No better feeling than a win at the last event of the season!
An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Aston-Le-Walls (X) - order or view videos here
Sadly, Aston Le Walls (X), an official event added to the British Eventing calendar after the wash out of several other fixtures in October, fell prey to the inclement weather conditions. Although the event at Washbrook Farm ran on Friday 25th October, official competition on Saturday was cancelled as was the Unaffiliated event on Sunday
The BE90 and BE100 Regional Finals, due to take place on Saturday 26th and scheduled here following the abandonment of Dauntsey and Weston Park (2), will now be rescheduled for Spring 2020, giving more chances for riders to qualify for the Science Supplements Cup at Badminton Horse Trials in May
While many at Les Etoiles de Pau would have been relieved that Piggy French was not contesting the CCI5* there, the woman who has enjoyed an absolute cracker of a year at all levels, did go out with a win. She may have won only one of the six classes run on Friday, the Novice Section E on Igel, a horse that started the year with a win in the BE100 at Isleham, but she also finished fourth in the BE100 Section A on March on Marsden, fifth in the BE100 Section B riding Cooley Goodwood, second on Royal March in the BE100 Section C and 12th in the Open Novice Section F riding Carolines Air KM
Piggy would not have been at all upset that the win in the Open Novice Section F was taken by her friend, Ireland’s Susie Berry, who is currently based at Piggy’s yard. Susie was riding Fernhill G and the win on their dressage score of 28.3 came at their first start together. Keep an eye out early next year for more of Piggy French and Susie Berry’s rising stars …..
Gubby Leach finished third in this class and second in the BE100 Section B but his win came in the BE100 Section A on board the seven year old mare, Honey IX, completing on their dressage score of 25.3
Ibble Watson won the BE100 Section A riding Candito, whose very good dressage score of 20.5 enabled them to stay ahead of Gubby, despite one rail in the show jumping.
Piggy was pipped at the post in the BE100 Open Section C by a well-known horse with a new rider. Union Fortunus, winner of the British Young Rider Championship at Houghton Hall in May with his previous rider Phoebe Locke is now enjoying competition with another young rider, Daisy Amin
Phoebe told us more about Union Fortunus at Houghton, saying that to part with him ‘will be very emotional, but I feel that he needs to give someone else all the joy he’s given me. He’s such an incredible horse’
He certainly gave lived up to his nickname of ‘Mr Consistent’ at Aston Le Walls, finishing on his dressage score of 29.5, giving Daisy plenty of joy and following up another win at Moreton Morell in the BE100 Open U18 the month before
Samantha Brown and Westwood Appeal have had a great season, with three wins at BE100, two second places at BE90/BE100/BE105 and a fourth place at Novice before bagging an end of season win in the Novice Section D. They led from the start with a dressage score of 27.3 and added just 2.4 cross country time penalties to finish ahead of Hector Payne riding Global Promise
And it seems that there is no better feeling, regardless of the weather, than ending the season with a win as you cross those final Finish flags!
