Breen and Pavitt share the spoils

Competition was as close as it comes on the opening day of the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, with The Astore and Sons 1.35m Open Championship ending in a dead heat between Trevor Breen and Nicole Pavitt.

Nicole, riding Amber Bundock’s nine-year-old black stallion Rohodos Ven De Kiekenboer, and Trevor with his wife Caroline’s nine-year-old gelding Konrad Obolensky, both stopped the clock at exactly 39.21sec.

Nicole had been the first to go of 12 riders to make this final, and almost 6sec divided Nicole from the rest of the field when Trevor entered the ring.

“I saw the leaderboard was at 39sec and I know Nicole is fast, so I just thought I’d do what I planned and let Konrad travel in that gear, as he’s better going like that anyway,” Trevor said. “I just tried to keep it tight and see where it left me — and it was bang on with Nicole.”

Trevor and Konrad were Hickstead Winter Grade B&C champions at the Agria Royal International Horse Show last year.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to get him back in the International Arena. He loves it there and hopefully one day he’ll do some bigger stuff in there too,” he said.

Nicole has been riding Rohodos Ven De Kiekenboer, a son of Emerald, since he was a four-year-old.

“I initially went to view him with Matt Pike, who bought him, and then Neil and Amber Bundock bought him as a six-year-old. I lost the ride for about six months but then got him back,” Nicole said. “He’s not been the biggest fan of this ring growing up, he’s found it a little bit daunting, but I think he’s finally come of age in there.”

Joe Clayton tested seven-year-old Chamonix Z against the clock for the first time in the 1.30m Hickstead Annual Grade C Championship, winning an eight-strong jump off with 1.84sec to spare.

“He’s never gone that quickly before,” he said. “He has a massive stride and I was able to use that. He’s a very brave horse — even yesterday in the qualifiers in the grass ring he just took to it.”

Joe has been riding the Clarimo x Diamant De Semilly gelding for around a year-and-a-half. “He’s owned by a Norwegian family, the Raaholts, who bred him out of one of their top five-star mares. It will be really nice for them to have had a win here at Hickstead,” he added.

Thomas Pritchard was the first to set the tone for a thrilling week when he won the opening class in the International Arena, The Hickstead Novice 1.10m Championship, with Pimlico Waldstar.

Thomas, who is based at Julian Mincher’s yard in London, also won the qualifier with the six-year-old gelding, who has been with them for only a few weeks.

“This is only my second show with him but the plan was just to go for it. I knew I could dare him and he’d do a good job,” he said. “He’s not put a foot wrong since we’ve had him and we’ve really been enjoying him — he’s good as gold and dead safe. All the girls ride him at home, he’s a lovely horse.”

Thomas was riding two of the nine horses through to the jump off, also finishing fifth with the five-year-old mare Billy Canada. Sophie Lincoln finished a close second, 0.78sec slower on BE Golden Air. 

For full results click here.