'It was the test of my life'

A petite but tricky gelding finally shows what he’s made of, while a Friesian show-off causes a stir

- ANDREA OAKES

Cockshot, Cheshire

“I WAS beaming from ear to ear on the last center line,” said Lisa Marriott, after a dramatically different grand Prix performance with Valucio, which earned 74.3%. “It was the test of my life – the first ‘clear round’ we’ve ever had.”

Lisa’s struggle with her “notoriously spooky” 11-year-old gelding has seen the pair retire from numerous tests.

“He may be barely 16hh but he has a massive character,” explained Lisa, who shares a birthday with the fully jumping bred “Rocket” – so named because of his “hold on for the ride” attitude. “The only reason I haven’t given up with him is because I’m more stubborn than he is. But at last, he is getting a handle on it, and now that we can go past things like flowerpots I can finally ride the test.

“Training with Isobel Wessels and Carl Hester has given me the belief in our ability that I needed,” added Lisa, who also enjoyed ringside support from her young son, Blake.

Lisa’s win followed her novice 23 victory aboard Junos Whispering Angel.

“She’s a lovely mare, just green,” said Lisa of her home-bred Sezuan daughter, one of four promising youngsters from Paris, a rescued broodmare. “I’m super proud of her, too.”

After a lengthy competition breakthrough her second pregnancy and lockdown, Helen Dutton was back in business with three outright wins. Her homebred gelding Farufio nailed his first performance in more than 18 months with a novice score that topped 74%.