WARRNAMBOOL showjumping export Jess Barton is hoping to continue her success when she crosses the border next month for the South Australian Showjumping Championships.
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The Little River-based rider is coming off a strong performance at the Victorian Indoor Showjumping Championships at Whittlesea last weekend, taking out the C and D grade championships on her mare Coralline.
It marked her fourth appearance at the indoor titles.
“I always come home with a few placings but I haven’t been as successful as I was this year,” she said.
“It was my first show in a while.
“I had put a lot of time into the horses and I was happy with how they all went.”
Barton was particularly impressed with Coralline, which was returning from a spell.
“There were about 30 in the class and she jumped the only clean round until the last horse came . . . and jumped a clean round,” she said.
“I wasn’t that worried, though, because I was happy with how she was jumping and I was keen to give her another run around.
“She jumped probably better in the jump-off.”
Coralline completed the technical course smoothly in the jump-off against Des Gleeson and Mingara Mystique to seal the victory.
Another south-west rider, Grassmere’s Tim Clarke, claimed the Grand Prix riding Caltango under lights on Saturday night, while Barton partnered Lamaz to fifth place.
Clarke is preparing to represent the Australian equestrian team in next month’s trans-Tasman series in New Zealand, while his wife Ingrid will compete in individual events.
Meanwhile, Barton will head to Mortlake next month to contest the Western District Showjumping Championships, which she will use as a lead-up to the 2012 South Australian Showjumping Championships in Strathalbyn.
She plans to take the same five horses she took to Whittlesea.