In between the spring sunshine and heavy showers the British National Pony and Junior trophies were this weekend presented at the Brand Hall Horse Trials in Shropshire. Precision riding from Sasha Hargreaves saw her take home the 2017 Racesafe Junior title and Saffie Osborne’s quick cross country ensured a convincing win in the Charles Owen Pony Championship. Racesafe National Junior Championship Kindly supported by long-time sponsors of the Junior Programme, Racesafe, the National Junior Championship got off to a strong start for Sasha and her own 14 year old gelding Playtime Nzph with a dressage score of 37.5 penalties to sit them in second place after the first phase. The seventeen year old Oxfordshire based rider added nothing to her impressive score to take the CCIJ1* class when the leader after the dressage and cross country, Bubby Upton, had one pole down in the final show jumping round to slip one place to second. Eighteen year old Bubby finished in the runner up position on a score of 38.1 penalties with Rachael Upton’s Eros DHI after adding those four faults from the show jumping to her 34.1 dressage score. Richard Coney (18) completed on his very good dressage score of 39.0 to take third place on his own Kananaskis. Full results can be found HERE. Charles Owen National Pony Championship An influential show jumping and optimum time on the cross country saw 15 year old Saffie Osborne rise victorious in the National Pony Championship, generously sponsored by Charles Owen, with Lord and Lady Blyth’s Little Indian Feather. Berkshire based Saffie completed the first phase of competition in joint second place on a score of 41.1 penalties, but some eight penalties adrift from dressage leader Saffron Cresswell and Cuffesgrange Little Ric who scored 33.1. Saffron had an unfortunate fall on the cross country to put them out of the reckoning so it was down to Saffie and her 12 year old mare. Their quick cross country round, picking up just 2.8 time penalties, and one of only five clear rounds in the show jumping, secured them the National Pony Championship by eight penalties over second placed Eleanore Mcfarlane and Mr Andrew Mcfarlane’s Fusilier. Fourteen year old Eleanore was the only competitor in the Pony Championship to come home inside the illusive cross country time to add nothing to her dressage score of 47.9 and taking just four faults from the show jumping phase gave them a finishing score of 51.9. Oliver Jackson (15) and Mrs Joy Jackson’s Daydream Fourteen took third place with their three phase score of 53.9, made up from a dressage score of 47.9 and six time penalties from the cross country. Saffie also enjoyed further success by taking fourth place on Mrs Lucy Robinson’s Red Dandy with a score of 55.1. Full results can be found HERE.
