Carmen Edwards and Pleased Valerie win Enviornment UK puissance

British showjumper Carmen Edwards and 12-year-old mare Pleased Valerie received the puissance on the ALX Horseboxes Main Showjumping Championships (16-22 September) at Enviornment UK, Grantham, Lincs, as the one mixture to clear 6ft 11in (2.10m).

They and fellow puissance first-timers Ryan O’Sullivan and Kilroy V, together with Paul Sims (Kingfisher) and Joe Trunkfield (Locomotion) all made the fifth and ultimate spherical however solely true all-rounder “Val”, who stands a bit over 16hh, negotiated the towering set of bricks clear.

“She’s a courageous previous woman isn’t she?” mentioned Carmen, who has produced the Verdi x Dutchboy mare for the previous 9 years.

Val has received a CSI3* grand prix within the Netherlands and jumped on three-star Nations Cups groups together with her rider however was entered into Friday’s Dodson & Horrell-sponsored puissance as Carmen mentioned “she felt like she wanted to leap one thing a bit completely different”.

“I had a few fences down within the qualifiers for the grand prix [at Arena UK] and I assumed she felt a bit stale,” mentioned Carmen of the mare who’s co-owned by his father Carl Edwards and Ian Kellett.

“I used to be staying at Michael Whitaker’s home and he and my dad had a chat the evening earlier than and mentioned it is perhaps a good suggestion to leap the puissance.”

13 intrepid rivals got here ahead for spherical one, and 6 have been nonetheless in rivalry for the penultimate spherical. However with the bricks closing in on the 7ft marker for the ultimate spherical, simply Pleased Valerie cleared the wall in nice type, incomes the £1,500 prime prize. Ryan, Paul and Joe shared the runner-up spot, taking dwelling £700 every.

“It was a category the place we didn’t really feel any strain and will simply take pleasure in it,” revealed Carmen. “She felt like she might have gone one other 10cm.”

The pair went on to leap clear within the grand prix received by Emma Crawford on Dukes Of Hazzard, simply having an early rub on an oxer within the jump-off.

You may learn the complete report from the ALX Horseboxes Main Showjumping Championships on this week’s Horse & Hound journal, within the outlets Thursday 26 September.

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her function as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her all over the world reporting from exhibits and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to steady administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian trade as a driving teacher and yard supervisor.