SOME were describing it as the best ever and it was difficult to argue with that assessment of the senior puissance at the BSJA Horse of the Year Show. The junior version on Wednesday was excellent, but this was in another world.

As dusk was falling on Chemin Le Roi, the wall got higher, the spread got wider and the combinations just seemed to get better, much to the delight of the large crowd that had stayed on especially to see Saturday’s finale.

The quality of the class was absolutely superb, as was emphasised by the fact that of the nine entrants, all bar one began the fourth and penultimate round.

By that stage, the wall had reached 1.60m and the spread was a similar width.

Having to face such a daunting challenge, it was hardly surprising that some combinations did not make it through to the final round. But they all made a valiant effort and four of them produced amazing clearances still to be in the running for the Videlo Trophy going into the last round.

With the light fading, the wall was raised one more time to a mammoth 1.70m, with the spread adjusted to somewhere between 1.65m and 1.70m.

Guernsey’s Terry Lihou on Playboy III was first to go and a fine leap of the spread set them up for an attempt at the wall, but it proved just too high and the combination ended on a very creditable four faults.

Something special was to follow, though.

Clare Radford riding Leo, one of the visiting King’s Troop team from England, had come close to accruing faults in an early round but they just improved immeasurably as the class progressed.

When it came to the final round, the spread did not prove to be a problem and although Leo clipped the top of the wall, the blocks stayed up and the crowd gave the surprised Radford the wonderful ovation she deserved.

Next to go was the extraordinary Jokris du Theillet, ridden by Frenchman and crowd favourite Patric Sanhet.

The spread was negotiated faultlessly and this amazing horse then managed to put daylight between himself and the wall with a monumental leap.

However, as they returned to terra firma, Sanhet was unseated and, try as he did to stay mounted through the finish line, he couldn’t and the combination was unfortunately eliminated.

Another Guernsey combination, Sally Hargreaves and Holy Knight, was last to go and although they produced a terrific clearance of the spread, the wall proved too high for them and they retired, leaving Leo and Radford as deserved winners.

‘It was probably the best puissance that we have seen for as long as I can remember. It was very, very exciting,’ said Sarah Mills, BSJA liaison officer. ‘I cannot recall when I last saw the wall at that height.’

Earlier in the afternoon, visiting Jersey combinations had dominated the Grand Prix classes with four wins out of five.

The one exception was in the senior novice category where Guernsey’s Sarah Le Tissier and Sheer Elegance produced a very impressive clear round in the jump-off to take the honours.

But there had been three home victories in the four graded jumping classes that began the day.

Pipper Parsons took first and second place in the Grade As on Nervenfee and Panama O’Hec respectively, Amelia Jeffery riding Loftsome Moonlight won her Grade C category and Terry Lihou, this time on Skippetts Burnet, claimed the earlier Grade C class.

Sarnians were also successful in the junior accumulators as Secret Affair II, ridden by Katie Fallaize, and Charlotte Breban, on-board Bohemian Masterpiece, were victorious.

A day earlier, both Parsons and Lihou had won the main events of seniors day to regain the Gents’ and Ladies’ Championships for Guernsey.

Lihou had performed the extraordinary feat of taking first, second and third in the Gents’ on Midnight Stroller, Playboy III and Skippetts Burnet respectively, while Parsons’ fine victory had once again been on Nervenfee.

In the team competitions, Guernsey led the senior event going into the second leg with four faults compared to eight for Jersey and France and 24 for England.

The junior match was as tight as expected, with Jersey leading by just four faults going into the second leg after three of their combinations went clear.