Trudy Johnson takes Novice Masters title

Trudy Johnson took the prestigious Novice Masters title at Little Downham (2), Cambridgeshire, after a commanding win with the 10-year-old gelding Catch Me If U Can.

The duo finished almost 10 marks ahead of the rest of the field, adding just 1.2-time penalties in the cross country to a superb dressage score of 23.8. It was a strong performance all round – delivering the second-quickest cross-country round in the class and producing one of just three clear rounds in the show jumping.

THRILLED

Trudy was understandably thrilled with the result: “It is a fantastic event and always well-run at Little Downham,” she said. “Thanks to Tina and all her team for the effort they have put in.

“Having been part of the Rider Working Group team that devised the idea of the series and being involved in its development, I am chuffed to bits to have actually won!

“Leo [Catch Me If U Can] was totally awesome and lived up to his name, setting an early standard in the dressage with a score of 23.8. Having to wait a couple of hours before show jumping was nerve-racking, but I kept my focus and concentrated on me and my horse. To jump one of only three clears in the show jumping, I knew it was all to play for out on the cross-country course.

“Leo was a dude. We got into a good forward rhythm and we met everything on a good stride. He looked at nothing and held the lines to the skinnies and didn’t put a foot wrong all day!”

Article originally published by British Eventing Life Autumn 2022. 

Photo: Adam Fanthorpe