Victory for the boys after a fierce battle ensues in the IJF Markel Challenge

Jim Crowley may have had a string of top level wins to celebrate in 2018, but he reckoned jumping fences at Olympia's London International Horse Show was even more of a thrill.

The 2016 champion Flat jockey made up a group of five for the boys' side, which included Richard Johnson, Sir Anthony McCoy, Ryan Moore and Harry Skelton.

The girls were headed by jockey of the moment Bryony Frost, with Lizzie Kelly, Josephine Gordon, Bridget Andrews and Hollie Doyle completing the team.

The boys took on the girls for the annual Markel Champions Challenge in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund and it made for a dazzling display of competitive riding and horsemanship.

"I loved it. We get more of a buzz doing this than racing! It's the highlight of the year," Jim Crowley said after a brilliant clear round.

The two teams, made up of a who's who of Flat and jump jockeys past and present, took no prisoners in their quest for victory and a fierce battle raged.

Harry Skelton: borrowed a team mate's horse after his bridle brokeCredit: Kit Houghton

In the end, however, both teams walked away with glory as Bridget Andrews produced the fastest round of the night, while the boys produced two immaculate clear rounds to clinch victory overall with a collective time of 151.16 seconds.

Harry Skelton, the last to go in the contest, was determined to match his fiancee's blistering pace but fate played a cruel hand when his mount's bridle broke halfway through the round. Twice. He then made it third time lucky when riding a team mate's horse for the third fastest time of the evening.

Skelton said afterwards: "We'll be back next year – with better tack!"

The boys team, however, lead by the ever competitive Sir Anthony McCoy, got off to a tremendous start with a classy clear from Jim Crowley. The former jump jockey, accustomed to fast pace thanks to the fiery Battaash, showed his eye for a stride in a rhythmical and smooth round of jumping.

The official policy for the boys' team was to play it safe but fast, according to Olympic champion and team coach Nick Skelton, and the team continued as they meant to go on. Ryan Moore put on a more than passable impression of his brothers in a hair-raisingly quick round, while Richard Johnson showed why he is the reigning champion with a silky smooth clear.

Meanwhile, Lizzie Kelly, ready for her Boxing Day ride on long-term partner Tea For Two in the King George, put down a stern marker with a measured clear in a time of 41.03, soon bettered by team mate Andrews in a scorching time of 33.88.

Bridget Andrews: rode the fastest round of the evening at OlympiaCredit: Kit Houghton

Former dual eventing European Champion Pippa Funnell, the team coach for the girls alongside husband William, exclaimed after Andrews' round: "The job is still on offer! They [the girls] are such fun to work with."

Andrews, meanwhile, paid credit to her mount: "She was brilliant, although I didn’t have much control in the warm up!"

If the cheers from the crowd were anything to go by, the girls would have cruised to an easy victory – think along the lines of Sprinter Sacre's 2013 Champion Chase victory – but the boys came through with a bit in hand for a straightforward victory.

Bradstock shines bright

Alfie Bradstock: third in the Puissance at Olympia, has also schooled Gold Cup hero Coneygree at homeCredit: Matthew Webb PHOTOGRAPHER

As the finishing touches are put to Coneygree before his bid in the King George on Boxing Day, Alfie Bradstock cemented his position as a rising star of the show jumping world when finishing third in the Puissance this week at Olympia.

Bradstock, who rode H D’Or in the equine equivalent of high jumping which reached a record-breaking height of 7ft4, has schooled the 2015 Gold Cup winner at home earlier in his career.

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