After a thrilling start with two days of senior competition, the spotlight turned to the junior riders for the final two days of the 2025 Harry Hall One Club ACE Championships at Aintree Equestrian Centre – and they certainly rose to the occasion.
Saturday saw the juniors take to the arena for their warm-up classes, giving them a chance to settle in, get a feel for the atmosphere, and fine-tune their partnerships ahead of the big day.
On Sunday, the junior championship classes got underway. For many, it was their first taste of a national championship, and the supportive, fun environment created memories that will last a lifetime.
Brooke O’Toole and Primas Rose were the first juniors to be crowned when claiming the Harry Hall Junior ACE 70cm Championship with an impressive time of 104.90 – the optimum time was 105 seconds!
Having only ridden Rose for nine months — and being new to eventing — this incredible partnership has risen to the top, proving that dedication and talent make a winning combination. What an achievement!
Runner-up was Molly Clarke and Lan Y Mor Leander with 104.01 seconds. Third place was awarded to Ella Cresswell and Ballina Beauty with 103.31 seconds.
Grace Baker and her eight-year-old horse Annagh Shane’s performance catapulted them into first place in the Harry Hall Junior ACE 80cm Championship on a score of 112.03.
After a year and a half together, primarily focused on showjumping, Grace and Annagh Shane took on eventing this season — and what a start! With exciting plans to continue both disciplines, the future looks bright for this talented duo.
Megan Askham with Lisnamult Blue were runners-up with 109.72 seconds, while winners of the 70cm Brooke O’Toole and Primas Rose were third in the 80cm class with score of 114.19 seconds.
Grace Baker and Annagh Shane claimed a double victory when also conquering the 90cm Junior Harry Hall One Club ACE Junior Championships — all while Grace was studying for her GCSEs!
Balancing schoolwork and top-level competition is no easy feat, but Grace has shown incredible dedication, proving that hard work pays off in and out of the saddle with a fantastic time of 103.63.
Grace said: “I am definitely more proud of this one as the class is bigger, I have been fitting the training as best as possible alongside studying for my GCSEs.”
Cara Wilson and Mohammed Ali were runners-up with score of 103.51 while Lachlan Milne and Mac were third with score of 100.18 seconds.
The final junior championship title on offer – the Harry Hall Junior ACE 1m Championships – went to 17-year-old Mia Woodward and Viva La Vega who scored 107.98 with an optimum time of 110 seconds.
Mia said: “She is an 11 year old off the track racehorse and I have had her for three years now and she has only just come out of her shell. We spent a lot of time getting her confidence up for jumping and it’s paid off!”
Lachlan Milne and Mac were runners-up with score 113.50, and also placed third in the 90cm class, while Coral Black and Leandro V/D Eikelboscherheide came in third with a score of 114.52 seconds.
Reflecting on a successful event, Lewis Wilkinson, Head of Digital & Ecommerce at Harry Hall, said:
“As another fantastic Championships draws to a close, we want to congratulate every rider who took part over the four days at Aintree International Equestrian Centre. The Harry Hall One Club ACE Championships continues to go from strength to strength, and it’s been amazing to see so many brilliant horse and rider combinations enjoying themselves. We hope everyone left with special memories and an experience they’ll treasure.”
With the show drawing to a close, the 2025 Harry Hall One Club ACE Championships had once again proven to be an event to remember. The fabulous facilities at Aintree Equestrian Centre, paired with a wonderful atmosphere and strong sense of community, left a lasting impression on all who attended.
A huge thank you to our generous sponsor, Harry Hall One Club, for their continued support of grassroots competition, and to the incredible team at Aintree for providing such a brilliant venue. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back again next year!
For full results click here
For more information on ACE, click here.
Images: courtesy of Majestic Photography
