IN PICTURES: Ronnie Lawrence wins the 2018 Nissan Outdoor Grand Prix

KYALAMI – A blow-by-blow account of how Ronnie Lawrence clinched the coveted title, and how the other top-performing horse-and-rider combinations placed in the class.

April 8, 2018

Daniella Potter 2 minutes read

Ronnie Lawrence and Gillian Van Orshof clear the Nissan wall in the first round of the grand prix.

Some of the country’s top showjumpers turned up to compete in the Adult 1,50m 2018 Nissan Outdoor Grand Prix at Kyalami Equestrian Park yesterday, 2 April, but it proved to be Ronnie Lawrence’s day.

Ronnie Lawrence and Gillian Van Orshof proudly set off on a lap of honour.

This was the final and most anticipated Adult 1,50m class of the annual Nissan Easter Festival, and it did not disappoint the many equestrian enthusiasts who filled the stands around the Bob Charter Arena to see who would clinch the coveted title.

Lawrence, a South African showjumping legend who is now based in KwaZulu-Natal, cleared all three rounds of the class on his horse, Gillian Van Orshof, and rode through the finish flags of the jump-off in a winning time of 42.11s.

Lawrence pipped Nicola Sime-Riley and Sunny Parks Stables Elpaso – the 2017 South African Showjumping Derby winners – who cleared the jump-off in 43.17s, which was enough for the horse-and-rider combination to clinch second place.

Nicola Sime-Riley and Sunny Park Stables Elpaso jump the Nissan wall in the first round of the grand prix class.

Gareth Neill riding Dartoli incurred an unfortunate four faults after knocking a pole in the jump-off, but the pair rode through the finish flags in 42.97s which landed them in third place.

In second place is Nicola Sime-Riley, with Ronnie Lawrence holding the trophy after clinching first place in the Adult 1.50m 2018 Nissan Outdoor Grand Prix. In third place is Gareth Neill. Chris van der Merwe, who also competed in the competition, also poses for a photo.

Nicole Horwood and Mark White Nissan’s Capital Don Cumarco who are crowd favourites, having previously won the South African Showjumping Derby on four occasions including three consecutive times, rode an exceptionally fast jump-off in a time of 39.83s. However, with three poles down, the horse-and-rider combination incurred 12 faults which saw them place fourth. Time crept up on last year’s Outdoor Grand Prix winners, Sime-Riley and Fulvic Connoisseur in the first round of the competition, and so while they cleared all of the fences in the two rounds, they incurred a time penalty.

Pure concentration as Nicole Horwood and Mark White Nissan’s Capital Don Cumarco jump the combination in the first round of the grand prix.

This meant they did not qualify for the jump-off round, but even with their time penalty, they placed fifth in the competition.

Nicola Sime-Riley and Fulvic Connoisseur clinch the Adult 1.50m victor ludorum.

That’s not all this horse and rider received. Sime-Riley and Fulvic Connoisseur’s performance in the Adult 1.50m class throughout the festival saw them clinch the victor ludorum. This was an impressive feat in a competition that saw the crème of South African showjumpers compete for the top honours. Among them were Barry Taylor, Anne-Marie Esslinger, Shaun Neill, Bryce McCall and Mandy Johnstone.

In the two tough rounds of the grand prix class, Esslinger riding Alzu Oregon – winners of the 2015 South African Showjumping Derby – incurred eight faults after riding clear in the first round. Michelle Fleming riding Plasticolors Chogori knocked the last pole and incurred a time penalty to end the second round on five faults.

The competitors who had incurred just four faults after the two rounds were Cayleigh Triggol riding Callaho’s Louisa, Chris van der Merwe riding Chantilly and Marlene Sinclair riding Camaro.

The chairperson of the Kyalami Equestrian Park, Jan Kleynhans, also competed in the class on Chilliwack, incurring 15 faults in the first round – three of which were for time – and clearing all of the fences in the second round to end on a final score of 15 faults.

After the grand prix class which culminated the show, Kleynhans extended thanks to the supporters, ground staff, show director and her team as well as to the sponsors of the Nissan Easter Festival.

Then the top-placed horses and riders entered the arena to receive their rosettes, medals and trophies. Lawrence and Gillian Van Orshof led the others on a lap of honour around the Bob Charter Arena as a final salute after their well-deserved win.