A TRIO of young showjumpers are celebrating after enjoying recent success.
Olivia Mawson, from Billericay, and Emily Balloch, from Stock, won their individual classes at the Trailblazers Championships.
And there was also success for Chipping Ongar youngster Ryder Hayes Hollington in the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round at the Welsh Home Pony 2013.
Mawson became the first rider to win the same class on the same horse two years running as she and Foxwood Ginger Nova triumphed in the 75cm senior showjumping at the event in Warwickshire.
This time round was not an easy task, with GCSEs and a music tour to Lake Garda and Verona hampering her preparations.
Thankfully, mentor and trainer Francis "Chic" Mummery and her good friend Balloch had already arrived with the horses on Friday afternoon, to settle them in before the Championships commenced.
The first round went well with a clear, but then in the jump-off things did not go according to plan on the final jump as Foxwood Ginger Nova – better known as Boo – clipped the pole.
But even with four faults, Olivia and Boo managed ninth place, albeit very disappointing.
The next day she was 16th in, out of a field of 30-plus, but Boo did not disappoint and they went round clear, to book a spot in the jump-off, and a clear round in a time of 29.14 seconds won the title.
Balloch, 19, has been with Cintra Nova, known as Cindy, for almost two years.
They qualified for Trailblazers at Brook Farm and did not really think they had a chance of going clear, let alone winning.
But she proved everyone wrong as they managed a double-clear on Saturday and came eighth, being the slowest clear in the jump-off.
But on Sunday they went clear again and this time they were also clear in the jump-off with a time which would not be beaten.
Meanwhile, Hollington, 13, had her success on Erinagh Beg.
There were 93 starting combinations in attendance.
Up for grabs at this second round were two direct qualifying tickets for the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship Final at the Horse of the Year Show.
Eighteen riders produced a double-clear to move into the jump-off, and of the three riders who went clear for a third time, Hollington was the fastest, in a time of 42.40.
This meant the pair have booked their place at the Horse of the Year Show event, which will be held at the Birmingham NEC between October 9 and 13.
