Sarah Billington got the final day of this year’s Bolesworth CSI **** International off to a flying start when she won the Am-A grand prix.
The class, sponsored by Andrews Bowen, reached a thrilling crescendo as the top three finishers were separated by just 16 hundredths of a second.
But it was Cheshire-based Sarah, wife of international showjumper Geoff Billington, who came out on top after clocking a jump-off time of 41.37 seconds with eight-year-old bay mare Uforia JX.
Newcastle-based Kerstin Deakin continued her impressive Bolesworth form by taking second place on Sunsolde in 41.51 seconds, and Ashlee Harrison finished third aboard Toupie Du Quesnoy.
“I was 10th to go in the jump-off, and I didn’t think I had done enough because I knew there were quite a few fast ones coming behind me,” said Sarah, who has had the mare from a two-year-old.
“But that would definitely be one of her bigger wins.”
Kerstin, meanwhile, described herself as being “thrilled” with Sunsolde, and Ashlee, who was first to go in the jump-off, added: “I didn’t think I had done enough, but she has only just come back from injury and it was only her second show in eight months. She is a lovely mare.”
The early action at Bolesworth on Sunday also included the five-year-old championship final, sponsored by Childeric Saddles, which produced an impressive victory for Sophie Hillier, riding Stoney Raikes Gindy, who triumphed by almost three seconds following a jump-off that saw Samuel Wall (Harriet) second and Carmen Edwards (Twinning Hill) third.
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.