National finals at RIHS completed with a win for Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews wins the Outside Events Catering winter
grades B and C championship with Canora

With Irish speedster Shane Breen (Balloon) last to go in the Outside Events Catering grades B and C championship at Hickstead's Longines Royal International Horse Show meeting, Julie Andrews had resigned herself to finishing second. She had gained the lead midway through the jump-off with Emelie Marsh's Canora and Shane was matching her time coming up the final line. However, as he landed over the final oxer and glanced at the clock he was 0.03 seconds slower and the win was hers.
"I really did think he’d beat me," said Julie, whose children Molly and William are also competing at the show. "And I would have been quite happy to have been second to him."

Ten clears
Ten had made the jump-off and the first four in the second round all collected four faults. Locally-based Jessie Drea (Point Two Elvis) was the first to return a double clear, but Jessie's leader wasn't long-standing as Julie followed immediately afterwards. With a strong forward pace all the way round, she finished four seconds quicker.

"I always thought this arena would suit Canora," said Julie, who was riding in Hickstead's international arena for the first time in 10 years. "She's amazingly quick anyway and felt like she absolutely loved it."

Bruce Menzies (Eclips van Erpekom) and Ireland's David Simpson (Goodwins Loyalty) both went clear after Julie, but neither came close to catching her, finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Shane put in a determined effort with his own Balloon, but those few hundredths of a second proved so vital.

Julie has ridden Canora, who is a nine-year-old by Baloubet du Rouet, since she was six.

Spotted for a client
"I originally spotted her as a two-year-old in Holland for one of my pupils," said Julie, who will now produce the grade B mare for international competitions. "Emelie bought her when she was six, just after she qualified for the Horse of the Year Show grade C final and a week before qualifying for the Horse & Hound Foxhunter final."

Jamie Wingrove and Zilfa Heleen, winners of the British
Showjumping Business Partnership winter novice final

Winter novice
A little horse made nothing of the huge international ring to take the British Showjumping Business Partnership winter novice championship.

Fiona Hedges' Zilfa Heleen stands just 15.2hh, but with rider Jamie Wingrove on board she was able to produced the height over fences and speed across the ground to win after a 10-horse jump of.

"I rode her a little bit last year and then Fiona sent her to me at the beginning of the year," who was setting up his own producing and dealing business at the time. "She's amazingly consistent and has also qualified for two Horse of the Year Show finals [the Equestrianclearance.com newcomers and the seven-year-old championship]."

Problem oxer
An oxer sited not far from the international arena’s lake caused problems in both tours of the ring. In round one it was situated as fence four, and as the third in the timed round.

"My horse had no problems," said Jamie. "She was a bit spooky when she first came in, but after she'd jumped the first two fences she settled."

Now, Jamie will concentrate on working towards the two HOYS finals he has qualified for with the daughter of Nobility, a Lux son.

"It's not really about getting her used to the jumping, it's about getting her used to the atmosphere," he said. "So I'll probably take here to the British Showjumping/Scope and Arena UK Festivals to get her indoors before Birmingham."

Emily Ward is interviewed in the press office after her winter
138cm win with Emoe Jessie

Pony winners
Emily Ward, 12, a previous winner of the winter 128cm championship here, took the winter 138cm this time with Emoe Jessie from first draw in the jump-off.

“I didn’t think there would be many clears, so the plan was to try and just get the clear but at a good pace,” said Emily. “However, there were two others, but I’d gone quick enough.”

Jessica Hewitt used the big ring to gallop her way to victory in the Claydon Horsewalkers winter 128cm on Pendini, stealing the win from Jodi Hall-McAteer by almost two seconds.

Millie Allen, a previous winter 128cm winner with Flinor Songbird, retained the Oakley Coachbuilders winter JC title she won in 2010 with Herbies Double Trouble. This time she was riding Song Girl, whose name is dervived from her two favourite 128cm ponies, Flinor Songbird and Mathew’s Girl. Both of these ponies were competing at the show in the winter 128cm championship with new jockey Harry Charles.

Jessica Hewitt and Pendini win the Claydon Horsewalkers
winter 128cm championship

Millie Allen retains her Oakley Coachbuilders winter JC title
this time with Song Girl