On January 27, 2026, 24-year-old Lauren Roach secured victory in the penultimate UNIBED Winter Grades B&C Qualifier at Aintree International Equestrian Centre, riding her 10-year-old mare Louisiana-S. The event, part of the Winter Classic show, saw 39 starters compete for qualification to the final at the Royal International Horse Show, with Roach's faultless jump-off time of 33.58 seconds proving unbeatable. James Ingham and Will Fletcher finished second and third after strong but slightly slower efforts.
The UNIBED – High Performance Equine Bedding Winter Grades B&C Qualifier featured thrilling competition at Aintree's Winter Classic show. Out of 39 starters, 13 combinations advanced to the jump-off, including six with double clear rounds. Lauren Roach, fourth to go in the jump-off, set the pace with a faultless performance on Louisiana-S, owned by Paul Kelly and Kerry Grimster, clocking 33.58 seconds to claim first place. This marks the third year of Roach's partnership with the mare, which has built an impressive record: sixth in the British Showjumping National Under 25 Championship at the London International Horse Show in December, fifth in the Senior Newcomers Championship, seventh in the HOYS Grade C Final at the Horse of the Year Show in October, and winners of the National Grade C Final at the British Showjumping National Championships in the summer. Louisiana-S has progressed from non-jumping to 1.40m classes under Roach's guidance. Commenting on the win, Roach said: “I really enjoyed the course, and it was a good jump-off. It really suited her as she likes to spin back on herself and has quite a big stride for a small horse. She’s a funny mare. She’s incredibly friendly and because we don’t jump her much at home, she’s always raring to go when we get to a show. She’s quite small so all that extra energy really helps, but she’s just got such incredible ability.” She added: “This is my third year on her, and I’m so incredibly grateful to her owners, Paul and Kerry, for the opportunity to ride her. She comes from not jumping to stepping up to jump 1.40m classes, so we’ve really developed together. I’m really looking forward to taking her to Hickstead. The last time I jumped in the main arena was in 2016 when I won the Winter JC Championship with Westcoast Express so I’m excited to go back. I think she’ll love the main arena and she’s usually quite fast on grass so hopefully we can get a good result. This is also my last year to contend the U25 Championship at London [International Horse Show], so I really want to target those qualifiers this year with her as well.” Late challengers James Ingham on Vandro B and Will Fletcher on Shelton DD delivered fast clears but fell short, finishing at 36.89 and 36.91 seconds respectively—just 0.02 seconds apart. Results are pending final grading. The top three: 1st – Lauren Roach & Louisiana-S - 0/0 33.58; 2nd – James Ingham & Vandro B - 0/0 36.89; 3rd – Will Fletcher & Shelton DD - 0/0 36.91.
