Birley Beats The Blistering Heat

A run of six double clears culminates in victory for Laura Birley, while jumping practice pays off for the OI winner

- Helen Scott

LAURA BIRLEY didn’t know she was in the lead when she set off from the start box in the under-21 open intermediate (OI) riding her own Boxtree And I (Dan). But her mother Jan told her that this could be the day to go for it. They powered home, adding just a handful of time-penalties to their 27.1 score, notching up the rider’s first win on the 13-year old gelding.

With temperatures over 30°C and the optimum time notoriously difficult to get because of the undulating ground, it could have been a tall order.

“I knew he was fit enough as he did Houghton CCI and recovered really well in the D box when it was warm,” said Laura, who is on a mission to get her three-star qualifications.

“He made nothing of the track, so I just had to encourage him to be a little bit faster.”

Laura, who is studying law at Manchester University, keeps Dan with Dee Hankey during term time. When she’s home in Yorkshire, she trains with Tracy Garside, and her long-term aim is Bramham under-25s next year.