Claire shines at festival

Claire Shepherd

LOCAL amateur showjumper Claire Shepherd enjoyed success at the Scope Festival, where she was placed in four championship classes.

And it was a great achievement bearing in mind it came only five months after the 26-year-old from Chadderton gave birth to her second child, son, Conner.

Claire, who runs Foxdenton Riding School and Livery Yard, explained: “It was a mad rush as I first had to qualify my horses to compete at the Scope Festival.

“And to be placed in four events was a big achievement bearing in mind there were up to 220 in many of the classes.”

During the Scope Festival, Claire had to first take part in qualifiers at the Staffordshire County Showground, with only 30 riders winning through to the final of each class.

She achieved two sixth-places on Maxwell in the 115cm class and also in a pro-am with professional Jonathan Dixon.

The two further success came riding Tannique as she was eighth in a 130cm amateur class and ninth in another 130cm class which was open to professionals.

Claire, who competed against top riders like Ellen Whitaker and Guy Williams, also narrowly failed to qualify for the finals of two other classes on Cukorkatunde and Ballinvilla while in the ladies championship Tannique was unlucky not to make the jump-off having picked up four faults.