August 1999
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May 2000
Bobby, Rhian and Alexa of Clyn Du, accompanied by Jordana Beynon of Swansea, qualified for the Indoor Jumping Championships sponsored by Horse Magazine and travelled to Brooksby College, Leicester to compete against the other 35 teams who had won their places.
The start was inauspicious. After a five and a half hour journey, Bobby's horse, Oliver de Gray, couldn't be persuaded he would fit into the stable provided for him! After much cajoling, he was eventually backed in and was clearly unsettled by the whole affair.
The competition rules stated that the three best scores of the four-person team carried forward and that each team had to jump two rounds. Alexa jumped early and went clear. The team had an hour to wait before Jordana entered the ring and jumped well on her youngster, Spirit of Youth, until she tapped two top poles of the trebble that ended the course.
Rhian went clear on Sonnet, though, and Bobby's clear round on Oliver de Gray meant the team went into the second round as one of the four teams with clean sheets.
The fences went up for the second round and once again it was Alexa on Wysiwyg (alias Katie) who absorbed the pressure of jumping first. Her immaculate clear round kept the team in the frame.
Jordana's 8 faults meant that Rhian and Bobby needed good score and once again Sonnet jumped clear on what was his debut in big competition.
By this time most teams had piled on the faults but it wasn't until Bobby was ready to jump her second round that the team realised how well placed they were - Gower Riding Club would bring the trophy to West Wales if Bobby had fewer than 8 faults.
As she entered the ring, there was a buzz of anticipation. It seemed that everyone knew the significance of the round. One the one hand, Oliver jumps big and bold and rarely runs out. On the other hand, he's a heavy horse and the slightest contact with a fence would mean faults. He took the first in his stride and got over-enthusiastic for the second, almost sending Bobby into orbit. A lesser rider would have been jumped-off but Bobby stayed the course and managed tp collect herself for the sharp turn required for the tricky third fence - a bogey for many riders. Ollie cleared fences 1-6 with room to spare but unfortunately trailed a hoof over fence 7, bringing down a pole a lighter horse would have left standing. The pressure was on. Bobby knew that she couldn't win if she took another down and the demanding trebble had cost several teams dearly. Not Gower, though. Bobby and Ollie finished the course with four faults and were rewarded with rapturous applause and first place!
It was a great day for the club and for the riders - 3 of whom work and ride at Clyn Du!