'She's got it all'

A classy mare shows her cards at small tour, talented horses step up and a four-year-old earns big at his first-ever show

- POLLY BRYAN

“I WAS blown away by her,” said Jackie Siu of her prix st georges (PSG) winner, the 11-year-old Bojengel x Goodtimes mare Jockey Club Huittharien. This was just the mare’s third-ever PSG test, but she waltzed to glory with 72.1%, with Hong Kong international rider Jackie explaining she “tried her heart out” at her first stay-away show.

The pair joined forces at the start of 2019 and although “Bo” is still quite new to competition, thanks to pandemic-related delays, Oxfordshire-based Jackie is hoping she will go to the Asian Games later this year.

“We’ve just been nurturing her along, as she is such a special mare; she has the capability to go all the way. The fact the Asian Games was delayed from 2022 has worked in her favour,” she explained. “I’m still learning about her, but at home she offers me such amazing ability – she’s got it all. She oozes class, and she’s stunning to look at, too.”

Second behind Jackie at PSG, and going one better to win the following day’s inter I was Sara-Jane Lanning and Hawtins Lirica. It was a positive show for Sara-Jane and Nicola Seale’s nine-year-old Lemony’s Nicket daughter, who “got a bit scared” while at Hartpury the week before for the Winter Dressage Championships.

“It was really nice to come and do an outdoor show, and the more she does the happier she seems to be – she never gets tired,” said Sara-Jane.

“She tends to give me too much, and can lose a bit of balance, so although we are consistent with the scores we’re still making some mistakes. I tend to come out of the ring initially disappointed, but then I think about how much more there is to come.”