Princethorpe Brings Home The ISA Trophy And The Wigley Cup
03 Jun
Princethorpe College was once again delighted to host the National Schools and Riding Clubs Two-Day Event.
Run in conjunction with Stoneleigh Riding Club, nearly 200 competitors took part in the two-day competition, over the weekend 25 to 26 May, one of only a few ‘long format’ events open to schools and riding clubs in the UK. It included dressage and show-jumping on the Saturday and roads and tracks, steeplechase and cross-country on the Sunday.
This was the ninth year the College had hosted the event on the Princethorpe estate, and the course looked magnificent against the backdrop of the Princethorpe Tower. It included classes at 70cm, 80cm, 90cm and 100cm. Returning once again and causing much excitement was the challenging permanent cross-country water jump generously built by one of the event’s main sponsors, The Wigley Group.
Princethorpe College had riders competing at all heights and representation from Foundation Prep School, Crackley Hall, too. In the 100cm class, Rosie Moreton finished in 1st place in both the Schools and ISA events riding Espresso III, while Lizzie Nichols was 4th in the Schools’ event and 3rd in the ISA class on Supreme Ambition.
In the 90cm class, Lizzie Nichols had another excellent round, this time on Tickety Boo to finish 4th in the Schools’ competition and 3rd in the ISA event. Then the Glover sisters, Emily and Sophie, rode two good rounds to finish in 7th and 8th individually. Together, the three girls earned their Princethorpe Montargis team overall 1st place in the Schools’ competition and also in the ISA class.
In the 80cm event, Sam Grindal had an excellent round on Alekto M to finish individually 2nd overall in the Schools’ competition and 1st in the ISA class. Jessica Belcher was 10th on Hendir Phoebe’s William.
Then in the 70cm class, Princethorpe had a bumper crop of entries, boding well for the future of the school’s teams. Sophie Gambling rode Cloonagh Star to 5th overall, and 2nd in the ISA class, Darcey from Crackley Hall was 8th on her pony Court Chester, Isla Chadwick came 11th on Running Bear and Charlotte Nichols 12th on Birtley Royal Guardsman. In a very competitive field, Princethorpe’s Team Cloisters were worthy winners of the ISA Trophy and the Wigley Cup.
Alex Darkes, Princethorpe’s equestrian event organiser, said, “The College was delighted to welcome school and riding club competitors to the Princethorpe estate. It was great to see such a strong presence of school participants, many of whom had travelled long distances to take part in the competition. It was also wonderful to welcome OP competitors including, Tori Jones, Katherine Morton (née Brett) and Harriet Boyd. Our thanks go to, members of Stoneleigh Riding Club, the event's key sponsors, The Wigley Group, our Grounds and Estates Teams and all the volunteers, without whom we would have been unable to stage such a busy event.”
Congratulations to all the riders who took part.