A toast to Strutton's success

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Georgie Strutton won The Champagne Cave Winter Grades B & C Championship with Khaled OL this afternoon at Hickstead.

Six riders jumped clear in the first round, with West Sussex-based Georgie producing the fastest clear in the jump-off in a time of 49.82sec. It was enough to relegate Ireland’s Trevor Breen and Franklin I into second place, having finished 0.57sec slower.

“I know the horse very well, I’ve been riding him for just over a year now. He covers the ground really well and is very easy to turn,” said Georgie. “He has such a big canter and he feels great in a ring Hickstead’s.”

In the SEIB Winter Novice Championship, it was Michaela Webb and Stellar Skylight who topped the leaderboard, having shaved nearly a second off Emma-Jo Slater’s time. “Going into the jump off I knew it was going to be a fast one as Emma-Jo is always quick, so I just went for it. Skylight might not be the fastest, but he is very brave,” she said.

The Northants-based rider trains with Tim Stockdale, and his advice for her was ‘Don’t go to Blackpool and back in the jump-off!’. “I haven’t jumped in the International Arena since 2010, and the first time I jumped at Hickstead I fell off so this is definitely an improvement,” she added.

Earlier in the morning, Izabella Rogers and Whinney Lass won the Les Squibb Winter 128 cms Championship, having produced the only double clear; while in The Hooper Family Winter 138 cms Championship, Iwan Carpenter took the spoils with Follow Jazzy Lady.

Shaunie Greig and Teagan Arla Rose won The Oakley Coachbuilders Winter Grade JC Championship, the first class to take place in the International Arena.

A number of showing classes also reached their conclusion in the main ring at Hickstead. The Leeman Family Supreme Show Hunter Pony Championship went to Harriet Dennison and Merrycorner Mister Bui, while Libby Grota and Cadlanvalley Buzby took the title in the Ponies (UK) Young Riders Mountain & Moorland Championship and Luddington Maestro claimed the win in the Shapley’s Pure Bred Ridden Arabian Championship.

The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Great Britain at the BHS Royal International Horse Show takes place at the All England Jumping Course until Sunday 29 July, with tickets available online or at the gate.

For full results, click here.