‘I’ll take the trophy over the bruise!’ rider kicked in warm-up takes first HOYS win in style

Will Fletcher overcame a nasty equine kick in the warm-up to take the British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet grade C championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Will had four rides in the prestigious final, and it was while he was swapping horses in the collecting ring that another competitor’s horse caught him on the leg. But undeterred, Will clinched the title on his last ride, Alison Walton’s Quian Van Heiste – who he said is one of the best, if not the best, horse he has ever ridden.

“He’s unbelievable,” he said. “You can barely count the jumps he’s had down; so consistent and careful, and he can go at speed too.”

Will’s first ride in the jump-off, Quintine Van D’Abdijhoeve also owned by Alison, jumped the fastest time of the class, 31.54 seconds, but clipped a pole. His second, Annabelle Vere Nicoll’s Calixte Heartbreaker, was clear and fast, but could not quite catch the beautiful round of Gemma Stevens and former eventer Johansome, who had finished in 31.84.

Gemma’s lead held till Will came in with his last ride, the agile eight-year-old Cabrio VD Heffinck gelding effortlessley cruising to win, by a fifth of a second, a title his mother Tina won in 1996 and 1997.

“I took a stride out from two to three with my first one but didn’t think I could do that with the others,” he said. “But after the second one, I thought I could go one less to the double and take a chance. He’s so careful, he’s fantastic.

“All these horses are brilliant and hopefully destined for great careers but shining a spotlight on the winner, he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden, if not the best.

“It’s my first win here and it means so much; to go home with a rug like that; I couldn’t ask for more. A massive thank you to the owners, I’m lucky to have a great group of horses and to top if off with a win like that is brilliant.”

But it hadn’t all been plain sailing; not only was Will swapping from one horse to the other throughout the class, he sustained the injury during one of the changeovers.

“One of the other competitors lost a bit of control and I had a slight kick to the leg,” he said. “There was a bit of bad language, to say the least, while I tried to recover, but I got back on – a bit of ice and we’ll be good to go – and I’ll take the trophy over the bruise!”

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