EQUESTRIAN: Tockenham in line for BBC award (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

EQUESTRIAN: Tockenham in line for BBC award

2:00pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009 in

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TOCKENHAM rider Jessica Mendoza has been nominated for the BBC West Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

The 13 year old is one of four nominated for the accolade, while the likes of Formula One world champion Jensen Button, racehorse trainer Paul Nicholls and cricket star Marcus Trescothick, are on the main BBC West Sports Personality award nominee list.

Mendoza’s nomination, alongside motor racing’s Robbie Gallier, Swindon Town youngster Alex Henshall and Wiltshire golf ace Hannah Turland, comes as no surprise to any fan of showjumping.

She is well on the way to becoming one of the all time greats of the pony show jumping world, with top titles at 128cms and 138cms level already under her belt. This summer she was selected for the GB team at the Pony European Championships on her 148cms pony Tixylix.

The pair were just one fence away from a gold medal at the Pony Europeans in Belgium, where Mendoza was one of the youngest contenders, finishing sixth overall.

Mendoza, who will be going to the BBC Points West sports award at Bath University on Saturday, has enjoyed a great season on Tixylix, a past winner of two European gold medals with a previous jockey, with international wins at Wierden in Holland, Moorselle in Belgium and Freudenberg in Germany among the duo’s tally.

The teenager proved her current form with a win in a Pony Grand Prix at the Hand Equestrian Centre near Clevedon on the chestnut mare, where she beat nearly 40 rivals to the top spot.

“Tixylix was just back from a six week break – she has a little time off to chill out after a busy season,” added her father Paul. “Eight ponies made it to the jump-off, including some top names.

“Pippa Allen, a double Pony European team champion, set a really good target and I thought she’d be the winner.

“But Jessica jumped an amazing round and took three seconds off her time – she was the only rider to break the 40 second barrier.”

Mendoza also won a 148cms class at Hand on her up and coming 148cms pony Razorlite, a pony spotted by her trainer Amanda Brewer and winner of the Newcomers Championship at this year’s national Scope Festival. BRATTON-BASED Alex Hua Tian was one of the first recipients of the new FEI (International Equestrian Federation) Awards, announced recently at a glittering party in Copenhagen.

The international eventer, who competes for China and was the youngest equestrian at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was among five winners, collecting the HSBC Rising Star award.

The 20 year has continued to show good form in 2009, after completing his A-level studies at Eton College, finishing seventh and 12th at the Blenheim International (CCI***) three-day event on Jeans and Magenta, who both jumped great clears cross country.

“I’ve had an incredible two years in the sport – the Olympics in China was something I will never forget,” said Hua Tian, who has a Chinese father and an English mother and moved to Wiltshire when he was 11. “I received so much fantastic support and I’m now looking forward to achieving more of my goals next year.”

Hua Tian, who has become a huge star in China, has the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kenutcky, USA, in his sights next autumn, as well as the 2012 Asian Games.

He will start his 2010 season enjoying two weeks in the sunnier Portuguese climate at the Barroca D’Alva CIC*** International in February and then hopes to compete at the world famous four star Badminton event for the first time, in late April.

Runs at Fontainebleau and Saumur in France and Chatsworth, held on ‘home’ soil in Derbyshire, are also on the cards in the first half of the forthcoming season.

LEE Elkins headed the top class of the day at West Wilts Equestrian Centre’s Senior BSJA show jumping meeting at Holt.

Elkins, a regular winner at what is his local venue, again proved hard to beat, storming home to win the Newcomers and 1.10m Open combined class on his imposing eight year old chestnut mare La Petite Carnavelle.

Alex Valentine had to settle for second in both this class and the preceding 1.05m Open, won by Frome based ex-eventer Liz Down on her veteran bay roan mare Opal Princess.

Malmesbury’s Kathryn Harris, an ex-international eventer who now concentrates on bringing on young horses, headed the Discovery on Susan Parker’s bay gelding Lord Corrado.

The horse successfully evented at BE100 level this year, finishing third at Ascott-under-Wychwood and 8th at West Wilts and Dauntsey Park with Kathryn.

Chippenham-based Para rider Toby Bevins, who at just 16 was beating far older able-bodied riders, topped the 95cms Open.

The teenager, son of local vet Annie Bevins, rode the veteran 20 year old bay Grange Guest.

Devizes-based Daniella Toomey had won the opening British Novice class on the six year old Simply Rex.

She also BE evented the youngster this year, with a third in a BE100 section at West Wilts among the pair’s credits.

Results

KBIS British Novice: 1 Simply Rex, D Toomey; 2 Rocko VII, S Palmer.

95cms Open: 1 Grange Guest, T Bevins; 2 Kelton's Dolly, M Kingwell.

Equissage Discovery: 1 Lord Corrado, K Harris; 2 Nexonde Gabarde, T Pigott.

1.05m Open: 1 Opal Princess, L Down; 2 Possi Primo, A Valentine.

Tri-zone Newcomers/1.10m Open: 1 La Petite Carnavelle, L Elkins; 2 Candlila, A Valentine.