TopSpec News

Congratulations to Darby Ward on her recent success at SouthView Equestrian Centre where they held the first pony premier show of the year hosting two John Whitaker International Winter JA Classic competitions.

 Run over three rounds Saturdays competition saw 23 starters fight it out for the top three qualifying places. Eight combinations jumped clear round the first round to make it into the first jump off with six of those jumping clear again.

Fourteen-year-old Millie Allen from Stockton on Tees had three of the five rides in the jump off and was drawn second to go on her father Peter’s nine-year-old bay mare Song Girl. Millie set the time to beat by jumping clear in 39.67 seconds.

Following Millie into the arena was 15-year-old Beth Vernon from Mansfield in Nottingham. Partnering her mother Allyson’s 11-year-old grey mare Falaza Beth jumped clear in a time of 38.69 seconds putting her into the lead. 

Drawn fifth to go was Darby Ward aged 15-years-old from Cheshire. Darby was partnering Carolyn Nevinson’s 12-year-old grey gelding Maradonna who jumped clear in a time of 38.24 seconds putting her into the lead with only Millie left to go. Millie’s final ride was David Miller’s 14-year-old chestnut gelding Scoubidou IV but with having an unfortunate fence down in a time of 39.91 seconds they finished in fifth place.

Sunday again saw some hot competition with 11 of the 25 starters making it in to the first jump off. Seven of these combinations jumped clear again to fight it out for the top three places in the final jump off.

Following on from her success the previous day Darby Ward had two rides in the jump off riding for Bilton Ward Developments. Drawn second to go on Wischin Chin M a nine-year-old bay gelding Darby set the target by jumping clear in a time of 44.60 seconds. This proved good enough for third place when Darby pushed herself down the line on her second ride the 15-year-old bay gelding Enzo III. Darby didn’t manage to hold on to first and second place for long as Beth Vernon riding Falaza followed her in the arena. Jumping clear in a time of 36.60 seconds gave Beth the win.

Qualified pony rider combinations on Sunday were Darby Ward riding Enzo II and Wischin Chin M and fifth placed Millie Allen riding Scoubidou IV.

THE showing classes at the South West Equine Fair, Exeter proved hugely popular with excellent entries over the two days in the TopSpec sponsored sections.

With excellent competition in the under 15.2hh Open Show class, heading the section was the Shetland pony, Sharptor Laser Red ridden by Alice Barr and owned by Julian Walters from Okehampton.

The dark chestnut, six-year-old, continued the top form from his first season under saddle, which saw him win the NPS Summer Championship Picton Final, Novice Heritage Championship and NPS Autumn Festival Grand Prix Final.

“We have been delighted with his success throughout 2011 and winning the TopSpec under 15.2hh section at the show was a great way to round off the season,” said Julian.

Second place in the under 15.2hh class went to Lucille Bywater and the show pony, Fofsway Ganymede.

Heading the over 15.2hh class was another of the season’s success stories in the form of the four-year-old Lightweight Hunter, Mastermind, ridden by Angela Browne and owned by Amy McGrath from Ide, near Exeter.

A big winner in four-year-old classes throughout 2011, Mastermind delighted owner and rider with his performance at the South West Equine Fair.

Said Amy: “He has been such a star since we started to compete him and couldn’t have gone better at the show.  He is so well mannered and easy to do that we are hoping to progress to open classes in 2012.”

Taking the runner-up place in the over 15.2hh class was Alistair Holder riding Susan Harris’ traditional coloured stallion, From a Distance.

YOUNG Robert Murphy put in a brilliant performance to win the H&M Mini Stakes at Olympia.

Robert was riding the 18-year-old, Greenfield Chinook borrowed from younger brother Michael for the occasion.  Well done Robert.

Congragtulations to Jo Hamilton and Vivaldi V on winning the Advanced Medium at Rowallan.

Christmas came early for Jo with another win in the Novice Open on her four-year-old Corchapin to round off a very successful show.

Jo was riding in only her fifth Advanced Medium test with Vivaldi and was delighted to score 75.26%.

Said Jo: “Due to the snow the horses were only ridden once and lunged once so they were both on their toes.

“Vivaldi feels very powerful and I’m getting better at balancing the power, but he’s learning when to put a cap on it a little.

“Bit by bit, he’s coming together.  We’re both getting more confident and that then allows you to attack the test more, to focus on each movement having a start, middle and end.  If you want a test to go well, you’ve got to make it work.”

Congratulations to Christine and Charlie Anderson, owners of Rushfield Bailey, ridden by Louise Maxwell – Supreme Champion Mountain and Moorland at Olympia. The  Dartmoor stallion sired by Springwater Happy Day had a seven hour journey to the final and received the highest conformation mark of the day. Also to best of breed champions the Sec A Bryndefaid St Andrew, the Sec B Bronheulog Harvey, ridden by Alex Bates and the New Forest Applewich Magister ridden by Charlotte Jenkins.

NEW TopSpec Performance Cubes provide energy for work but are ‘Non-Heating’ and are ideal for horses that are a bit sharp or get fizzy on cereal-based competition mixes or cubes.

They are designed to be added to a TopSpec feed balancer or supplement and therefore contain no added vitamins or trace-elements, but do include the major minerals calcium, sodium and magnesium.

TopSpec Performance Cubes are formulated without the use of any cereal-grains, so they are not just ‘oat-free’ or ‘barley-free’ but completely cereal-grain free.

At the same time they have a good calorific index of 12.5MJ/kg, and are low in starch and sugar, but high in fibre.

TopSpec Performance Cubes are balanced for protein with high-oil soya and linseed, and with available sources of calcium, magnesium and salt added.

The highly digestible fibre in the cubes helps to promote the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut therefore helping to maintain a healthy digestive system.

They are an excellent choice when relaxed and focused performance is required and are perfect for horses and ponies requiring a low-starch/high-fibre diet.

Visit the TopSpec team at the South West Christmas Equine Fair at Westpoint, Exeter on December 3 and 4.  Come along to the stand and be in with the chance of winning an overnight stay in London, tickets to War Horse and the Ice Bar – the coolest place in town!

YOUR Horse Live – the ‘must visit’ event of the year hit new highs in 2011 with increased visitors, more exhibitors and demonstrations that led to packed stands.

With visitors flocking to Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from first thing in the morning, this year’s Your Horse Live was one of the best ever.

Top names provided exciting and enlightening demonstrations and included dressage star Laura Bechtolsheimer discussing how to improve a horse’s way of going with riders Jade Vale and Katherine Boyd as well as helping young dressage star of the future Charlotte Ward.

Event rider Oliver Townend and show jumper Geoff Billington shared their training secrets with plenty of laughs along the way, their fun-filled partnership now well established and proving a real crowd pleaser.

 A dressage to music master class was provided by Anna Ross-Davies and Roland Tong while the rollercoaster ride that is Rockin’ Horse saw the incredible stunt team put on a heart-stopping performance.

Michael Bacon of TopSpec said: “We were incredibly busy with the stand bursting with visitors and we had so much interest in our competition to win a weekend break to London and tickets to War Horse, it was brilliant.”

The Breeds Village is always a ‘must visit’ area of Your Horse Live and with an array of rare breeds, this year proved once again how popular these wonderful animals are.

A very busy two days