It was a nail biting finish to the CCI2* Young Rider section at the Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International with less than a half a penalty separating the top three on the final score board. Nineteen year old Felicity Collins rose victorious with Ms Vicky Collins and Mrs Avrina Milton’s eight year old gelding RSH Contend Or to win the class and also take the title of British National Under 21 Champion. Felicity and ‘Mickey’, who secured a top ten finish at the FEI Junior European Championships for Great Britain in 2016, produced a dressage score of 44.1 penalties to sit in fourth place after the first day of competition, just two penalties off the top spot. The East Sussex based rider added nothing to her score from the cross country and show jumping phases to claim the class and under 21 Championship. Twenty year old Sam Ecroyd, from Flintshire, went one place better than his 2016 result in the Young Rider class taking second place this year behind Felicity on his own eight year old gelding The Quiet Man. The duo posted a dressage score of 43.3 penalties and jumped clear over both the cross country and show jumping tracks but picked up 0.8 time penalties from the cross country which was enough to keep him off the top of the podium - despite finishing on the same score as the Felicity of 44.1. Completing the top three was Taggy Forester-Bennett and her own Bonza Moorabinda with a score of 44.5 penalties. Twenty year old Taggy made the long trip from Devon worthwhile with her 17 year old mare, adding nothing to her dressage score from the jumping phases to take third place in the hotly contested class. A full list of results for the CCI2* Young Rider class can be found HERE.
It was a nail biting finish to the CCI2* Young Rider section at the Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International with less than a half a penalty separating the top three on the final score board. Nineteen year old Felicity Collins rose victorious with Ms Vicky Collins and Mrs Avrina Milton’s eight year old gelding RSH Contend Or to win the class and also take the title of British National Under 21 Champion. Felicity and ‘Mickey’, who secured a top ten finish at the FEI Junior European Championships for Great Britain in 2016, produced a dressage score of 44.1 penalties to sit in fourth place after the first day of competition, just two penalties off the top spot. The East Sussex based rider added nothing to her score from the cross country and show jumping phases to claim the class and under 21 Championship. Twenty year old Sam Ecroyd, from Flintshire, went one place better than his 2016 result in the Young Rider class taking second place this year behind Felicity on his own eight year old gelding The Quiet Man. The duo posted a dressage score of 43.3 penalties and jumped clear over both the cross country and show jumping tracks but picked up 0.8 time penalties from the cross country which was enough to keep him off the top of the podium - despite finishing on the same score as the Felicity of 44.1. Completing the top three was Taggy Forester-Bennett and her own Bonza Moorabinda with a score of 44.5 penalties. Twenty year old Taggy made the long trip from Devon worthwhile with her 17 year old mare, adding nothing to her dressage score from the jumping phases to take third place in the hotly contested class. A full list of results for the CCI2* Young Rider class can be found HERE.