TEENAGER Barnie Brotherton secured an impressive victory in the second round of the Dodson & Horrell National Amateur competition at Eland Lodge Equestrian in Ashbourne.
The Derbyshire venue was one of three centres across the country to host the Dodson & Horrell National Amateur 85cm, 95cm, 1.05m and 1.10m second rounds at the weekend.
Competitors braved the weather to take their chance to qualify for the Dodson & Horrell National Amateur Championships at Aintree Equestrian Centre in Liverpool in mid-November.
Ten combinations in the 1.05m kept their hopes of qualifying for the finals alive when they jumped a first round clear over Nick Staines’ ten-fence track. Eight kept a clean sheet and in doing so secured their spot in the final.
Pershore’s Brotherton piloted Naomi Brotherton’s Cash Casino – a ten-year-old Danish-bred gelding whom Barnie has competed with over the last 12 months – to the top of a tight leaderboard in 34.06 seconds.
Mark Thompson took second and third places with Silvarno and Hunky Dory III respectively. He produced two quick rounds with just 0.60 seconds separating the top three.