Muirmill Spring Championship show was very well received by riders last week who appreciated the wide variety of classes on offer and the chance to jump in the spring sunshine in the well decorated and vast outdoor arena.
Very well sponsored and supported by all there was a great atmosphere starting from their Wednesday evening show right through until the Sunday with all the temporary stabling filled and hardly a parking space in the lorry park.
Returning home just in time was local rider, Graham Babes, who has recently been touring in Spain and France.
In the money in Mijas and Cagnes Sur Mer with a team of horses ranging from his youngsters through to the more established, Graham came home with around £15,000 in prize money over the six weeks.
His horses still looked fresh and raring to go despite only having arrived back in this country the Monday before, but with this valuable mileage under his belt it was no surprise to see Graham stand at the head of the line in the Grand Prix.
Peter Gillespie’s track had taken its toll throughout but drawn early in the jump-off on Patricia Fraser’s grey Calvade Van De Pikkerie Z, Graham showed that he meant business, leaving all the fences standing after executing some sharp turns to take and hold onto the lead.
No one came close to catching Graham so when he entered on Boucheron he only had himself to beat. 
Winner of a 1.3m already in the show they made the jump off look even easier beating his previous time to stand first and second in this family sponsored class.
Graham then swapped onto the up and coming five-year-old Ma Fleur JS, a daughter of the popular Emerald Van T Ruytershof, to return a polished round in the five-year-old championship final.
Turning inside to the second and moving on to the last they dropped Scott Linford’s time on Esco Van De Bleukhoeve Z down by over a 1.5 seconds to take this class, adding to her already impeccable record of six wins abroad.
Several new combinations qualified for the Highland, with Graham again steering Boucheron to a win in a 1.3m and claiming his ticket to the Young Masters final.
Ailsa Black was the second qualifier in this riding her own grey, Indy I.
In the foxhunter qualifier it was the turn of Stephen Lohoar to capture the red ticket this time onboard Gizmo who has been home from Vilamoura a few weeks.
Jessica Hewitt is riding for the Babes family and making a super job riding everything from the novices upwards.
The Scottish bred JJ’s Impressive gained her a foxhunter qualifying ticket, slotting in behind Stephen.
Kelly Connor-Baillie has struck up a great partnership with the lovely chestnut mare, Cleopatra XI, a former ride of Andrew Gray’s.
This pair had flown round a foxhunter qualifier at Morris a few weeks ago to pick up that ticket, producing another impressive round at Muirmill in the B+C to ensure they have two chances at this year’s Highland show.
The nine-year-old Lupicor-sired grey, Ashton Dakota, was the other to qualify under the guidance of jockey, Mark Turnbull.
Two young ladies will head to the Highland to contest the amateur final thanks to their results at Muirmill. Chloe Templeton is always quick against the clock with Vurelise so should be one to watch, while Kirstie Boyd’s Elle Clover is also fast across the ground and has already been a winner in the Highland Show arena in the past.
Natasha Hewitt was the recipient of a rug, sash and plenty of other goodies from Avonmill Equestrian for her consistency in the amateur sections over the three days. 
Area ML show, or affectionately known as 'John Ormiston’s show', run at Morris EC, is always popular. 
Each year they have well-filled classes with in previous years the jumping going on to midnight.
Fewer classes meant a more reasonable finish, but still a very healthy turnout with a quota of Highland Show qualifiers as well as a strong 1.3m open on offer.
The 1.3m proved a good class to watch, being run in the middle of the Sunday and just before the novice classes encouraging more in to spectate.
Robery Canney and Shaun Sands set the course, which provided a very interesting jump-off. Several tight turn backs were to prove influential, including to the last fence, which gave riders several options.
James Smith opened the jump-off with a fast round on the first of two for him, Balibu.
Jumping the imposing grey planks set over two small water trays, he immediately turned inside some spare fences to turn back to the last oxer to set the standard to beat.
Drawn near the end, Graham Babes really let the handbrake off Boucheron, which turned incredibly tight back to the double before steadying to the planks to get that inside line. 
Dropping after the oxer, the clock revealed he had edged in front but with James last to go, victory was not assured.
James moved on a bit with his next ride, Bolton Gate Ben, allowing him to travel to the planks before finding another smoother route between the spare fences, then angling the last oxer to cross the line fractions of a second faster and take the top prize.
Both James’ horses also earned their tickets to the Young Masters final in first and third places.
Kayleigh Spalding jumped a super round on her own home-produced Dolous to finish further down the line, but she travelled home to Aberdeen with a RHS B+C ticket with her name on it thanks to a win earlier in the show.
A big, strong track sorted everyone out, with 22 starters returning six double clears over some serious jump-off fences.
The nine-year-old Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve son, Dolous, has been produced by Kayleigh since he was five and is not long home from a trip to Weston Lawns where they finished second in a 1.3m in good company.
The raised fences did not daunt this pair as they flew into the lead being chased home by Jessica Hewitt on the Babes family’s Candela Van Het Slagershof Z, a Belgian bred eight-year-old daughter of Candillo Z.
Morris EC’s own rider, Greg Taylor, is yet another to have returned from foreign shores and landed back in form
Having had the ride on the nine-year-old Daimler for three years, Greg has produced him from baby classes up to jumping 1.3m with a few good placings in the 3* classes out in Cagnes Sur Mer.
Two easy clears saw him at the top of the line in the RHS foxhunter, with Mark Turnbull following on from his successes at Muirmill a week earlier collecting another RHS ticket with Ashton Dakota in second. 
Vicky Davidson fell foul of a pole on the 1.3m on the final day on board Celtic but not after she had scorched round the 1.2m RHS amateur to secure her appearance at the Highland.
Always a fast class, she had to kick on to stay ahead of a fresh Lucy Stewart, just home from a holiday on her super little black gelding, Cancun.
With Lucy already qualified, the ticket passed down the line to David Harland, who was having a good show having earlier won a Discovery on Liz Smith’s Annovi Tempest but in this class riding his useful grey Fauber. 


LEADING awards
RHS Amateur – 1, Celtic, V Davidson; 2, Cancun II, L Stewart; 3, Fauber, D Harland. RHS B+C – 1, Dolous, K Spalding; 2, Candela VH Slagershop Z, J Hewitt; 3, Ferrera Durona, A Barr. 1.15m Open – 1, Elle Clover, K Boyd; 2, Junior H, A Spalding; 3, Cancun II. RHS Foxhunter – 1, Daimler, G Taylor; 2, Ashton Dakota, M Turnbull; 3, Born To Fly, E Pilkington. 1.3m/Young Masters – 1, Bolton Gate Ben, J Smith; 2, Boucheron, G Babes; 3, Balibu, J Smith British Novice – 1, Beau Baldini Z, J Hewitt; 2, Firby, J Hewitt; 3, Roll Back Time, V Walker. Discovery – 1, Annovi Tempest, D Harland; 2, Drop Anchor, A Quinn; 3, Diamond Flash, A Dunlop. 1m Open – 1, Van De Bay Girl, J Smith; 2, WKD Fortunate Lady, H Rankine; 3, Ma Fleur JS, G Babes. Discovery – 1, Eyecatcher D, C Slater; 2, Balou Fair, J McLelland; 3, Mademoiselle Kroongraaf, L Calder. Newcomers – 1, El Diviro, K Dunlop; 2, Coppers Dream, J McLeland; 3, Havall, A Barr.