Welcome to Jumping For Fun

Pembrokeshire
Trecoed
Saturday 2nd June 2007
by Brian Lee
photos by Alun Sedgemore
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Fence Stewards after getting their instructions from the Chairman of Stewards, Ambrose Lloyd (third from the right)

The biggest cheers of the season were heard at the Pembrokeshire Hunt Steeplechases on Saturday when Roger Willcox's Innisam Storm landed the open maiden race under Cowbridge's James Tudor who in chalking-up his 34th winner of the season has drawn level with the sidelined Richard Burton for the national men's point-to-point championship.

The paddock at Trecoed

A delighted Mr Willcox, who was saddling his first winner in two years, said, "I bought Innisam Storm as an unbroken four-year-old from David Brace. He's a lovely horse and my daughter Hannah rides him out.”

Open Maiden Race winner Innisam Storm ridden by James Tudor

Winner number 34 for James Tudor

Innisam Storm was the second leg of a double for Tudor who earlier had finished alone on SeanieTheSmuggler in the men's open after his solitary rival Batchworth Lock had sadly broken down five fences from the finish.

A happy James Tudor after winning the Men's Open Race on Seaniethesmuggler

Colin Warner's Top Commander, backed from 20-1 to 14-1 and ridden by Tim Houlbrooke, won the restricted by half-a-length from Eastwell Violet with the odds on favourite Devil's Teardrop, partnered by James Tudor, a further five lengths away in third.B everley Thomas who trains the winner and the third said: "That was unexpected.”

Jumping the third fence in the Restricted Race

Restricted Race winner Top Commander ridden by Tom Houlbrooke

Interested spectators follow the racing

In a match for the ladies' open, fifteen-year-old Longstone Boy, ridden by Isabel Tompsett, finished alone after Usk Valley pulled up lame four fences from home.

Ladies Open winner, the 15 year old Longstone Boy ridden by Isobell Thompsett

Hengoed's Rhys Hughes took the intermediate race on Robert Scrine's Hume Theatre, who won by twelve lengths from the James Tudor partnered Silent Too, and Gary Barber's fifteen-year-old Derring Dove, ridden by Lee Evans, 18, belied his years when getting up on the run-in to beat Admiral Brown by a length.

Happy connections of Intermediate Race winner Hume Theatre ridden by Rhys Hughes