening end this weekend at Nottinghill Equestrian Estate outside White River.

The previous night’s rain turned the immaculate arena into a sandpit of fun. Puddles sparkled in the early morning sun as the course was opened for competitors to walk.

The course looked like a championship crazy golf set up, all fancy obstacles and flowery flourishes. The picturesque nature of the jumps, however, belied their difficulty. The twists and turns gave riders the chance to cut overall time, but reduced the chance to set up properly for a jump. As a consequence, riders dropped points at every fence.

Westvaal Nelspruit had upped the pressure when this renowned company came on board as generous sponsors in conjunction with Avis Fleet Management. Not only were riders jumping to win that elusive red rosette, there was also large cash prizes up for grabs.

“Equestrian sports are a real test of horse and rider, combining poise, elegance and sheer strength. It’s also something Lowvelders are very good at, and that is one of the reasons Westvaal Nelspruit is proud to help the sport wherever we can,” said Morné Britz, sales consultant. “Horses embodies power with looks, just like our Isuzu KB300 LX models that can tow 3.5 ton or the Trailblazer 2.8LTZ models that can tow 2.95 ton.”

Two of these vehicles were parked neatly in the arena, and riders had to plan carefully around it to ensure the fastest times with the least penalties. The show incorporated some small training classes to give novice riders and horses the opportunity to ride in a “real” show.

In the 60cm Welcome Stakes class there was no stopping young Chanré Harvey on the fast Prince of Dreams. She had the spectators on their feet with a golden jump-off in an unbelievable time of 40.19. Her nearest competitor, Tana Wolf ridden by Amber Freestone, could not even come close to her time when the pair finished second in 46.94.

But it was the higher classes that created the most excitement. “The jumps were coming fast and they were big!” said rider Elzabet Mahomed. “I had to really plan my approach to each fence as they were set up in such a way that you could easily take a pole.”

In the 1.2m classes two horses gave each other a go, with not one giving an inch. In the Welcome Stakes it was The Capitalist ridden by Nadia Breytenbach who took the first place with Midday Heat ridden by Hanelize Kamffer in second position. But in the competition round Midday Heat was just too fast for the shiny chestnut a mere seconds behind. “Wow, I won R600 for first place!” said Kamffer with a broad smile.

It had boiled down to this fundamental: which horse could canter round the course leaving the most fences standing in its wake.

“I really believe that we can walk a long road with the Nottinghill team as they have a passion for what they do, just like us here at Westvaal Nelspruit, said Britz.

90cm Welcome Stakes:

1st – Good Connection ridden by Flip Ncube

1m Welcome Stakes:

1st – Africa’s Wizzbar ridden by Wilko Kamffer

1.1m Welcome Stakes:

1st – Brandenburg Last Dance ridden by Hanelize Kamffer

1.2m Welcome Stakes:

1st – The Capitalist ridden by Nadia Breytenbach

90cm Competition:

1st – Varlet Ubermeister ridden by Lydia Kapp

1m Competition:

1st – Belton ridden by Landé Willemse

1.1m Competition:

1st – Sky Ship ridden by Tehri Ferguson

1.2m Competition:

1st – Midday Heat ridden by Hanelize Kamffer