Butcher highest ranking rider in SA
Local equestrian Alex Butcher was crowned the highest ranking showing rider in South Africa during a Gatsby-themed prize-giving evening held at the South African Showing Championships last week.
Butcher received this coveted award for the most points accumulated throughout the year riding her Warmblood gelding, Brandenburg Lancelot.
The South African Championships was hosted by Dunkeld Equestrian Estate just outside Dullstroom.
Both the open and challenge teams of Mpumalanga came second nationally against the other provinces.
Lowveld riders excelled and brought back several championship sashes and trophies. This was no mean feat, as only the top horses participate in this show.
Butcher was also crowned the novice working hunter champion on her young horse, Rathmore Casanova.
On Lancelot she was reserve open working hunter champion and open show hunter champion.
Selma van den Berg, riding her imported Friesian stallion Bart van den Brink, came a close second in the show hunter class.
Bart van den Brink was also the champion Friesian show horse of 2017.
White River horse maestro, Kraai Kamffer managed to turn back time when she won her own old trophy – the “Kraai Kamffer and Osutho trophy” – on Loura van den Heever’s horse Lezar Solero. Solero was the only horse at the show that trotted away with two big championship wins.
He was crowned the open working riding horse of 2017 as well as the open working hunter for 2017.
Another serious accolade was won by newcomer Isabet Erwee on her young mare Lulu du Belle.
It was the pair’s big first show, and they managed a coveted reserve champion other breed for 2017 against very strong competition.
Other results included Van den Berg, riding her daughter’s horse Eye Candy, that won the show hack in hand, as well as the other breed hack in hand classes.
In her ridden classes, she consistently placed in the top three.
Show organiser Carla Gerdes showed that she could multitask by not only coping with the stress of the arrangements, but also winning a few classes on Boerperd stallion Genot Goudman.
Upcoming young stallion, Saratoga San Francisco owned by Jandalise Venter, won the inhand young horse class.
