AIMEE PAXTON secured her chance of defending the Royal Highland title she has claimed for the past two years when she qualified two rides for the 148cm championship, winning with Eyre Diva Dior and collecting third with reigning champion Las Vegas VI.
Having jumped two of four first-round clears, the odds were already in her favour going into the second round. She dominated from the off, producing a speedy pathfinding clear on the 11-year-old mare.
Aimee topped her own time with the grey stallion “Asbo” but lowered a pole for third. Just one other rider, Gabriel Colhoun (Delflip), went clear to finish runner-up, 6.29sec behind Aimee’s winning round.
“Because ‘Darcy’ was first to go in the jump-off, I wasn’t sure what I needed to do – I just rode the round she could do and tried a couple of turns, and she answered all the questions. I then tried a little bit too hard with Asbo!” said Aimee.
Aimee added Darcy to her string last August and she is jumping consistently at 1.20m.
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