Clemmie Shipp and Opposition Hera
An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Whitfield Horse Trials - find out more here
With names such as Tom McEwen, Tina Cook, Izzy Taylor, Andrew Nicholson, Bill Levett, Harry Meade and Imogen Murray you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re at one of the biggest events in the UK. But no, this is Whitfield, a grassroots mid-week event, so what attracts so many of the top riders?
It is run by Musketeer Event Management, which is always a bonus, it is part of the Tri-Star Eventing Series and the mid-week schedule is perfect for the top riders to bring their baby horses for a spin around the course without interfering or adding to the schedule of bigger events on the weekend. The big names are joined by BE90 and BE100 riders (although the BE80T was cancelled) who are true amateurs and the small event in Northamptonshire has a lovely feel.
It is however the last year that Whitfield will run – the high speed train route for HS2 will slice through this part of the world and the land that Whitfield Horse Trials runs on will be part of this development in the near future. However, Alec Lochore of Musketeer Event Management is not one to be derailed, even by a mega fast train, and plans are afoot for another event running at approximately the same time of year to replace Whitfield in 2020.
"The Whitfield fixture will transfer to a fabulous new venue very close by at Stowe School. We are very sad to be leaving the lovely little venue at Whitfield and thank Martin Clarke for all his support" says Alec "Sadly for us HS2 has claimed not only the Point to Point course but also the cross country. We look forwards to developing the fixture at the spectacular Stowe School from 2020"
It almost wouldn’t be An Eventful Life report without mentioning Izzy Taylor (yes, we are stalking you Izzy) who, after winning at Kelsall Hill, hopped down the freeway to Whitfield to win there too (and take several placings)
From 10 rides across the two days, Izzy scooped a win the Novice A on Hartcracker, three second places, a fifth place and five other top 20 places. That’s how you build a team of young horses …
Two other 5* riders also took Novice classes with local rider Imogen Murray winning the Novice B riding Hamilton III (on the same score as Harry Horton who took second place on count back), and Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal the Novice C on Magnolia. Harry made up for it by winning the Novice Section D on Darc Silver with a very good score of 21.2
Clemmie Shipp had a good weekend, winning the Open Novice on Kilderrys Cougar Girl on Saturday and followed it up with a win in the BE90 Section F on Sunday on board Opposition Hera, with both finishing on their dressage score
Austin O'Connor and Play It Cooley
Ireland’s Austin O’Connor gave Play It Cooley a lesson in finding his own feet at one of the brush fences on course in the BE90 Open when the horse successfully scrambled over with Austen sitting tight in a good old Irish hunting seat. This is what these events are all about with top riders teaching their young horses ‘on the job’, lessons that build the foundation of their education and Play It Cooley carried on to win the class on his dressage score of 22.8, ahead of another Cooley horse, Cooley As Ice
Bubby Upton is excited by this young grey horse who certainly looks the goods and is very attractive to boot – they finished on their dressage score of 25.3. Both of these Cooley horses (which must be the most popular prefix in the world at the moment) are ones to watch
Bubby Upton on MJM Bobby Dazzler
Holly Woodhead did an Izzy Taylor, taking two wins with Benicia B in the BE100 Section H and DHI Houdini, a gelding by Chilli Morning at his first ever BE start, in the BE100 Section I
Sarah Bullimore has a stable full of talented young horses that she told us about last year and it seems that Evita AP is another, winner of the BE100 Section J, and Imogen Murray added to her Saturday win with the top place in Sunday’s BE100 Open Section K
Hector Payne and Sam Gillespie rounded out the weekend wins with Hector taking the BE100 Section L and Sam the BE90 Section M riding GFS Moonlight Echo
Here's Ludwig and Magnolia on their way to a win ....
