Big stage for the pony riders on Saturday afternoon: Ireland’s John McEntee won the FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy for the Prize of Ensinger Mineral-Heilquellen GmbH. The last to go atop the nine-year old gelding Little Smithe, he remained penalty-free in the jump-off in a time of 35.06 seconds to relegate the previous leader Claudia Moore (Great Britain 0/36.34) to second place. She was in the saddle on Elando van de Roshoeve. The Belgian Amber Frederick finished third on the gelding Easter BB (0/39.09). Stuttgart was the last leg for the pony riders on their way to the grand finale in Mechelen, Belgium after Christmas.
“I didn’t know what the other’s times were. I just knew that I had to go fast,” said the happy winner John McEntee. It will be the Irish junior’s last appearance in pony competitions as he will be too old next year, the same applies to the third-placed Amber Frederick. Runner-up Claudia Moore, who will be 15 this coming Tuesday, does not yet know whether she will be competing in Mechelen.
Timo Leonhardt from the sponsors Ensinger Mineral-Heilquellen, who rides himself, was thrilled by the “quality of the horses and the riders”. Germany’s head coach for the pony division, Karl Brocks, praised the “super crowd” in Stuttgart as well as the performances of the top three competitors. “Their riding is on a par with the seniors.”
SOURCE: German Masters Stuttgart