Nina destined to win in young horse final

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Nina Mallavaey followed her trainer Nick Skelton’s instructions to the letter to secure the Breen Equestrian one-star young horse final with Destine To Be on her debut at the Agria Royal International Horse Show.

“Nick has gone to the Olympics to train Laura Kraut, but before he left he told me that I should be clear and if I was in the jump-off, to let go of the reins, go as fast as I can and win!” the 24-year-old French rider said. “I’ve been watching videos from other people riding here and it’s always been a dream to compete at Hickstead, so I am very happy.”

Nina had impressed with a successful five-star Nations Cup debut on Friday (26 July), when she posted a second round clear with her top mare Dynastie De Beaufour. She demonstrated she was also a force to be reckoned with against the clock, when she went into the lead in this young horse final with the Rein family’s eight-year-old Diamant De Semilly gelding.

Four seven-year-olds and four eight-year-olds had progressed to the second phase, with the top two positions going to the older horses. Last year’s victor Matt Sampson had been on form once again, but a check on the final line with the bay mare Pretty Pi’Que De’Luxe left him in second place, 0.81sec adrift of the top spot. Third went to class sponsor Shane Breen, who finished top of the seven-year-olds with the Cornet Obolensky x Stakkato grey gelding Konrad Obolensky.

Nina has partnered the gelding since April. “My horse is very quick over the ground, he is naturally fast,” she said. “I knew I could let him loose between the jumps because he is so careful, so I just needed to sit up a bit before the fences. He loved that big grass ring, he’s really scopey so it suits him very well.

“The fences are a decent height - we are not used to those kind of jumps in Europe, so it makes it special. It’s a bit like La Baule in France, it’s a nice show with history, and I think it’s a great experience for young horses as they learn a lot here.”

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