The Winter League unaffiliated horse showjumping season at Blackdyke is underway. There isn’t a league for ponies this year as the centre felt numbers were too low to make it economically viable.

Richard Nichol has taken an early lead at the top of the league table with Joe, currently sitting on 11 points. Katie Anderson, Claire Paisley and Olivia Hartley are tying for second on nine points each with Amber, Cassie and Peanuts.

In the first show, Adrian Rippon won the 65cm class with Harry, with Gail Fitzsimmons second with Rob Roy. The 75cm class went to Katie Anderson with Amber ahead of Grace Wood and Drinking Buddy.

Brooklyn Bell won the 85cm class with Valentina and Jon Fletcher was second with Priya.

That proved to be a warm-up for Jon and Priya who then went on to win the 95cm class with Claire Paisley and Cassie second.

Brooklyn Bell was back in the red ribbons in the 105cm class with Valentina, ahead of Richard Nichol riding Patsy.

Proving the fact that you’re never too old to learn applies to horses as well as people, Clare Chappelhow took 17-year-old Crackenthorpe Perfection to her first ever showjumping competition and the pair won their class.

At the STARS Northern Champion of Champions Show held at Aintree, Catherine Jenkinson and Dodger came fifth out of 52 starters in the Ridden Cob Final and also highest placed young rider.

The show was created in 2018 to provide a prestigious HOYS-type event for Riding and Pony Club members and in its first year saw more than a thousand competitors from clubs all over the country.

November sees the start of Arena Eventing shows. At Blackdyke they will run on the fourth Sunday every month from November through to March, with an indoor mixed round of cross country type obstacles along with show jumps numbering upto 18 fences and jumped at around 300-350 mpm. The classes are 65-70cm, 80cm and 90cm.

Meanwhile at Greenlands, Northern Equine Events are running the Arena eventing Spring Championships qualifier over courses built by Tokyo Olympic XC Course builder Rob McSkimming.

The course is made up of eight showjumps, followed by the cross country section which is timed and speeds of between 350 and 425 meters per minute will be expected.

The first is being run on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October, over 60, 70, 80, 90cm and 1m tracks.

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