Weston Lawns Amateur Grand Prix Show

From the start, the challenge was on. On Day 1, Annie and Julia B tackled two qualifying rounds: a 1.05 m class and a 1.10 m class. Unfortunately, both rounds came with a pole down — one in the 1.05, one in the 1.10. It was disappointing, but not disqualifying.

Importantly, despite those faults, the rounds were good enough to qualify them for both Grand Prix classes. Their jumping lines held up, their pace was sufficient, and their overall performance remained competitive.

Day 2’s 1.05 m class looked set for a clean run. Annie & Julia B navigated the course admirably, flowing through combinations and clear lines right to near the end — only for the second-to-last fence to come down. It was heartbreaking: so close to a clear, but just a hair’s-width off.

While that one downed pole prevented a faultless round, it didn’t wipe out their momentum. The performance remained strong and kept them in contention for future classes.

Stepping up the height and pressure on Day 3, the 1.10 m class tested the pair more severely. Annie & Julia B had a valiant go — but two fences fell. Neither was catastrophic, but together they placed the round outside the clear zone.

Day 4 was the climax — two Grand Prix tests awaited. In the 105 Grand Prix, Annie & Julia B had a rough go: three “silly” poles came down. It wasn’t a run reflective of their ability, but sometimes in the pressure errors creep in.

Undeterred, they went on to the big 110 Grand Prix (the fences set at 1.15 m). That class, too, claimed its share: two poles came down in their round. Yet, those two faults still fell short of eliminating them from contention.

Remarkably, their effort was enough to secure 5th place overall in the 110 Grand Prix standings. In a field of strong amateurs, a top-5 finish after four days of ups and downs is nothing to scoff at.