Mac shines on Diamond spacey

EQUESTRIANISM

Emma-Jane Mac regained the British National Ladies' Championship, which she last won eight years ago, when she rode the Dutch-bred mare, Diamond, to a swift clear round on the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show yesterday. She defeated Di Lampard on the marvellous eight-year-old, Abbervail Dream, by 1.25sec.

Mac last won the title eight years ago on Guilty, but her best show jumper was Oyster with whom she was reserve for the British team at the 1990 World Equestrian Games. Oyster died after an attack of colic 14 months ago, leaving Diamond as Mac's top partner.

Second to go in the six-horse jump-off, Mac saw one obvious danger removed when Marie Edgar, defending the women's title which she won here last year, incurred 12 faults on Everest Winstar. Alison Bradley proved more worrying for Mac to watch. She was ahead on time with Endeavour when the stallion hit the last fence.

Tim Stockdale won the earlier Land-Rover Accumulator on Toggi Santa's Echo, which secured him a place in today's British Horsemaster final in which four riders compete on their own and each other's horses.

He joins Marie Edgar, James Fisher and Geoff Glazzard for this contest, which carries £10,000 in prize-money, plus the bonus of a Rover car if the winner achieves four clear rounds.

Results, Sporting Digest, page 47