Felsted rider Rowena Ockendon-Day celebrated her birthday by finishing second in the Young Show Jumper of the Year Awards.

Her placing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at the weekend has earned herself a place in the final to be held at Olympia at Christmas.

A delighted Rowena who was 21 on the Thursday, guided Gramena to within five-hundredths of a second of the winning time and this partnership was one of only four double clear rounds from the 40 starters in the competition, with just two qualifying for the final.

She has only been riding the British bred eight year old grey mare for the last year, during which time they finished third in the Grade C championship at the Essex County Showground grand prix show last August and were placed on several occasions at the Braintree international young riders' show in March.

Rowena and her elder sister Rebecca travel to Belgium this weekend to take part in an international competition in Filot.

John Renwick, from Doddinghurst, was placed in two of the show's international classes, finishing a creditable fourth on David Mead's Millbrook in the Hildon power and speed, just over one second adrift of the winning times and this was the same position this combination finished in the six bar competition.

Together with Colin Bates' Grannus Lady, he was fifth in the Foxhunter competition and they went on to take fourth in the Walwyn novice jumping championship when despite achieving the fastest time, had one fence down en route.

Riding Pik Junior, owned by Brian Lewis, he was sixth in the Grade C competition and on Jimmy Small's Temple Guess What, fifth in the Traxdata B and C handicap.

In the Thomas Bates' 7 and 8 year old championship, where those equal on faults after two rounds share for first place, he was one of the six double clears on Temple Voyager along with Allan Clutterbuck from Upminster riding Moira Chilton's Braveheart.

At the Forest Edge show in Norfolk recently, John took all three qualifying places on offer for the Grade C championship final to be held at the Horse of the Year show at Wembley when he was first on his own Amihill, second on Temple Guess What and third on Pik Junior.

Windsor's National Under 18 Championship went to 16 year old Stacey Willsone from Horndon-on-the-Hill riding AMG Elegance, thus gaining them qualification for the Festival of Showjumping to be held in September and together with Touardens Joshuan, Stacey was third in the young riders open.

Sixteen-year-old Purleigh rider Tracey Phillips, who recently formed part of Britain's third place Nations' Cup under 18 teams in Reims, was a commendable seventh in the 1.40m open jumping competition with Corrado II against strong opposition.

After finishing third in the junior open jumping competition with Ferrybound, 15 year old Lauley Squibb from South Weald went on to take sixth in the Paul Fabrications junior show jumper of the year with Street Angel.

Having taken second place at the previous weekend's class held at South View in Cheshire and with points earned according to their placings, this combination looks assured of a place in the final to be held at the Horse of the Year Show in October.

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