Roulette Finds Winning Formula

Greenacres Equestrian dominates the grand prix, with top young riders offering a nod to the future

- Penny Richardson

“I DON’T think there’s ever been a more consistent eight-year-old,” said Pennie Cornish of Roulette H after Ben Walker, one of her Greenacres Equestrian stable jockeys, rode Emma Ziff ’s Britishbred gelding to win the closing grand prix.

With so many big shows to choose from recently, entry numbers were much lower than the organisers hoped, but with prize-money of almost £14,000 and special bonuses for the final day’s champions, everyone had a great time at this midweek show.

Mark McGowan hit exactly the right note with his grand prix course and though only three combinations reached the jump-off, another 11 had just one mistake.

“Horses and riders have only just started coming back indoors, so I tried to give them as much room as possible,” he explained.

The three riders fighting for the £1,000 first prize were part of the future of the sport in Britain. At just 26, Ben was the most senior, as his rivals were 23-year old Alfie Bradstock and Chloe Smith, 21.

Chloe opened with two mistakes on her 15-year-old Candy Boy, but the winning round came next. Ben rode Roulette with the utmost confidence and the son of Moschino was like a ball of elastic as he gave the fences more and more room.

Alfie knew exactly what he had to do and he and Benedictus looked on course until they brushed off a pole at the final fence in a time just 0.13 of a second slower than Ben’s.

This was yet another bittersweet moment for Ben, who has been in fantastic form all year and missed a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) international place through a points error.

Roulette, who will now jump at HOYS with another Greenacres rider, Phillip Miller, was watched here by his devoted owner, Emma Ziff.