Melton horse and rider storm to victory at national finals qualifier
Melton rider John Steels booked his place at the KBIS Insurance Senior British Novice Championship Final with a fine jump-off victory.
Steels and his own five-year-old bay gelding, Lacoste, won the second round of the KBIS Insurance Senior British Novice at Cherwell Competition Centre, in Oxford.
A strong entry of 93 were all aiming to complete a treble clear to book their qualification place for the final which will form part of the British Showjumping National Championships.
An impressive 18 combinations reached the final jump-off, where 13 talented riders held their nerve to produce a treble clear, meaning it was down to the clock to decide the leaderboard.
The Melton combination produced an unfaltering high-speed round, completing the jump-off in an unbeatable time of 40.52 seconds to win.
Somerby’s Isaack Koshy finished third on Zarosh Bharucha’s nine-year-old bay gelding, Equs Captain Morgan, in a time of 41.24 seconds.