It wasn’t just the Juniors that had use of the arena during the first four days of the show, sharing it with the Young Rider division of competition. Although run as a separate competition, a number of the Juniors chose to also compete in the higher division, taking on the older riders on equal terms.

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After his second placing in the Junior Grand Prix, it was Charlie Magnier, aboard his imported 11-year-old mare Notre Dame de Bourguignon, who topped off a fantastic day by winning the Young Rider Grand Prix. As with Sienna Holdsworth-Rose in the Junior Grand Prix (click HERE), Charlie was the only rider to finish on a total of zero after the two round class and was a deserved winner despite going up against riders up to five years older than him.

The competition opened with a speed class on the first day of the Show, where Charlie and Notre Dame De Bourguignon sent their rivals an ominous warning. Not only did they record the fastest raw time of the 12-combination field, but they were the only combination not to incur any penalties. Second and third placings in the class both had a rail down to arrive at adjusted times for second (65.70 seconds) to the current Australian Young Rider combination of Clemency Hughes and YPH Capulet and third to Jake Tomlinson and Vinchino. The top 6 finishers in the class were:

YOUNG RIDER: ROUND 1 RESULTS

Jack Barker and Tulara Colchic, winners of last year’s Stal Tops Australian Young Rider Series came to the fore in the second round held the following day. Going double clear to win a two-way jump off, they reminded observers that Charlie was not going to have his own way in the series. The second and third placegetters from Round 1 completed the podium, however, in reverse order. Second went to Jake Tomlinson and Vinchino who took a single rail in the jump off, followed by, in third place, Clemency Hughes and YPH Capulet, who were the fastest four faulters of the class.

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YOUNG RIDER: ROUND 2 RESULTS

In the third round, there was no need for a Jump-off as Jack Barker and Tulara Colchic were the only combination to record a clear round. Second place went to junior rider Sienna Holdsworth-Rose and Oaks Kestrel, who was the fastest of six 4-faulters in a time of 80.62 seconds. Third place went to local combination Hannah Doolan and Ashleigh City Lights, with a time of 83.07 seconds.

YOUNG RIDER: ROUND 3 RESULTS

As previously mentioned, Charlie made the Grand Prix his own. Second place went to Jack Barker and Tulara Colchic, after they took a single rail in the first round, finishing in a time of 67.01 seconds. They were followed in third by the ever-consistent Clemency Hughes and YPH Capulet, also on for faults with a time of 69.11 seconds. The top six finishers in the Grand Prix were as follows:

YOUNG RIDER: GRAND PRIX RESULTS

The well deserved winner of the award for the best rider in the Young Rider (Section D) category went to Jack Barker, for winning two of the three preliminary rounds and his second placing in the Grand Prix.