Imagine's connections are living the dream

A new partnership is off to a flying start and one rider's patience with a £1 tricky youngster is richly rewarded

- SARAH RADFORD

South of England, South of England Showground, W Sussex

NICOLE LOCKHEAD ANDERSON may have picked up the ride on Imagine H just three weeks ago but the pair have quickly proven themselves a force to be reckoned with, claiming impressive victories here in both the area trial and international stairway.

Melanie Davies’s 11-year-old gelding – who is more usually ridden by her daughter Molly – was dropped off with Nicole at Wales and West, where they hit the ground running with a talent seekers qualifier victory.

Here, their precocious form continued when they produced the fastest first rounds in both classes to earn the final jumpoff slots, and delivered on their advantage to take clear wins.

“He is the most lovely horse, he is very easy, rideable and loves his job,” Nicole said.

In the £2,500 international stairway Nicole rode an exemplary jump-off, finding good shots everywhere to clock the fastest of four double clears ahead of Helen Tredwell (Independence TN).

“Everything turned up perfectly,” she said. “He’s really careful and we seem to have clicked quite quickly.”

In the area trial, it was Gemma Ellison and Miss Conthargos TW who were relegated to the reserve spot, in a nine-strong jump-off.

“Both classes were very competitive and took a lot of jumping,” Nicole added.