SNEC hosted the popular Winter Novice qualifier again this year with 40 horses coming forward to fight for the two tickets available for next year’s final to be held at the Royal International, Hickstead in the summer, writes Susan Cook.
Diane Beaumont was in charge of setting the challenge with her track being described as more technical than last year and the overall competition harder.
Second last year, Stephen Lohoar was determined to go one better with two rides through to the jump off.
It was his own Idem Dito Van De Hemelse Breedte who found the fastest route home in an incredibly quick jump off to give Stephen his win.
Bought by Stephen and brother Angus in Belgium as a then two-year-old colt, Idem Dito had a very slow start to his ridden career when he had to fit around the family’s business commitments at their Lohoar Sports Horses base at Drumcarrow Craig just outside St Andrews.
Having an easy time allowed this Nabab De Reve/Toulon eight-year-old to mature to the 17hands he stands now and hasn’t affected his ridden career with him just starting to jump at 1.30m level recently.
Having gained all his double clears in Newcomers and Foxhunter classes, Stephen is planning a trip to Comporta early next year before aiming for the regionals then they’ll head to RIHS, where Stephen finished fourth in the final with Dandyman MFS last year. The plan then being to keep the horse for the bigger classes in the future.
Their winning move in this class was to angle two uprights taking seven strides in between, then watching when everyone else took eight leaving their time a fraction in front. 
Runner up was another exciting prospect, Ben Wentink’s Erdento.
This seven-year-old stallion, by Cardento out of a Burggraaf/Pion mother, has only recently returned to Scotland from Holland where he was being produced up to 1.30m level by Folkert Kelderman in the north of Holland.
Already with foals to the age of two on the ground, he looks have a very bright future dividing his time between show jumping and stud commitments at Ben’s Scotland AI Services base outside Broxburn.
A half-brother, out of the same mother as Laura Hutt’s Zidane, Erdento was very capably ridden by Jordan Thompson on this occasion.
Slotting into third and just missing out on this occasion was Blyth Brewster on the grey, Carthino G.
Lucy Guild was unlucky not to snatch victory from her partner Stephen when Gucci LSH just rubbed the back bar of the second last double to drop them out of contention.
A Christmas accumulator was a well-received addition to the schedule offering something a bit different from the norm.
Competing on a maximum score and jumping the joker to win was Airdrie-based Moira Williams on her own liver chestnut 11-year-old gelding Ankaras, a regular winner of speed classes.
James Smith, who recently was crowned Stewartry Sports Personality of the year for his sporting achievements recognised by those in and around his Kirkcudbright home, has only just returned from jumping in Spain and France, making this rare appearance a winning one when he laid claim to the 1.30m Open on board his HOYS ride Bolton Gate Ben, whilst adding some extra money to his wallet finishing third on grandfather Charlie McKerlie’s exciting prospect Just Max.
This win broke Iain Warnock’s run of seven in a row with his super grey Harperland Mickey Finn, who found himself going home with a blue rosette for a change. 
Fraser Reed is still dividing his time between a very successful career in ponies and riding Amadora JX in the senior classes.
Showing that he will be a force to be reckoned with when he gives up the ponies, Fraser headed the foxhunter at this venue from Alistair Gatherum on his HOYS finalist Gabor.