Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
THE fourth Dilmun Riding Stables League Show Jumping Event of the season took place on Friday with leading competitors being challenged fiercely.
The show started as normal with a Clear Round challenge. It proved to be a fabulous day for Melanie Spink with Spirit as they completed their first clear round, alongside Aimee Keen and Basel Aldosseri with Sedona and Sam Bicknell astride Kismet.
A change to the regular order saw Junior 2 and Adult 2 as Two-Phase Classes, which meant that if riders cleared the first set of eight fences, they immediately went into a jump-off - jumping timed fences nine to 12. Junior and Adult 1 were one round each with a jump-off.
At the end of the show the junior league placings resulted in Kathryn Spink rising from her original shared 4th place to 1st place - a clear three points ahead of Aimee Keen, who after a brief visit to the top slot, maintains her 2nd place position. Gabby Chakkos is 3rd, with Hannah VanDerEyken having lost her original pole position now in 4th place. Maud Tinsley is steadfast in 5th.
The Adult section originally saw battle commence with Andrea Gowdy and Fran Downes. Now just getting the edge it's Fran in 1st place, but close on her hooves are Sharon Nickling and Hamad Fakhrawi - these two rising from joint 4th at the previous show to current joint 2nd position. Obviously a pair to be reaconed with! Andrea is still holding her own though in 4th position - she is a mere 3 points behind her riding rival, Fran.
It's all very exciting for both Junior and Adults. These positions have swopped and changed throughout the competition and they promise to change again as the competition heats up.
Gabi Scopes took both 2nd and 3rd places in the Junior 1 class, so we expect to see her making her way on to the leader board soon. Shaikha Hannah Al Khalifa, in her inaugural Dilmun show, took home joint 2nd position in the Adult 1 class aboard Kuwait.
We all wait with anticipation for the results of the next show scheduled for March 25.
The Dilmun Riding Stables are having a fun event on March 18, a 'PAIRS and PIZZA' afternoon, which will start at 2pm.
Meanwhile, Twin Palms Riding Centre is holding a Show Jumping Event on Friday, March 11. The show promises to be an entertaining event, starting off with a Green Horse/Rider class, followed by a Treasure Hunt, and an Obstacle Course. These classes will be held in one arena, while in another the day will start with Pairs and followed by two classes for more experienced riders.
The show aims to bring in new and novice riders and horses and give them a taste of competition and fun. It starts at 9am.
Results
Junior 1: 1st Maud Tinsley / Nelson; 2nd Gabi Scopes / Billy; 3rd Gabi Scopes / Spirit; 4th Gabby Chakkos / Nelson; 5th Hannah Van Der Eyken / Skippy; 6th Sammy Mendis / Skippy.
Junior 2: 1st Alex Warren / Nelson; Joint 2nd Gabby Chakkos / Tashan and Kathryn Spink / Spirit; 3rd Aimee Keen / Sedona; 4th Hannah Van Der Eyken / Nelson.
Adult 1 :1st Hussein Al Boosta / Toto; Joint 2nd Jenna Blakeley / Kuwait and Shaikha Hannah Al Khalifa / Kuwait; Joint 3rd Basel Aldosseri / Tayar, Hamad Fakhrawi / Lollypopp Man, Sharon Nicklin / Billy and Fran Downes / Lollypopp Man.
Adult 2 : Joint 1st Hamad Fakhrawi / Lollypopp Man, Basel Aldosseri / Spirit and Sharon Nicklin / Billy; 2nd Basel Aldosseri / Tashan Joint 3rd Fran Downes / Lollypopp Man and Andrea Gowdy /Kuwait.
League Placings
Juniors: 1st Kathryn Spink - 25 points 2nd Aimee Keen - 22 points 3rd Gabby Chakkos - 20 points 4th Hannah Van Der Eyken - 19 points 5th Maud Tinsley - 18 points.
Adults: 1st Fran Downes - 20 points Joint 2nd Sharon Nicklin and Hamad Fakhrawi - 19 points 4th Andrea Gowdy - 17 points 5th Jenna Blakeley - 16 points.
