A new world side saddle high jump record was set in 2012 at the National Showing and Showjumping Show in Aintree, England.
Susan Oakes traveled all the way from County Meade in Northern Ireland to Aintree to take part in the competition. Riding Brandy And Red, she jumped 5ft 9in to set a new side saddle high jump record.
The previous record was set by Carolyn Wofford, who cleared 5ft 7in in 1995.
1. How many years did Carolyn’s record stand?
2. How much higher did Susan and Brandy And Red jump in setting a new record?
Emma Brown and her horse French Connection NJ (his stable name is Harry) placed second when they cleared 5ft 3in.
3. How much higher did Susan jump than Emma to win the competition?
While Susan has ridden all her life and rides side-saddle on the hunting field and showing ring, she had never tried her hand over show jumps.
Mrs Esther Stace, from Yarrowitch, riding sidesaddle and clearing a record 6’6″ at the Sydney Royal Show.
“I saw an entry from for the Leaping Lady competition, which said: ‘Are you brave enough? There was a picture of the women who set the original record back in 1915, and I just thought I’d have a go, so I started looking for a show jumper,” Susan said.
“Atlas was supposed to be my main ride at Aintree, but he went lame two days before the show so I ended up jumping Brandy And Red, who I’d only ridden three times before,” Susan said.
It certainly didn’t hold them back, even though they couldn’t quite match a jump record set in 1915 of 6ft 6in by Australian rider Esther Stace.
4. How much higher did Esther and her horse jump in 1915?
“I intend to break my own record in October in Ballinsloe,” Susan said. “I’m aiming to jump 6.6ft over the triple bar on Brandy and at least 6.2ft on Atlas over the wall. Jumping that height is an amazing feeling.”
Susan entered the puissance at the Dublin International show in August last year, where she was the first person to ever compete in the class riding side-saddle. However, she said that Brandy was “a bit star struck and only jumped 1.40m”.
Horse Talk – puissance: the high-jump competition in the equestrian sport of show jumping.
The 29-year-old seems to feel no fear and has complete faith in her horses. “I’ve no problem going over 7ft on Atlas,” she said, although she admits jumping side-saddle does have it draw backs.
“It’s very difficult to see a stride when you’re riding side-saddle,” she said. “I have to walk my strides and put a marker down so that I know when to take off.
Watch this video showing Susan as she breaks two world records. The first as highest height jumped side saddle over the puissance wall and the second, as highest height jumped side saddle over the triple bar.
1. How many years did Carolyn’s record stand?
Answers: 2012 – 1995 = 17. Carolyn’s record stood for 17 years.
2. How much higher did Susan and Brandy And Red jump in setting a new record?
Answer: 5ft 9in – 5ft 7in = 2 inches. Susan and Brandy And Red jump 2 inches higher.
3. How much higher did Susan jump than Emma to win the competition?
Answer: 5ft 9in – 5ft 3in = 6in. Susan jumped 6in higher than Emma.
4. How much higher did Esther and her horse jump in 1915?
Answer: 6ft 6in – 5ft 9in = ?
This question is not as easy as the previous two questions. First you must convert the feet to inches. (6 x 12) + 6 = 78. 6ft 6in = 78 inches; (5 x 12) + 9 = 69. 5ft 9in = 69in.
78in – 69in = 9in. Esther and her horse jumped 9in higher in 1915.
Photos:
DSCF0555 Side Saddle by Declan; CC BY 2.0
STACE-Esther M.jpg; Source: Walcha Historical Society; Public Domain
I don’t know where your information came from but I have checked with the Royal Agricultural Show records and they show nothing about Mrs Stace using a springboard. That information is incorrect.
In researching the post I came across two articles that mentioned Esther Stace used a springboard:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv
This isn’t her [Susan Oakes] first attempt at breaking records, as Susan set a new British record at Aintree last year, when she jumped 5ft 9in in a Leaping Ladies competition. This was later broken by Michaela Bowling who jumped 6ft 3in. Both attempts were considered by some to be world records at the time, as Stace used a springboard when she jumped 6ft 6in back in the early 1900s.
AND
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk
But a spokesman for Guinness World Records said the 1915 record was
not on its database, so it was conducting research to come up with “a competitive minimum”.
And Carolyn Wofford, who cleared 5ft 7in in a side saddle puissance on Solidarity in 1995, said there were “cloudy issues” with the Australian record.
“She was jumping off a springboard – that’s why the horse is going in such a strange shape” she said.
So did she or didn’t she? Too bad the great photo of Esther and her horse clearing the 6′ 6″ fence at the Sydney Royal Show didn’t include the takeoff side of the fence.
The links above provide no verification of such a claim ever being made that Esther had the benefit of a springboard. From what is discovered when examining the links, we are no wiser or better informed than the author of this site has invented the claims.
Thanks for your info and reply. I have had a search done at the Sydney Royal Ag Show research centre and they have supplied me with info that no springboards are used in competition show jumping and Mrs Stace did not use one nor did the riders she was competing with. The record was a show record for that ground and Australian record and nothing to do with the Guiness World Records. Another rider cleared 6’6″ in the same comp but her horse rapped the bar so was placed 2nd. The same rider beat Mrs Stace’s record with a jump of 6’7″ about 6 months later but not in side saddle So the side saddle record stood. It only takes one person to write erronious material and others to copy their wrong statements to tarnish someone elses record and reputation. For whatever reason the previous articles about the springboard are untrue.
Regards Cheryl Castle
Thanks for this Cheryl. I will change to post to reflect this new information. I appreciate the effort you have taken to find the real story behind Mrs Stace’s record jump.
Thank you for researching to find the facts about the record of My husband’s Great Grandmother’s show jumping. We appreciate you finding the facts. I shall keep a copy of this in my family tree file.
Kindest regards and best wishes for your future riding efforts.
I hope you were thanking Cheryl. If not for Cheryl, HLM would have been totally successful in effectively erasing your children’s Great Great Grandmother’s extraordinary achievement from existence.
Check out this video where Susan Oakes takes on the world record for sidesaddle jumping: http://bit.ly/2cIXBd7
What a shame to come across a website which would sully our much loved and admired Ms. Stace’s astonishing record at the Sydney Royal Easter Show with the false suggestion she was advantaged by a springboard. All because the feat cannot be matched by a personage familiar with this site’s author.
Susan went on to set a new record of 6′ 8″ in October 2013. You can watch the jump here: https://horses-videos.com/world-record-highest-horse-jump