What a year it has been for Nigel Coupe who has been victorious in the Hickstead Derby, the Cock Of The North and then crowned leading showjumper at HOYS.

Standing at the side of the ring at Morris Equestrian’s Winter Premier show, he explained to everyone how hard it will be to keep this consistency up.

He proved that this will not be as difficult as it sounds when he proceeded to smash a strong field and head the final class of the show, the Winter Grand Prix.

It was great to see numbers back up at this Scottish Premier with 39 starting the first round over a big and technical track built by Raf Suarez. Questions were posed from start to finish with an early on triple bar opening horses up but followed by a tricky line down the centre of the arena from a gold coloured imposing upright related to a double then on a dog leg to another square oxer.

There immediately followed a brightly coloured combination of upright then an oxer to upright on two and one.

The last was a blue and white oxer which had narrow lighthouse wings and was jumped towards the seats in front of the restaurant with nine faulting at this fence alone.

Thirteen hit one fence each but the final tally was just nine going through against the clock.

A cleverly laid out jump-off track made it interesting to watch with riders having to choose their line to a few fences.

Annabel Shields was second in on her nippy little chestnut, Carnooneybridge Challenger, setting off to turn tight from the first to second fences. The third fence, set in the middle of the arena, required the rider to decide which angle to take and how tight to turn, but it was no surprise Annabel was quick on her turn to the first two parts of the double.

Galloping to the lighthouse fence they crossed the beam in 40.54s to throw a challenge down.

Joe Clayton was next in with the amazing Luron SZ. Tidy over a fence but giving everything air, he wouldn’t be too disappointed with his round, turning tight to all the fences but that extra time spent airborne left him fractions in arrears on 40.85s.

Laura Stephenson’s little grey, Catherston Connor, gained admirers when the enthusiastic gelding kept his ears pricked throughout and gamely tackled fences almost bigger than him, going into what would be eventual sixth place.

Mark Turnbull has had a good year at home and abroad with his own Cartouche rounding off this show with an easy double clear for fifth.

Second last to go and knowing exactly what he had to do, Nigel entered on his 13-year-old chestnut, Jubilee III. Second in 2015 and having been third in a 1.4m earlier, he was quick to the first, tight to the second then lost no time turning back to the single upright in the middle.

Staying snug to the wings he opened up to the last without looking flat out to just nudge in front with a time of 40.43s leaving him £2000 richer for the effort.

Millie Allan was also clear but a more cautious with Balou Star to finish fourth and end their show on a high. This pair were the winners of the World Class Development under 23 qualifier held later on a cold Friday evening.

Once again there was a strong entry for this, with 30 forward to try to gain points towards the final at Olympia, in December. Six were clear over the considerably raised fences, with Millie drawn fifth.

Having watched William Fletcher, Everytime Anywhere and Chelsea Skelton with Millfield Baloney go clear just ahead of her, she knew which way to go to steer this lovely little stallion home in 39.31s clear of the other two.

The only other to break 40s was penultimate drawn Christie Pritchard on the former Stacey Babes ride, Waldemar, which stopped the clock on 39.73s.

Aimee Bell was best of the Scots to collect valuable points in third place with Cameron Poe in 42.42s.

At the time of writing it was undecided whether sister Pippa Allen would have secured the winter grade C qualifier with her win in the class on Elrosa which posted the fastest time from 14 double clears.

Having recorded three top three finishes at their Stainsby Grange Centre the weekend before, this may have pushed the horse into Grade B, but that’s unconfirmed.

Sitting in second and third was Annabelle Shields on Gerona followed by Rubin UHS.

The Blue Chip Dynamic B and C qualifier saw 25 tackle the jump-off with the winner coming from 16th draw.

James Whitaker had hosted a popular clinic the evening before the show before going on to partner the British-bred Mersley Ezri to victory in this class.

Bred on the Isle of Wight, at the Mersley Stud, Ezri is a half-brother to James’ other ride, Chakotay, both being by Mersley Mon Capatain.

He looked very comfortable round the raised track to set the winning time, beating Paul Barker on a relatively new ride for him, Ria Ginley’s Dalton W.

But, what a show Paul Barker had! Seven wins with four horses and going home with plenty of prize money, plus a new saddle.

His week started with a warm up in a 1.2m with his long term partner, Lux Fabulous. Sandors Legacy accounted for a 1.2m and a 1.3m, Dalton W headed another 1.3m then Happy Boy accounted for an Accumulator plus the 1.4m open.

Jackson Reed Stephenson made the trip up from York to pick up a qualifying ticket in the Winter B and C. Riding the seven-year-old Belgian-bred Exception, he turned tight back to an oxer in the middle of the course to save a bit of time serving up a final time of 38.49s, when only seven went clear. Second was Tim Page on Casanova 399, leaving Joe Clayton in third with Ballinteskin Eye Catcher.

Other winners were Scotland’s Stephen Lohoar, who took two foxhunters with the home-bred Gucci LSH, which also earned qualification for the Blue Chip Karma.

Derek McCoppin made light work of the winter 1.35m with a win on Point Two Elvis and Fraser Reed proved he is ready to tackle the seniors head on when he scorched round the winter 1.25m qualifier on the Airds’ Amadora JX.

Leading awards:

Newcomers – 1, Cool Quartz, D Janciauskus; 2, Charvi Yogini, A Barr; 3, Gubeon Annie, J Taylor. Foxhunter – 1, Katie, S Buckley; 2, Annibalou, B Vernon; 3, Arsouilles Mickey Finn, I Warnock. 1.20 – 1, Lux Fabulous, P Barker; 2, Contessa M, S Buckley; 3, Karmijn, S Poznett. National 1.3m – 1, Dalton W, P Barker; 2, Dante III, J Reed – Stephenson; 3, Bo Gi, R Walker. Winter grade C – 1, Elrosa, P Allen; 2, Gerona, A Shields; 3, Rubin UHS, A Shields. Accumulator – 1, Happy Boy, P Barker; 2, Wienenn, G Harley; 3, Lux Fabulous. Newcomers – 1, Ma Fleur JS, G Babes; 2, TGF Lyla, P Allen; 3, Hot Air, D McCoppin. Blue Chip Karma – 1, Gucci LSH, S Lohoar; 2, Gizmo, S Lohoar; 3, Gubeon Annie, J Taylor. 1.20m – 1, Sandors Legacy, P Barker; 2, Capriool, C Bolam; 3, Adagio, A Duncan.National 1.30m – 1, Sandors Legacy; 2, Lux Fabulous; 3, Gantico, J Dixon. Winter B+C Qualifier – 1, Exception, J Reed Stephenson; 2, Casanova 499, T Page; 3, Ballinteskin Eye Catcher, J Clayton. National 1.40m – 1, Happy Boy; 2, Luron SZ, J Clayton; 3, Jubilee, N Coupe. Newccomers – 1, Hot Air; 2, Dorana, R Pindar; 3, Attitude Z, A Duncan. 1.10m Open – 1, Dali, S Laird; 2, Welshpool Lad, M Bruce; 3, Allana, M Irving. Foxhuter – 1, Gucci LSH; 2, Up To Date Showgirl, K Hamilton; 3, TGF Lyla. 1.20m – 1, MB Landini, C dawson; 2, Camona, J Dixon; 3, Capriool. Blue Chip Dynamic Qualifier – 1, Mersley Ezri, J Whitaker; 2, Dalton W; 3, Gerona. WCDP Under 23 – 1, Balou Star, M Allen; 2, Waldemar, C Pritchard; 3, Cameron Poe, A Bell. Winter 1.35m – 1, Point Two Elvis, D McCoppin; 2, Catherston Connor, L Stephenson; 3, Oligar Angelu, A Jaqub. Newcomers – 1, Hyves – Onde W, K Graham; 2, Its Kanny, C Dawson; 3, Cool Flo, K Connor Baillie. 1.20m Final – 1. Lux Fabulous; 2, Udokus, M Marie Bjerke; 3, Adagio, A Duncan. Winter 1.25m – 1, Amadora JX, F Reed; 2, Fan II, D Duffin; 3, Du Pouquet Sanmore, C Bastone. Winter Grand Prix – 1, Jubilee; 2, Carnoneybridge Challenger, A Shields; 3, Luron SZ.