A DESPERATELY long wait was ended in terrific style on Sunday when Guernsey beat the three visiting teams to regain the Ringer Memorial Trophy at Chemin Le Roi. It had been 19 years since the hosts’ last victory in the overall senior team event, five years since Jersey had been beaten in the inter-insular Settyres Trophy match, and fittingly Lt-Gov. Sir John Foley and Lady Foley were in attendance to witness the achievement.

‘Sir John has become our lucky mascot. We had not won it since 1985 and the first time he is here we changed all that,’ said BSJA Guernsey president Ken Carre.

It was a wonderfully composed performance from the Guernsey female quartet over David Cole’s very fair test of a course.

They led after Friday’s first leg having accrued just four faults to Jersey’s and France’s eight with the King’s Troop team already out of the running on 24.

It was the English four who got the second leg under way with Graeme Innes and Kings Highnoon producing a decent round of just four faults followed by France’s Matthais Coderc on Ilana Fontaine, who knocked over three fences.

First up for Guernsey was Kate Lawlor riding Aspen Gem and they got the home supporters cheering with a fine round that was only marred by the dislodging of a pole at the double number seven fence. But the way in which the combination recovered from that and finished with just those four faults was exemplary.

Jersey’s Holly O’Brien and Irish Ballymena Babe then matched that effort to give her team a decent start.

The first clear round came from the awesome Jokris du Theillet, who was a joy to watch throughout the show and was this time ridden by Charlotte Mignard for France.

That started a run of four no-faulters.

Snaffles Purple Patch and Emma Dorey clearly enjoyed their perfect contribution for Guernsey, which moved their team a huge step towards the silverware, although the Caesareans were kept in touch by an equally impressive round from Eliza Scarborough on Grande Esperando.

The only clear round from the English team, achieved by Capt. Tunley and Sam Slick, began the third rotation in which all of the other teams, including Amelia Jeffery and Loftsome Moonlight for the Sarnians, recorded eight faults.

So everything was still to jump for in the final round and Xavier Stasojevic riding Exvoto Pierreville briefly gave France hope of a share in the silverware with a clear round.

But those hopes, and those of Jersey as well, were not to last long.

Guernsey captain Lisa Jane Torode had led by example in the first leg with one of her side’s two clear rounds, along with Jeffery, and she dished up a repeat dose on Jouvance du Sire when it matter the most.

There was the occasional clip of a pole but every fence remained in tact as the supporters willed the combination over all the obstacles and through the finish line.

In a surreal few moments, though, the crowd did not seem to realise that Guernsey could not be caught and they waited until after Lisa Phillips and Playboy had gone for Jersey and the results to be announced before beginning the celebrations. They were to last well into the night.

Unfortunately, the Guernsey juniors were unable to match their senior counterparts and win their match against Jersey although this was a superb Caesarean team and they finished the two legs on no faults.

However, their was some consolation for the Sarnians as Katie Fallaize and Secret Affair II took the big junior showjumper of the year class on the final day with a lightening fast clear jump-off round.

Her time of 38.05sec. was exactly a second quicker than that of Jersey team member Jo Leonard on Summer Rowes, pushing the visitors into second place.

The senior showjumper of the year was won by the outstanding Snap Happy ridden by Polly Harwood form Jersey.

Nine combinations of the 19 starters made it through to the jump-off and only Sam Slick ridden by Capt. Tunley from the King’s Troop team went clear from the first six to go.

But then Terry Lihou and Skippetts Burnet matched that achievement, albeit in a slightly slower time before Snap Happy raced around in 38.20sec.

Pipper Parsons on Panama O’Hec and they gave it everything in another fantastic clear round, only to turn and see that their time was 0.07sec. slower than that of Harwood.

In the other main class of the day, Jack Clackett and Oakmeadow Bethan retained the Nursery/128cm Championship.

‘It has been one of our best shows ever and it could have been better but for the disappointment of the wind that kept some visitors away,’ said Carre.

‘The Gallic touch with the French team being here added an international aspect to it and the visitors from Jersey and England are always friendly.

‘Winning the team event was the icing on the cake. They really worked hard for it. The team was fantastic, so was their team spirit. We were also proud of our junior team.’