British Open Show Jumping Championships Report
Birmingham - 12th to 15th April 2007

What a contrast this years British Open was ,a mini heat wave instead of Snow and Ice and much more space for Competitors and Trade Stands. The display’s at each performance were top class and exciting for spectators, local Cheshire Hunt North branch of the Pony Club performed   How the West was won,  33  young riders dressed in period costume Indian Feathers  and Flags flying as they criss  crossed the arena at the gallop made you gasp, while on a quieter note Becky Moody performed Dressage to Music at Grand Prix level on her 17hh  fifteen year old Danish bred Humble Pie who she has owned since he was a three year old,  Jean Francois Pignon once again thrilled the audience with his beautiful well trained Horses and High Goal Polo and Barrel Racing had you gripping your seats with excitement.  The English Vaulting squad performed to music with their new Horse Gigess or Geoffrey as he is known to his friends, only introduced to the team in August 06 Geoffrey an 18hh Russian warm blood cross Hanoverien calmly cantered the 15mtr circle’s whilst the team vaulted on and off him performing hand stands and hanging up side down,  the youngest in the squad was  9 year old Maddy Young the eldest being 26.

Scurry Driving once again had audience participation, cheering the Ponies on as they raced through the cones trying not to knock the ball off the top, commentator Mike Tucker bravely sat in the rear balancing seat whilst giving a running commentary.

Show jumping classes were varied from Speed to Puissance, course designer Bob Ellis and builders Matthew Lanni, Kevin Millman, Mark Neudeck and Sean Whitelock did a fantastic job with both design and colour.

The first class on opening day being the Birmingham City Shield won by Eric Van Der Vleuten (Ned) Egypts Audis Owendel in second, Britain’s Mark Armstrong third, Ireland’s  Billy Twomey now living in Nantwich claiming fourth with the three Roberts Smith-Whitaker and Maguire in fifth to seventh.

Throughout the four days the Whitakers were well up in the placing’s , The Zinc Management stakes being won by Robert riding Nureev Du Houssoit in a time of 54.11 from Dad John’s time of 57.28 in second,  William was eleventh and Ellen seventeenth.

William then won the BEF World Class Start and Potential Under 23 Classic riding Insul Tech Leonardo, nineteen year old Joe taking twelfth.   Robert then going on to claim the Grandstand Classic with Ellen fourth and William seventh Michael and John also in the placings.

The British Open third competition saw John and Robert change places John taking first on Casino Robert now on board Lacroix in second.  

The night of the big Red Wall held the audience captive, absolute quiet in the Hall as the riders approached the jump then cheers as it was cleared, with a 1m 80 (5-11:) start and four jump off’s the Wall crept up to 2-30m ( 7’-5 3/4) two riders were left,  both got a knock down so the prize was shared between Robert Whitaker on Finbarr V and Ben Maher, what a cheer these two young riders got.

John with Lactic 2 and St Honores Liquido took joint third with Cian O’Connor and Casper.

Sunday saw Robert Smith defend his title in the final of the British Show Jumping Championships, winner in 2005 and 2006 he lost the class to the first lady  to win the title - Jessica Kurten from Ireland, her beaming smile said it all, and she has said she will be back next year to try and retain the title, Robert finished in 13th place.

Our young riders did well, showing they have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of our International riders, the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme have now supported this programme for the third year running , seven qualifying rounds have been held during the last three months and the top twenty horse/rider combinations who scored the highest amount of points based on their four best results  came to the  British Open  for the first round of the Championship on Friday , the final being held Saturday.

Local rider 18 year old  Chris Smith from Mottram riding Dozent did well, coming eighth on Friday and nineteenth in the final on Saturday,  Chris recently came first at South View and in 06 he was selected for the Accenture Junior Rider International Squad, 05 saw him win the Hickstead Derby meeting Young Riders Open and second in the Royal International Easibed stakes. A young Man I think we will be seeing more of..   Other local riders who did well were Philippa Dobby from Ormskirk and Amanda Derbyshire from Cheshire.