The recent Small Pony Premier provided Scotland’s junior riders with further golden Hickstead opportunities.
The show attracted significant entries to Fenwick to the Morris Equestrian Centre formerly known as Rowallan with in excess of 80 ponies contesting a number of the handicap classes and second round classes providing championship final qualification.
Reigning Scottish 138cm champion Isabel Lindsay, from Balcarres, outside Colinsburgh, topped the Winter 138cm second round on the Saturday.
Riding her nimble dun pony Bailey XII, the Fife Hunt Pony Club member continued an enviable run of form, having taken to the top of the rostrum on the last six of her seven BS outings.
Affiliated to showjump for a little over the last year, her last season was highlighted by taking second place in the hotly contested Liz Fox JC Championship in front of a packed crowd around ring six of the Royal Highland.
Not far in Isabel’s wake, snatching third place and securing the first of what would be two Hickstead tickets over the weekend was Bell Baxter High School pupil Fraser Reed.
His first ride to head to the championship final was 15-year-old pony Mr JK, which he has owned for the last season and a half.
Second-last into the jump-off, which was raised to 1m25, Fraser knew he just had to jump a steady clear around Mark McGowan’s technical track to secure his long sought after qualifier.
Mr JK is stabled at livery at Edenside, Guardbridge, alongside Fraser’s second ride, Light And Lively, and he trains both here with Raymond and Alistair Gatherum.
Defying his 23 years, Lively has been with the Reed family for the last nine months.
“We bought him from the Mason family, from Ayrshire, and they came to watch Fraser jump at Morris EC,” said his mother Aileen.
Going early with this pony in jump-off for the 138cm second round on the Sunday, Fraser coupled an unlucky pole to a fast time before enduring a nail-biting wait for the remainder of the competitors to complete their rounds.
But ultimately, his time proved fast enough to secure an all-important podium finish to take third, and with first prize winners Robert Murphy and Thyme Flies already holding a qualification in hand, the ticket passed down the line to Fraser’s delight.
Since starting his riding career at the age of seven, Fraser has represented the bronze medal Scottish Team at under 10 in Ireland.
Last season he jumped in the 138cm team in Wales, and finished second and sixth with both ponies in the 138cm championship at the Royal Highland but he has never previously qualified to ride on the hallowed turf at Hickstead.
“It would have been good to qualify one pony for Hickstead over the weekend but to qualify both together at Morris Equestrian Centre was simply amazing,” said Aileen.
Results
Winter 128cm second round Saturday: 1 Tahnia Jordan Jones, Just Dandy; 2 Anneliese Aitken, Whinney Lass; 3 Eleanor Hall Mcateer, My Little Sweetheart. Winter 138cm second round Saturday: 1 Isabel Linsday, Bailey XII; 2 Sophie Bowen Howard, Iouar Georgio; 3 Fraser Reed, Mr JK.
Winter 128cm second round Sunday: 1 Harry Wood, Quantom Tron; 2 Katie Clarke, Show Me Heaven; 3 I Carpenter, Brookhall Glimpse. Winter 138cm second round Sunday: 1 Robert Murphy, Thyme Flies; 2 Daisy Deakin, Shaman Sundance; 3 Fraser Reed, Light And Lively.