French rider Julien Anquetin topped off his first visit to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with a fabulous win in the leading showjumper of the year.
Julien and SCEA Brohier Denis’s nine-year-old mare Farah Tame swept all aside in the grand prix, snatching the title from Angelie von Essen and Daniel by over a second and a half, with Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo the best Brit – and leading combination of the show – in third.
Alan Wade’s track had proved testing; only five of the 28 starters jumped clear in the first round, with the time tight and faults coming all over the course. Seven went through to the jump-off, including Adrian and Deborah Cox’s 11-year-old stallion on one time-fault.
Adrian went into the lead with the most beautiful smooth clear, in 46.35 seconds, but Angelie and her star 16-year-old stallion took strides out on every line to take the lead with 40.55. This lead held off the challenge of 2023 champions Jodie Hall McAteer and Hardessa, who went at a cracking pace to finish in 37.17 but tipped the BT tower fence, so it was all down to Julien, the huge-jumping fiery mare turning on a sixpence to cross the line on 38.92.
“By chance I was the fastest in the first round, so I started at the end of the jump-off – so I went slower than I do normally!” he said. “So it was easy to win today, because I was at the end. I’m really happy with my mare – it’s been incredible.”
Adrian and Chacco Volo’s performance earned them not only a podium finish but two titles: leading rider of the week for Adrian and leading combination. Adrian had been placed in every class he entered all week other than the six-bar.
“This year has just been amazing,” he said. “I came for the first time last year and was unlucky but you get good and bad shows and this was a good one.”
Deborah bought the just-backed Chacco-Blue stallion at four and Adrian has ridden him all the way, to jumping on Nations Cup teams this year.
“He came here at eight and was third in the grade C; now he’s come third in the grand prix,” Adrian said. “He’s a good boy. The time-fault today took the pressure off a bit as if I went clear I’d be higher than anyone who had a fence, and it worked. It feels very special to be leading rider and combination, third in the grand prix and placed in every class.”
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