Adam Taylor fulfilled a major goal for this season when he not only qualified Basingwerk Imagine to jump in Hickstead’s International Arena at the Agria Royal International Horse Show, but went home as the new SEIB Winter Novice champion.
Just four riders from 24 starters progressed to the jump-off, where Adam, jumping in penultimate draw, overturned the lead set by Declain Irvine and the first of his two rides Duplicate II by a full 7.82sec.
Declan returned with a final bid on his second ride, the six-year-old mare Delicia II, closing the gap dramatically but remaining 0.52sec behind Adam’s target. “I’m absolutely over the moon,” said Adam, who has previously appeared at the show riding working hunters but was making his debut jumping in the main ring. “With him you just say ‘let’s go mate’ and he’s off.’’
“It’s always been a goal to get here, so I’ve been getting ready for it. We went to Royal Norfolk to practice on the grass there and actually won the ride and drive, which was really fun, but this was a bit more serious! He got in there today and really tried.”
Adam said he was surprised by the lack of clears in the first round but that the tricky track worked to his advantage.
“I was a quite a late draw and I went in there thinking ‘what’s he going to do?’ but actually he felt great.’’
“There was a lot to think about, which for him is good. Sometimes when it’s a bit boring he gets a bit la de dah but because there was a lot to think about, it made him really operate and stay careful.”
Basingwerk Imagine is owned by his breeder Lily Ennis, who bred him to be a working hunter.
“He was a bit too feisty and likes show jumping too much!” Adam said. “He only started jumping last year as a six-year-old and came to me jumping 90cm.’’
“He’s a bit sharp and a bit tricky but I have always loved him, he is a real winner. We just took our time with him.”
Katie Oswald, Head of Marketing at SEIB said “We were thrilled to sponsor the SEIB Winter Novice Championship again, a fantastic class that’s always filled with lots of talented partnerships. Adam rode brilliantly in both rounds which led to a well-deserved win. Basingwerk Imagine clearly loves his job, and we look forward to following their journey on into the future.”
Image: Boots and Hooves Photography
