Willow Banks hosts high calibre puissance

The show is considered to be one of the biggest within Lincolnshire and attracted riders from all over the country.

Eight horse and rider combinations were invited to compete for the Connair Invitational Masters, held over four rounds with each rider asked to select one jump to be raised 5cm.

All competitors jumped clear in round one, but two competitors were knocked out in the next after reaching 12 faults.

The six remaining riders made it through to the final round when all fences were raised a minimum of two holes from the first round, with the last fence raised to 1.48m.

Leicestershire rider Joss Williams, riding Culmore Prospect, and Sarah Kirwin, on Ekorette, both went clear to force a jump-off with Williams going clear once again to win after Kirton had just one fence down in a quick round.

* Seven starters took on the novice puissance, starting at 60cm.

Eachy of the novice horses cleared the first two rounds easily, but after two further rounds, just Louis Jebson, riding Harley, and Avril Cassells, with Justin A var Korna, made it through to take on the wall which now stood at 1.27m with Cassells coming out on top.

* The big class of the day saw seven more combinations take on the wall in the Sanderson Green Puissance.

Round one saw two combinations eliminated after stopping at the 1.05m wall, but the remaining five cleared 1.20m in the second round.

Sasha Munroe Seers was knocked out for a little clip on the top brick as the wall was raised to 1.36m, but all four remaining combinations again went clear in the next to reach the fifth and final round.

Williams was riding Kwantos Van Het Mierhoff in their first puissance together and got a little keen as they slid the top block off, while fellow puissance first-timers Piers Warmoth and Le’spirit clipped the wall with a back leg.

Katelin Fisher and Carlos flew the wall with ease, and Williams, riding his second mount Louis, matched the feat with a huge jump to claim a share of the prize fund.