Sunday began with the Mistletoe stakes which saw the Britains gain another victory when Robert Smith took the veteran Senator Tees Hanauer to a one second win over Willi Melliger, but it was back to status quo when Germany's Lars Nieberg kept his nerve in the "Winner Takes All" Vink Master's beating off competition from Ludger Beerbaum and John Whitaker. Lars carried off an 11,000 first prize - not bad, eh? - almost as good as you get when you hit a ball with a stick!

Michael Whitaker piloted one of his younger horses, V.V. Hilton to victory in the Father Christmas Stakes ahead of Rodrigo Pessoa and the night finished on a high note for Michael when he, brother John, Geoff Billington and Nick Skelton won both novelty awards in the Fancy Dress Pair Relay. The four got together to produce a spoof of the British dating game "Blind Date", hosted by Cilla Black. With "Bill Clinton" having to choose between three glamourous ladies, (eventually opting for "Monica Lewinski") the skit caused much laughter. The show jumping section was won by Gier Gulliksen and Trevor Coyle, their horses not even put off by wearing Father Christmas hats!

Welsh section B Harwel Wizard ridden by Samantha Roberts. Winner of the Mountain & Moorland Ridden Championship.

The National Pony Society/Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain and Moorland Ridden Championship opened the final day of competition. All of Britains Native breeds of ponies were represented although Stepley Oscar was the sole Shetland Pony and Chalkywood Merlin the sole Exmoor.

Champion Fell pony Darrenvale Jason ridden by Pamela Sutcliffe shows off his paces.

It has been ten years since a Welsh Section B became Supreme Champion, and this year it was their turn again. Miss Burton's Harwell Wizard has had a fantastic season, having won virtually all of his outings, ridden by thirteen year old Samantha Roberts. They qualified at The Wessex show, and this was Samantha's first ride in the Finals. "It is really exciting" she said, "the atmosphere in the arena is ever so tense but Wizard was wonderful."

The Fell pony Darrenvale Jason took the Reserve title and Roseile Holy Joe, a Welsh section A was third overall. Jane McNaught, who rode the winning Highland, had had an eight and a half hour trip down to the show from her base in Ayreshire. She exclaimed "We only try to qualify every other year, to come down every year would kill us!"

Peasedown Party Popper, best of the Welsh Section C's "...is kept in a tin shed two miles from anywhere with just a cat called Willow for company" says owner/rider Jo Bartlett. Her parents help Jo with Popper's preparation, right down to carrying the car battery that powers the light bulb in the shed!

Britain's leading lady Di Lampard riding Abbervail Dream.

Other Best of Breed winners were Rosendale Laurinda (Connemara), Lowside Diamond (Dales),Vean Brown Trout (Dartmoor), Vernons Toyboy(New Forest), whose rider Mandy Head broke her leg in two places mid season only to come out and qualify at her first attempt at the Exeter Show and Wathwood Riannon (Welsh section D).

The Six Bar competition was the final power competition of the show and provided a lovely display of balance and rhythm as the horses powered down a row of upright fences ascending in height to above two metres. Beat Mandli and Gravur headed a three horse jump off in the third round and was the only rider to jump clear, leaving Andrew Davies (Satchmo) and Rene Tebbel (LePatron) to take joint second place.

British riders Nick Skelton and Geoff Luckett left it to the last minute to score wins. Nick brought V.V.Showtime home to a win in the Eurosport Christmas Hamper. Geoff began as an unfancied outsider in the Traxdata Knockout riding Pearl, but he beat off all-comers including runners-up John Whitaker and V.V.Randi.

The Traxdata Grand Prix offered the richest prize of the show and over a course that looked both big and technically demanding it was suprising that seventeen horses jumped clear in the frist round. Eventually it was the beautiful Hannovarian stallion Radiator, Runner-up in this years World Cup final, who sped around the jump off course faster than the other eight horses to jump a second clear. His rider Rene Tebbel commented "I feared nobody and was convinced I could win!" Fellow German Ludger Beerbaum finished half a second adrift on P.S.Priamos and Nick Skelton was third on V.V.Hopes Are High.

The Finale, the emotional end to each performance, reminds everybody (as if anyone might need reminding!) of the shows proximity to Christmas, and always features Father Christmas and the Christmas Fairy. This years Finale theme was a drive through Balmoral, taken by Queen Victoria, her husband Prince Albert and some of their many children.

The Christmas Finale which closed each show.

Everyone joins in heartily with songs and carols such as The First Nowell and Jingle Bells. Patriotically the National Anthem rounds the evening off. The Finale provides a chance for the children of show jumpers and organisers alike to take centre stage. This year James Billington, son of show jumper, Geoff, was cast as the young prince.

About the Author

Helen Revington was born in Tennessee, U.S.A a long time ago. Her passion for horses is life-long and she started riding aged three. Nowadays she lives in Gloucestershire, England and has to juggle her life between being a full time Registered Nurse, working for various equestrian publications and trying to train her young horse.

Her work has been published in Horse and Hound, Dressage magazine and Eventing Magazine, indeed it is in the field of eventing that she tends to specialise. Her photographs have not only been published in magazines but also in books such as The Olympic Eventing Masterclass and Cross-Country Masterclass.

Helen has competed in many equestrian disciplines and has had successes in ridden and in-hand showing, Carriage Driving, Show Jumping and Eventing. Her young horse "All Systems Go", known to friends as "Buttons" will hopefully begin pre-novice eventing later this year.

About the Photographer

Stephen Sparkes was also born a long time ago, only a couple of miles away from where he now lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Stephen began taking photographs for publication over ten years ago and is generally considered one of the best "eventing" photographers in Britain.

Stephen also has riding experience and has competed in eventing for "...a good few years." His mare "Just for Fun" is now in semi-retirement but her offspring, a three year old gelding by Golden Heights is just starting his working career and his proud step-parents can visualise him bounding around Badminton in 2002.

Both Helen and Stephen can be contacted by writing to:

15, Kitesnest Lane
Lightpill, Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3PQ
or by phone/fax on:
01453 758685