Harvey maintains his spring

A veteran gelding gives his rider an emotional victory, while other winners battle the odds to take home titles | British Riding Clubs SEIB Insurance Brokers Novice Winter Championships, Arena UK, Lincs

- EMILY BEVAN

FIONA WOOD and Harvey from Bay Riding Club (RC) were on brilliant form, claiming the top spot in the senior 70cm and finishing second in the senior 80cm showjumping. The feat was made all the more remarkable given Harvey is 23 years old.

“He’s one in a million and always gives everything; he loves his job. These results mean the world to me because he’s getting older and I don’t know how long he will keep wanting to do it,” said Fiona who bought the trotter/cob as a four-year-old.

The duo, who were ninth to go of the 91 starters in the senior 70cm, were the quickest of the 32 combinations to reach the jump-off by over one second. In the 80cm they stopped the jump-off clock just 0.1sec behind winners Suzannah Engelmann and Lissin Rocket, who proved unbeatable yet again for Saffron Walden RC, adding this title to the senior 90cm trophy they won at British Riding Clubs’ (BRC) arena eventing championships last month.

First place in the senior 70cm team event was awarded to Scarborough RC, who were the only team to complete the two-round competition on a score of zero.

The quartet of Nicolle Prince with Storm, Lucy Correia aboard Pandora, Sophie White riding Pebbley Splash and Amy Osborne on Dereen Bobby dedicated their victory to committee member Kay Traves, who recently passed away from cancer.

The Lakes RC team put a nightmare journey up to Arena UK behind them by winning the junior 80cm showjumping.