A team of four girls from St Leonards-Mayfield School in East Sussex has won the prestigious National Schools Equestrian Association ‘Jumping with Style’ Open Championship.
In the process, the School has become the first in the history of the competition to win the title three years in a row. With a tally of seven Championship victories under its belt over the past 15 years, the 400-strong girls’ school near Tunbridge Wells has arguably earned itself the title of the finest school equestrian team in the UK.
Emily Erde (aged 19), CC Rowson (15), Heloise Lebon (13) and Josie Mitchell (13) faced stiff competition from across England in the Open Championship at Addington in Buckinghamshire. The 20 teams represented had been whittled down from around 200 through a series of regional qualifying rounds, and St Leonards-Mayfield School was one of only four state and independent schools from Sussex, Kent and Surrey represented in the Championship final.
The high standards set by Mayfield’s last two Championship winning teams, and a mid-week bout of flu which affected the make-up of the squad, placed considerable pressure on the girls to perform at their best over the jumps – which they did.
Team captain Emily Erde has the distinction of having ridden in all three of Mayfield’s recent Championship-winning teams. She commented: ‘I've had a fantastic time representing Mayfield over the last seven years and feel very proud to be part of the winning senior team for the last three years. We have an excellent support network, brilliant tuition from Jill Barker, Director of Riding, and our team spirit seems to give us the winning edge.’