SHOWJUMPING
Three of the most successful county show riders are in flying form with veteran horses rolling back the years
Bath and West, The Showground, Somerset
EXPERIENCED county campaigners Sammie-Jo Coffin and Angie Thompson commanded the programme, heading all but one class and taking a big win apiece.
Sammie-Jo was on authoritative form, piloting a different ride to victory each day. She commenced her run with a win in Thursday’s 1.40m open riding Elsalvador Van’t Scaaphof Z, before following up with a triumph in the area trial on Chaccomo Blue, then adding a tidy victory in a surprisingly tricky accumulator aboard Bellamy II.
While looming Nations Cup duties had diminished entries, with some of the usual faces missing from the line-up, including last year’s area trial and grand prix winner Mark Edwards, competition was still strong. Bath and West regulars Sammie-Jo, Angie and Harriet Biddick all provided the crowds with some quality showdowns. The area trial and grand prix were classes with different flavours. The 1.50m trial provided some tough jumping; the £1,500-to-the-winner grand prix ended with a superb battle against the clock.
“A REALLY STRONG TRACK”
HEAVY rain on Wednesday night had tipped the ground from good to sticky, and while course-designer Matt Hoskins had “compromised a little on technicality but not size”, the area trial track remained a test of rideability, making use of this ring’s notorious 3.1m drop from top to bottom corner.
It was just Sammie-Jo and the scopey 14-year-old Chaccomo Blue – a reliable jumper who completed last year’s Hickstead Derby – who left the fences standing. They were joined in the second phase by Sian Edwards, who had two rides on four faults, and Harriet Biddick on eight.
“It was a really strong track. Matt built quite a big double and some big oxers coming back up hills. There were problems everywhere. Many struggled but my horse is so scopey, he popped round with no worries,” said Sammie-Jo.
The table A9 format allowed for quite a shake-up in the jump-off, when Sian had additional rails down on both horses, while Harriet and the Old Lodge’s quick chestnut mare Night Of Glory OL jumped a fast clear that put her into an initial lead.
But Sammie-Jo and Chaccomo Blue landed the class with a steady clear.
“I just went very slowly,” said Sammie-Jo, who has ridden the gelding since he was a 10-yearold who had never jumped bigger than 1.10m.
