Mollie Summerland and Mojo made it five wins from five starts this season when landing The Howden Way-supported 6-year-old class at Dauntsey Park. They finished on the dressage score of 20.3 following two foot-perfect clear rounds.
“Mojo arrived with us as a four-year-old having never jumped under saddle, so we are overjoyed with all that he has gone on to achieve at such a young age,” said Mollie of the gelding by Governor. “Dauntsey was his first run back after winning the YH2* out in Jardy. We took him there just hoping to expose him to a bigger atmosphere and educate him with the future in mind, so to win was a massive bonus and one myself and all his owners; Ginnie Wellings, Jane Grover, Oli Wood and Mark Johns thoroughly enjoyed!
“He felt fantastic at Dauntsey, as though he had really matured from his trip abroad. We just wanted him to have a nice, happy run at our local event, so it was brilliant for him to be feeling on top form and pick up his fifth win this season.”
Mojo’s latest victory means that he currently also tops The Howden Way Power Average League for 6 Year Olds.
“It’s really useful to have all the 6-year-olds competing at that level listed in one place, as it gives riders a good bench mark for how other horses that age are performing,” said Mollie. “But like with any horse, it’s about their own personal journey and letting them progress and develop at their own pace as they strengthen and mature. We think the world of Mojo, and are very excited for his future!”
Second was Tom McEwen and Our Terry who also pulled off a double clear to finish on their dressage score of 25.5, while following just behind in third, and also finishing on their dressage score (27.3), was Phoebe Locke and Nightshift B.
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, and 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 6-year-olds and a CCI3*-L World Championship for 7-year-olds.
Photo courtesy of 1st Class Images
