Katie Magee and Agadir Gano pulled off a foot-perfect double clear to finish on their dressage (32.1) and earn themselves The Howden Way-supported 7-year-old title at Alnwick Ford International.
The Irish gelding by Quickly de Kreisker out of Eclipse D’Hyrencourt, is owned by Angela Hislop and has been with Katie since a five-year-old.
“He was bred to show jump but they thought he’d make a good eventer which is why we bought him,” said Katie. “He is an absolute machine across country and very bold, so we’ve just been working on the dressage and making sure he doesn’t get carried away. He’ll jump anything you point him at which is very nice.
“He was very fit at the start of the season, and the first few events were a little wild, but he’s settled down and we’re now seeing what we can get at home on the flat, at the events. I was pleased that he showed what we know he can do.”
“We’ll aim him for either Blair or Cornbury, depending on how fresh he is, and he has some young horse classes in between which are a great addition to the calendar. They’re ideal for assessing where they are against other horses of their age and to see if the championships is a realistic aim at the end of the year.”
Runner-up spot went to Holly Woodhead and Linda Penfold’s Guns N Roses who picked up 5.6 cross country time penalties to finish on 33.6, while third place was filled by Yasmin Ingham riding Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies Fund’s Goliath Du Loir who added 8 cross country time penalties for a score of 35.7.
Fourth in the class was Lucy Sugden and Zorro B, who added 9.2 cross country time penalties to their 33 dressage for a total score of 42.4. Zorro B is on The Howden Way Young Horse Academy, a pathway programme giving valuable support to the development and recognition of young horses competing within British Eventing.
For full results, click here.
The Young Horse leagues are a great way to expose promising event horses to bigger atmospheres, while benchmarking them against others of the same age, while offering recognition for the highest performing horses in these classes.
Supported by The Howden Way, the top three in each class receive an additional £250, £150, £100 respectively on top of the prize money already generated and awarded by the prize money calculator.
The Young Horse classes take place throughout the spring and summer in some of BE’s most stunning venues, with the 6-year-old classes running at novice level, while the 7-year-old classes is run at intermediate level.
For dates of the young horse classes this year, please click here
Alongside these classes, the performance of young horses competing with British Eventing is acknowledged within The Howden Way Young Horse Leagues which can be found here. There are four leagues which cover the ages of 5 years, 6 years, 7 years and then the ages of 8 & 9 combined. The leagues display the average of a horse’s three best finishing scores via a Power Based Average score which highlights the ability to repeatedly finish on a low score.
The 2023 Young Horse Championships take place at Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire between 7-10 September. The classes will also benefit those aiming their young horses at the FEI World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers, which hosts a CCI2*-L World Championship for six-year-olds and a CCI3*-L World Championship for seven-year-olds.
Photo courtesy of Lottie Elizabeth Photography
