Showjumping success for Borders ponies and riders

Equestrian expertise among young Borders showjumpers has been rewarded with individual and collective success.
Frankie Cromarty (picture by Bill McBurnie)Frankie Cromarty (picture by Bill McBurnie)
Frankie Cromarty (picture by Bill McBurnie)

Emma Lawson, 12, of Selkirk, has taken over the ride on Jenny of Ardmore and won both the British Showjumping direct entry Just For Schools competitions, at both 70cm and 80cm, held at Morris Equestrian, near Kilmarnock.

She also won the 70cm qualifier at the NSEA competition at Belsay International Horse Trials.

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Most recently, she attended the BS British Novice second round competition at Blue Ridge Equestrian, near Stirling, where she jumped three clear rounds to win the class which qualifies her for the final at the national championships at Stoneleigh in August. She has also qualified for the 138cm Stepping Stones final.

Rory McFadyen (picture by Sinclair Photography)Rory McFadyen (picture by Sinclair Photography)
Rory McFadyen (picture by Sinclair Photography)

Also qualifying for the national championships was Rory McFadyen, of Morebattle, who has had great results with both his ponies. Hawkmoon Lady Luck has been consistent at both 90cm and 1m, meaning he currently leads the bronze league in Scotland.

Rory also won a couple of the Just For School qualifiers at 1m on Hawkmoon Lady Luck and 1m10 on Red Flamenco, while the JfS finals will also be held at Stoneleigh in August.

Local schools have been in action in the National School Equestrian Association competition, with wins for teams and individuals from Jedburgh Grammar, Kelso High School and Selkirk High School, yielding dual qualification for the national festival at Alnwickford in September and championships Addington Manor, Buckinghamshire, in October.

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Frankie Cromarty, 14, of Monteviot, near Jedburgh, and her 11-year-old pony Dino Royale have also been competing on the British showjumping junior circuit, having joined only two years ago.

Daisy Scott-Watson on board Curravordy Builders BlueDaisy Scott-Watson on board Curravordy Builders Blue
Daisy Scott-Watson on board Curravordy Builders Blue

Stepping up from first rounds to second rounds and championship status, thanks to completing the requisite four double clear rounds, Frankie finished first in the 80cm, that being the height of the jumps, first rounds and 90cm first rounds at Blue Ridge Equestrian.

The Borders team from Jedburgh Grammar School, which competed recently in three showjumping classes at the Belsay event, featured Frankie, Jackie Hartley, Holly Kirk and Felicity Cromarty, Frankie’s older sister. As a team of three, in the 80cm, they finished sixth, while also in the 80cm, Dino Royale and Frankie were third as an individual and qualified for the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) Championships.

In the 90cm and one-metre sections, Jedburgh, as a team, fnished first in both, boosting the Borders’ presence at the NSEA event in October.

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Kelso sisters Emma and Daisy Scott-Watson have also been back competing since lockdown rules eased.

At Belsay, Emma was second on Swanieston simply Red in the 1m and third in the 1.10m class on Glamorous, while Daisy was second in the 1.10m on Curravordy Builders Blue.

A week earlier, Daisy and Curravordy Builders Blue took fifth place at Weston Lawns in Coventry in the newcomers’ second round, missing Horse of the Year Show qualification by less than a second.

Last Sunday at the Highland Show saw Emma and Glamorous compete in the Liz Fox JC final, finishing 12th over a very testing course.