By Susan Cook

THE Scottish National Equestrian Centre outside Broxburn hosted the first of this year’s Royal Highland Show qualifiers alongside regular classes, with both days seeing strong entries and good jumping into the evenings.

One young lady on fire at the moment is Strathaven-based nurse Gillian Anderson.

Travelling from her home, West Kype Equestrian, Gillian was one of 41 combinations forward to tackle Di Beaumont’s RHS Classic Amateur Qualifier with just two qualifying tickets on offer.

Eleven went through to the timed round where Gillian was drawn first to go with her own JJ’s Prince Chaccomo. Fresh from a victory at Richmond Equestrian centre the previous weekend where they qualified for the winter novice final at RIHS, Gillian and Chaccomo were confident and forward, recording a quick enough time of 38.60.

Two other combinations beat their time but lost a couple of poles, so it was left to penultimate horse and rider, Zonieke and Rachel Duff to pick up the second qualifying ticket.

A Scottish-bred horse being a daughter of Tornado, Zonieke and Rachel have qualified every year for the Highland and are always in the money at the finals.

Another bred in Scotland by John Jamieson, JJ’s Prince Chaccomo, will be no stranger to the Highland show arena where the handsome seven-year-old finished in the money last year in the working hunters with Andrew Wilson.

Scottish-bred horses were in the money further down the line with the late Jane Maxwell the breeder of Fraser Reed’s third placed Amadora JX and Balcormo Stud the breeders of fourth placed Born To Fly ridden by Emma Pilkington.

Lucy Stewart, unlucky on Cancun, had a chance to celebrate when Cascada claimed the RHS B+C qualifier on the Saturday evening.

Bought from Veldstar Stables as a four-year-old this daughter of Cancara has all her double clears for newcomers and foxhunters, but this was her biggest test to date.

A fabulous jump off track saw twists and turns from start to finish with just four from an initial 26 starters returning double clears Vikki Wight was the first to stay clear on her own Don Adelheide Z in 42.33s before young Alex McHattie flew round on board her nippy little grey Rhodonites Rowanberry in 39.56s.

Wills Oaked, fresh from at 1.3m win at The Cabin a week earlier squeezed up into third with the scopey Ball Breaker immediately ahead of Mark in the draw.

Balanced and tight on the turns, Mark left little room for improvement steering Cascara round in a quick 37.86s with no other challenger clear.

Falkirk’s Alistair White was on top form claiming three classes with his own nine-year-old 15.2hh mare Whiskey Girl, which has been ridden by his partner Angela Wiltshire until now. He claimed a 90cm and a 1m open, whilst fellow Falkirk rider, Sanda Trenchard, also accounted for a 90cm and a 1m with her own home produced Valasay.

Sandy McLean took a weekend off his tram of 148cm ponies to snatch Warhol Wulfselection from his sister, Claire Leitch, to prove virtually unbeatable collecting wins in both 1.2m classes as well as the national 1.3m open.

LEADINGawards

SNEC February 2017.British Novice-1, GI Jo, K Macpherson; 2, Byron De Borthwick, D Harland; 3, Elita, L Henderson. 90cms -1, Valasay, S Trenchard; 2, Goldata, M Sheret; 3, Whiskey Girl, A White. Discovery-1, Cruella De Revel, C Rogan; 2, G-Star, Alistair Gatherum; 3, Mc Diamond, R Williamson. 1m Open-1, Dominant, P Seivwright; 2, Custinov, M Taggart; 3, Zikro, K Ritchie. 1.05m Open-1, Cookie De Reve, M Ballantyne; 2, Ankaras, M Willaims; 3, Dynamic II, C Hamilton. Newcomers-1, Tayvale Geronimo, W Oakden; 2, Lady D, M Willaims; 3, Duffy, O Morrison. 1.10m Open-1, Wouwske, C Rogan; 2, Vurelise, C Templeton; 3, Divanov, G Anderson. Foxhunter/1.20m-1, Warhol Wulfselection Z, S McLean; 2, Wyona, L Hutt; 3, Beseeka Red Hot Chilli Pepper, M Turnbull. RHS BC Qualifier-1, Cascara, M Turnbull; 2, Rhodanites Rowanberry, A McHattie; 3, Ball Breaker, W Oakden. British Novice-1, Broomhill Freddie, F Hunt; 2, Byron De Borthwick; 3, Sarata 3, D Harland. 90cms Open-1, Whiskey Girl; 2, Chloe II, V McMillan; 3, Edenside Coco, A Gatherum. Discovery-1, Whiskey Girl; 2, Edenside Elvis, A Gatherum; 3, G-Star.1m Open-1, Vlasay; 2, Calibra Z, L Yeoman; 3, Moll Mor, C Geddes. 1.05m Open-1, Penny Blue, L Yeoman; 2, WSF Oslo, G Mackintosh; 3, Fogas Adare, K McGregor. Newcomers-1, Coolrock Gold Dust, A Mundell; 2, Madame Butterfly, D Ockenden; 3, Baltimore Landzicht, C Hamilton. 1.10m Open-1, Vurelise; 2, WKD Cosmopolitan, M Thompson; 3, WSF Oslo, G Macintosh. RHS Classic Qualifier-1, JJ’s Prince Chaccomo, G Anderson; 2, Zonieke, R Duff; 3, Amadora JX, F Reed. Foxhunter/1.20m-1, Warhol Wulfselection Z; 2, Jalisco, N Robertson; 3, Sun View Star, A Brown. National 1.30m Open-1, Warhol Wulfselection Z; 2, Titi D’Oase, L Guild; 3, Hugana VanT Heike, L Guild.