Dream comes true as Whitchurch's Emily Morris lands title
Whitchurch showjumper Emily Morris lived the dream of a lifetime with victory at the British Showjumping National Amateur and Veteran Championships
Emily, who lives in Prees, Whitchurch, Shropshire, and her horse Foreign Affair won the Minor 1.10m Veteran title in 2022 and finished second in the same class this year at Aintree International Equestrian Centre.
They set their sights on the veteran’s title over a 1.20m course, and their dreams came true after a fantastic ride.
“This is the one I really wanted, we missed out last year,” Morris said after her victory. “I planned on going as fast as I could but not ridiculously quick, but we got the inside turns to the double and the penultimate oxer and she’s careful, I knew I could trust her to the final vertical – I can kick her forward and she backs off.”
The 7-year-old Foreign Affair was purchased from Castell Sport Horses as an unbroken 5-year-old, and helped Morris win the event by 1.67 seconds.
“She was bred by the Westpoint Stud based near me in Shropshire, and she has been a superstar,” added Emily. “She’s actually a lot smaller than she looks; she holds herself very upright with a lot of presence about her, but in the stable, she’s tiny.”
Morris added: “She’s growing in confidence every time out and gaining more experience and she’s so easy to ride with a loving, willing nature and loads and loads of jump.”
