Wiltshire teenager Tahnia Jordan-Jones completed a stunning Horse of the Year Show double when she won the Squibb Group Pony Foxhunter Championship. Barely 48 hours after landing the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers class on Jumper, Swindon-based Tahnia added Foxhunter success with the same pony in spectacular fashion. It was the first time such a double has been achieved since Hanna Penny and Blue Amber did it 15 years ago.
Nine combinations reached the jump-off, and a gripping finale ensued as Tahnia, who would also have won Friday’s Leading Showjumper class had she not had the last fence down, hit top form.
Allana Clutterbuck had set a scorching pace on Atomic Du Bary, clocking 36.98 seconds, but Tahnia and her brilliant 11-year-old grey gelding went inside that time by 0.4 of a second, sending the crowd wild as Tahnia repeatedly pointed to her pony in tribute for what was an unforgettable finale, with Lily Freeman-Attwood taking third on Capability Brown.
“To do the double is insane,” Tahnia said. “I didn’t think I was going to come here and win one of them, but to get placed in every single final and nearly win yesterday as well is amazing.
“The first turn in the jump-off was a hard one, and then another turn to an upright which was on quite an angle, so I knew I had to get those fences jumped before I could really go for the time, and God, did he jump!
“He is so special. He puts his all into everything, and this is definitely going to be a week to remember.
“A lot of practice has gone in, but to do that is amazing. At the end there, I was just pointing out what an amazing pony he is.
“I didn’t watch Allana, but everyone said I really had to go for it. They said it looked unbeatable, but we just tried our best.”
ENDS
LINK TO AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH TAHNIA JORDAN-JONES
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/HOYS17_Tahnia_day4.mp3
Image caption: Tahnia Jordan-Jones wins the Squibb Group Pony Foxhunter Championship
Image credit: 1st Class Images
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