EQUINE NEWS

6th October 2005

North Cornwall Hunt in the Money

North Cornwall Hunt bring home £1,500 in prize money for taking second place in The Silver Fox Trophy at the Hambleden Estate near Henley on Thames. Team members were Adam Ellery joint Master, Brian Facey, Sammy-Jo Coffin and Tom Walters.

A shower of rain just before the start provided an excellent surface for the event where 32 Hunts took part in the challenge. A first prize of £3,000 was on offer with £1,500 going to the runners up and a £500 prize for the fastest semi-finalist.

In the first round the sixteen teams with the fastest times (including penalties) go through to the next round. From round two the event is a knockout with the fastest team in each heat going through to the next round. North Cornwall were third to race and returned the fastest time (3.46.28) of the 32 hunts with their leader Adam Ellery holding the fastest time outright for a considerable period during this round. The whole team rode brilliantly and conquered a difficult course really well.

In round two North Cornwall were drawn against the South Pembrokeshire hunt and completed the changed course in the winning time of 5.02.28 again riding the increasingly difficult obstacles with professionalism and keenness. The opposition took 7.02.32 to complete their round. Excitement was increasing around the arena when North Cornwall were drawn against The Beaufort for the quarter finals. North Cornwall came home in the fastest time from the eight contestants in 4.03.00 and waved good bye to the Beaufort who could only manage 5.30.20.

Two of the Cotswold Hunt team were holding fastest individual times and their whole team looked impressive and had just eliminated last year's winners, the Bicester and Whaddon Chase and now North Cornwall were drawn against them in the semi-finals. This did nothing but encourage North Cornwall to 'go for it' and that is just what they did successfully eliminating the Cotswold hunt by returning a time of 5.00.56 against 5.44.9 from the opposition.

North Cornwall were in the final and in the money for sure. The other semi finalists were the Cheshire hunt against the VWH with the latter just coming out on top by about twenty seconds. North Cornwall were against the Vale of the White Horse for the Silver Fox.

The final was very exciting, North Cornwall against the Vale of the White Horse for the Silver Fox Trophy. There was some spectacular riding from both teams. The VWH pulled it off in good style and were worthy winners but the North Cornwall team represented their hunt extremely well and came away with the second prize. One of our team (Brian Facey) so impressed one of the trade stands that they spontaneously presented him with a lovely new head collar for the way he regained a riding position when most would have given up.