Success For Princethorpe At Inter-Schools National Two-Day Event

Run in conjunction with Stoneleigh Riding Club, nearly 200 competitors took part in the two-day competition, over the weekend 28 to 29 May, the only ‘long format’ event open to schools and riding clubs in the UK. It included dressage and show-jumping on the Saturday and roads and tracks, steeplechase and cross-country on the Sunday.

This was the eighth year the College has hosted the event on the Princethorpe estate and the course looked magnificent against the backdrop of the Princethorpe Tower. Returning once again and causing much excitement was the challenging permanent cross-country water jump generously built by one of the event’s main sponsors, The Wigley Group. As well as being a fantastic enhancement to the course, the deep pools within the water jump are also used by pupils year-round supporting environmental and wildlife curriculum studies.

The competition takes a huge amount of organisation, so our thanks go to the school staff and Stoneleigh Riding Club who, together with an army of volunteers, ensured the event was such a success.

Representing the College in the 80cm class were Rosie Moreton on Mountain who finished 4th overall and was awarded the ISA Gold medal, Grace Paybody on Extravagant Edition, who took the ISA Silver medal, Jess Hedgecock on Ballylee Tower and Daisymay McMurdo on Rise Up. Jess also had a second ride in the class on Miss Lucy and it was great to see Crackley Hall’s Jasmine Staveley competing on her pony Honey B. The 80cm team took the title in the ISA team competition and finished in third place overall in the National Schools event.

In the 90cm class Rosie Moreton rode Ballyrush Harry, Sammie Borland competed on Condor Goaviar, Lottie Paybody on Laragh Cracker and Claudia Newman on Annaghbay Storm. A super effort from them all saw the team finish in first place overall in both the National Schools and ISA competitions.

Riding in the 100cm class was Robyn Field on Two Tone Tilly, Robyn finished in 4th place overall and claimed the ISA Silver medal.

Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, Princethorpe’s equestrian event organiser, said, “The College was delighted to welcome school and riding club competitors to the Princethorpe estate for this year’s two-day event. It was great to see such a strong presence of school participants, many of whom had travelled long distances to take part in the competition. Our congratulations go to Tarporley School who took The Wigley Cup. The water jump was an exciting attraction in the cross-country course, and we enjoyed seeing competitors tackle it enthusiastically. Our thanks go to members of Stoneleigh Riding Club, the events key sponsors The Wigley Group and Newton LDP, and our Grounds and Estates Teams and all the volunteers, without whom we would have been unable to stage such a busy event.”

Congratulations to all the riders who took part. There will be more equestrian action taking place at Princethorpe shortly - the Inter-Schools’ Dressage Competition is scheduled for Sunday 3 July and spectators are most welcome.