MARLBOROUGH international eventer Laura Collett claimed triple success at the latest round of British Eventing Jumping and Style (‘JAS’) series in Solihull.

The national series, judged on the rider’s style and ability over a combined show jumping and cross country course, was created as a pre-season warm up for eventers and culminates in a championship final near Buckingham later this month.

Collett, who was again selected for the top flight World Class Development training programme this year, first saw off over 60 rivals to head the BE100 qualifier on the five year old OBOS Cooley, a youngster she only bought in December and who was making his ‘JAS’ debut.

She went on to win the Novice qualifier by a one point margin on Jitterbug, the mare jumping a double clear and coming home inside the optimum time.

Jitterbug gained her second ticket to the final when she again jumped a double clear to finish fifth in a close Open qualifier, with stable mate Minimee a mark behind in sixth.

Collett, who has been on the World Class programme since 2005, is aiming two horses at Badminton this year.

“It means everything to me to be a part of it,” said Collett, of the programme .

“It opens the door to top trainers and it’s so nice to have some-one at the end of a phone able to help – that backing gives you such confidence.”

Her Badminton rides are likely to be Ginger May Killinghurst, Philip and Sarah Walker’s 16 year old mare who she rode clear cross country at her first ever four-star event at Burghley last autumn, and the 12 year old Rayef.

Rayef, owned by Jason Houghton, won team and individual gold at both the Junior Europeans in 2007 and the Young Rider Europeans two years later.

“I’m also planning to take Fernhill Cristal, who won team gold at the Young Rider Europeans last year, to Saumur in France this season and Noble Bestman to the Bramham 3 day event in Yorkshire in June,” she added.

The 2012 Olympics are also a long-held dream but any chance of a long list place for the GB team would depend on her four star appearances in 2011.

“2012 is ever sport person’s dream really – we’ll just have to see how this year goes,” she concluded.

“The GB senior event squad are so special that knocking someone off the list would be very difficult – but wonderful”

LICI Hawker continued her good run with a double victory at West Wilts Equestrian Centre BS (British Showjumping) competition at Holt.

The Hullavington 16 year old, an A-level student at Malmesbury School, came close to a double on her pony event mare Revue Star. The duo first headed the Discovery class, beating Salisbury’s Gillian Goldsmith, before being just pipped into second in the 1.05m Open by Bath’s Sam Rundle and Tonto.

West Wilts based Mandy Collins filled third spot on her rising nine year old Little Cruz.

Hawker, a member of the Beaufort Hunt Pony Club, came back to head the Newcomers and 1.10m Open combined class on her Selle Francais horse Nankin Des Ruettes. The bright liver chestnut gelding saw off a challenge from Georgina Bond and her eight year old bay Sir Marco, with Collins and Little Cruz again in third. Westbury’s Charlotte Calloway won the 95cms Open on her mare Mrs Brown, who she also events, improving on the third the pair scored in the preceding British Novice competition.

This was won by Dorset’s Sally Miller on another mare, Sandy Melyn.

Results

KBIS Insurance British Novice: 1 Sandy Melyn, S Miller; 2 Kahawa, S Munden; 3 Mrs Brown, C Callaway.

95cms Open: 1 Mrs Brown;’ 2 Confetti, H Cole; 3 Nine Carat, R Collett.

Equissage Discovery: 1 Revue Star, A Hawker; 2 Goldsmiths Warrior, G Goldsmith; 3 Fhareeb, A Andrews

1.05m Open: 1 Tonto, S Rundle; 2 Revue Star; 3 Little Cruz, A Collins.

Tri-zone Newcomers/1.10m Open: 1 Nankin Des Ruettes, A Hawker; 2 Sir Marco, G Bond; 3 Little Cruz.

RISING event star Georgie Spence, who is based at Foxham, will be giving a lecture/ demonstration at local venue West Wilts Equestrian Centre on Thursday, March 3.

The evening, which starts at 7pm, is likely to be highly popular and Spence, also successful as a pony show jumper in the past, will share her training methods and techniques.

The 22 year old aims to “show how we can all improve, whatever our level, and get closer to our goals”.

Spence already has an enviable track record, as she was the first teenager for over a decade to complete Badminton and Burghley with clear cross country rounds in 2008 and in 2009 was the only rider to have two horses clear inside the time cross country at Badminton.

Last year she missed Badminton through injury but came back strongly, jumping clear cross country at the Pau four-star event in France on Running Brook II, her intended 2011 Badminton ride, and finishing second in the one star international at Hartpury.

The former Stonar School pupil has already been in good form in 2011, back in the show jumping arena where her career started.

At the Addington Pro-Am Championships near Buckingham she picked up two seconds in the Amateur Large series on her two star international event horse Velosity IV.

Spence was also runner-up in the Large Tour Bonus class at the end of the show on WII Limbo, who turns eight this year, beating top show jumpers like Guy Williams and Laura Renwick.

She was also among the winners at the Summerhouse Equitation Centre’s ‘Eventers Challenge’ near Gloucester at the end of January.

She headed the 1m class on My Mexico and also picked up seconds on Bromsden Orlando and Bow House Mandalin, a new ride in 2011 who has competed at the highest four star level with owner Rachel Gough.

Tickets for the West Wilts lecture, at Holt near Trowbridge, are priced at £10 in advance or £15 on the door if available – phone 01225 783220 or visit westwilts.com for details.

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