In the first significant Puissance since the passing of Mr Blue Sky, it was Joe Trunkfield and Locomotion who stayed on track through five rounds of power-jumping to win the Ripon Select Foods Puissance in thrilling fashion at the Horse of the Year Show.
Oakham-based Joe kept the famous red wall intact to claim a clear win after he and Paul Sims aboard Kingfisher were the only two combinations to make the final round.
With the wall built at two metres fifteen centimetres (seven feet, one inch), Joe went clear before Paul collected four faults and the HOYS Puissance for 2024 was signed, sealed and settled.
Irish rider Commandant Geoff Curran had been biding for a hat-trick of HOYS Puissance titles with Bishops Quarter, but he had to settle for equal-third alongside 19-year-old puissance debutant Rachel Proudley, riding Easy Boy De Laubry Z.
“He is an incredible horse,” Joe said, of the eight-year-old. “He came to me earlier in the year on behalf of Joe Stockdale, and his owner Tracey Fletcher invested in him. She has been jumping him herself, winning classes locally.
“He has got a really elevated jump. He naturally goes up and he is so careful, and it is a great feeling to keep him at it with that forward momentum.”
“When you take off it is a long time before landing! But he gave it his all, and it is a great feeling when it goes right.”
“It is an amazing show, and it is an amazing feeling in there. I am just super-chuffed for Tracey, and we will have a little celebration tonight.”
Joe’s victory, in front of a capacity crowd at Birmingham NEC, brought the curtain down on the penultimate day of a 75th anniversary HOYS that continued to hit the heights.
Feature image credit 1st Class Images.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.