Lead the Way, the charismatic gelding ridden by Clea Phillipps has joined eventing’s elite by topping 1000 points this season and this performance is all the more impressive, as he is also a Grade A show jumper.

The combination enjoyed a top 10 finish at Burghley last year and Clea has always combined to the two disciplines of eventing and show jumping. Leader joins a number of iconic event horses with more than 1000 points, including Spring Along, Over To You, Lenamore and Headley Britannia.

“He’s the only horse I ride at this level and we have always thought so much of him”, she explains. “Vere (her husband) bought him in Ireland as a 4-year-old and although he was very beautiful, he didn’t look like a grade A show jumper, but he has always been the perfect model of a 3DE horse.”

Leader’s other claim to fame is ‘allowing’ his name to be used for the Leader saddle, one of the jumping saddles in the Sue Carson Saddles range and Clea, whose input Sue acknowledges as “very valuable at every stage of design and development”, is hugely enthusiastic about Sue Carson Saddles.

Leader’s competition record is much envied and rightly so, as he has proved consistent in both the show jumping arena and at top level eventing. This season, he finished in second place in an advanced section at Auchinleck, having led the dressage on a score of 28. His test included a perfect 10 from judge Les Smith for his final centre line in canter and halt, Clea saying, “I’ve had a 10 at novice level, but never at advanced!”

Leader followed this with sixth place in the World Cup at Chatsworth and fifth at Bramham, putting him on almost 1100 British Eventing points. He is being aimed at Burghley.

Clea said, “Leader is amazingly scopey and he tries so hard to be careful but at the same time he’s very brave, so it’s a fantastic combination to be sitting on to go either show jumping or eventing. To reach 1000 points is a real highlight and I’m so pleased, as he has a fantastic temperament, is totally enthusiastic about everything you want to do and just loves being out at shows and doing stuff.

To find out more about Sue Carson Saddles, contact 01629 540343 or visit www.suecarsonsaddles.co.uk

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