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It has been a busy Easter Holidays for the horse riders of Hurstpierpoint College. On the 2^nd of April there were two events attended by Hurst Equestrian team members. Several students took part in Arena Eventing (Jumping with Style) at Felbridge Showground. In this type of competition, the riders first jump a course of show jumps and then immediately enter a cross-country phase. Their final penalty score is decided by a combination of four marks – show jumping penalties, cross-country penalties, time penalties and a style penalty mark. The winner is the rider with the fewest penalties overall.

Harriet B had a busy day, riding three horses in one class! She did very well with her brother’s horse Skyline, finishing 3^rd and qualifying for the NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association) Championships held later this year. She jumped well on her other two horses, but an unfortunate pole on each pushed them down the placings. In the 1.10m Harriet achieved 2^nd place riding her horse CBH Clover Lining, earning herself another spot at the Championships. Simultaneously, Hurst’s youngest competitive rider Rosie C was clear and came 7^th in the Grass Roots show jumping at Coombelands. This qualified her for the NSEA Championship Plate 2023.

The following week the Hurst riders were out again competing on Easter Monday. Sibling team Harriet and Ralf B did incredibly well at Coombelands in a Combined Training show. In Combined Training riders complete a round of show jumps alongside a dressage test, the scores are then added together to decide a winner. Harriet and Ralf both jumped clear over the 1m course of show jumps, then in the dressage Ralf scored a very respectable 65.63% in the Novice 28 test, and Harriet achieving 64.38%. This resulted in Ralf taking home 2^nd place and Harriet 3^rd. Well done both!

The final event of the holidays was an Eventers Challenge competition at Golden Cross on Friday the 14^th, with 10 Hurst students in attendance. In an Eventers Challenge riders jump a course of show jumps and immediately proceed onto a course of cross-country fences. The winner is the rider who finishes the course with the least jumping penalties and closest to the optimum time set for the course. In the 80cm class Henry C jumped a cracking clear riding Pebbles and finished in 5^th place. Lyla Y-J jumped a beautiful clear on her pony Paris, but was unfortunately out of the placings. Tilda S did very well with her new horse Deliah de Niro. It was their first show together and Tilda jumped a lovely round, just with one knock down resulting in 4 faults. It was the turn of Olivia S in the 90cm class, she rode very well but had an unfortunate 8 faults when her horse, Kingswell Brightspark, didn’t lift his legs quite as high as he needed to!

In the last class of the day it was the turn of Hurst’s 1m Arena Eventing Team. All Hurst riders were clear, with Harriet B taking 1^st, Emma P taking 2^nd, Ralf B came 4^th, and Morten D finished 5^th. These amazing results qualify Harriet, Emma, and Ralf for the individual 1m final at the NSEA Eventers Challenge Final at Hickstead in May. And these incredible results meant that the team finished in 1^st place, qualifying them for the team final at Hickstead.