The third leg of the 2022 Stal Tops Australian Young Rider Series was held this afternoon as part of the Jumping @ Willinga show at Willinga Park on the NSW South Coast

The Series, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Australian rider Edwina Tops-Alexander and her husband Jan Tops is now in its fourth season and saw the first Leg held at the Boneo GDP classic in May and the second Leg held at the Waratah World Cup show in August. The series will culminate at the Sydney Summer Classic show in December.

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Young Rider combinations have the opportunity to score points over the four legs, with the highest scoring combination being crowned the series winner.

Today’s class saw a field of 27 combinations entered, which included not only the series leaders after two legs, Clemency Hughes and Diamond B Corvina (18 points), but the winners of the two completed legs; Tyla Hackett and Global PH Cocofino (15 points) and Lucy Locke and Quero Quero (11 points). For good measure, Tilley Fair and Oaks Constantino who were placed fourth before today, were also part of today’s class.

Of the 27 combinations, there were just six clear rounds, with only one of the top four combinations, Tyla Hackett and Global PH Cocofino, included in the jump off, throwing the competition wide-open.

Of the six combinations in the jump off, three again went clear, with times being required to sort out the podium placings. In the end it was Sally Simmonds, the 2019 Australian Junior champion who prevailed in combination today with Oaks Kingfisher with a jump off time of 48.96 seconds.

Sally Simmonds and Oaks Kingfisher

They were just ahead of Jess Rice-Ward and Denison Park Style, who finished in 49.11 seconds with third place going to Tori Cureton and Equus Archer (49.80 seconds).

Above: Jess Rice-Ward and Denison Park Style

New Zealander Tyla Hackett and Global PH Cocofino finished in fourth place after taking a pair of rails in the jump off. This, however, secured them seven points in the series, which means they have taken over the series lead with a total of 22 points.

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Below is a listing of the top 10 placings in today’s class, who all pick up points to contribute to their series total.

CLASS 17: STAL TOPS YOUNG RIDER SERIES – ROUND 3 – 1.35m

PLACE	RIDER	HORSE
1st	Sally Simmonds	Oaks Kingfisher
2nd	Jess Rice-Ward	Denison Park Style
3rd	Tori Cureton	Equus Archer
4th	Tyla Hackett	Global PH Cocofino
5th	Bella Du Plessis	Onessa MVNZ
6th	Georgia Apps	Finch Farm Viduka
7th	Clemency Hughes	YPH Capulet
8th	Georgia Bouzaid	Vitess
9th	Emily Baldwin	Twins Ava
10th	Bella Du Plessis	Monte Carlo MVNZ

Below is an unofficial pointscore for the series with just one Leg to go.

2022 – STAL TOPS AUSTRALIAN YOUNG RIDER SERIES – Pointscore after 3 Legs

PLACE	RIDER	HORSE	R1	R2	R3	TOTAL
1st	Tyla Hackett	Global PH Cocofino	4	11	7	22
2nd	Clemency Hughes	Diamond B Corvina	9	9	–	18
=3rd	Lucy Locke	Quero Quero	11	–	–	11
=3rd	Sally Simonds	Oaks Kingfisher	–	–	11	11
=5th	Tilley Fair	Oaks Constantino	6	3	–	9
=5th	Jess Rice-Ward	Denison Park Style	–	–	9	9
=7th	Anneliese Wansey	Grandiamo	8	–	–	8
=7th	Milly Fisher	Yandoo Pasadena	–	8	–	8
=7th	Tori Cureton	Equus Archer	–	–	8	8
=7th	Bella Du Plessis	Monte Carlo MVNZ	–	7	1	8
=7th	Georgia Bouzaid	Vitess	5	–	3	8
12th	Jess Rice-Ward	Dusky Farm Cavalier	7	–	–	7
=13th	Fuschia Criss	Dual Diamond	–	6	–	6
=13th	Bella Du Plessis	Onessa MVNZ	–	–	6	6
=15th	Hayley Cox	Tulara Zane	–	5	–	5
=15th	Georgia Apps	Finch Farm Viduka	–	–	5	5
=17th	Hayden Parker	Tulara Spangenberg	2	2	–	4
=17th	Chase Naylor	Misty Blue Ego Z	–	4	–	4
=17th	Clemency Hughes	YPH Capulet	–	–	4	4
20th	Georgia Bouzaid	AP Ninja	3	–	–	3
21st	Emily Baldwin	Twins Ava	–	–	2	2
=22nd	Lorna Reilly	Bellhaven Jazz	1	–	–	1
=22nd	Ginger Jilly	Diamond B Vancouver	–	1	–	1

 

We look forward to the final Leg of the Series to be held at the Sydney Summer Classic Show at SIEC in December, where any one of the top 4 combinations in the above table have a chance to secure the title.