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CIC*** - Nicola sets Barbury abuzz
Nicola Wilson wrote herself into the history books with a brilliant win in the main CCI*** class at the Barbury International Horse Trials, sponsored by St James’s Place Wealth Management.
Third last to go in a marathon cross-country phase, Nicola and Rosemary Search’s little black flying machine Opposition Buzz, who has earned a reputation as one of the best cross-country horses in the world, swept home with a fast time of just five penalties to snatch the lead from 21-year-old Emily Llewellyn on Society Spice.
Nicola, who now looks likely to be the pathfinder of the British team at the forthcoming World Equestrian Games in September, achieved her best ever dressage score with this horse – she is helped in this phase by Chris Bartle, the German team manager.
“I was over the moon at how he went in the dressage; we’ve been working jolly hard on that phase!” said Nicola. “He loves his jumping so much that he needs his reward. He had a ball out there; he’s been such a consistent horse and it’s fabulous that it’s all come together here.”
Emily, a young rider European gold medallist, was also 10th on Pardon Me and won the Horse Trials Support Group’s prize for the best British under-25 rider. She is heading for the young rider Europeans, but this performance will have done her no harm in the senior selectors’ eyes either.
“It does feel a bit wild to ride that quickly; I don’t often ride that competitively, but seeing it was such an important competition,” said Emily, who described “having the wind in my hair. I’m lucky to have two such great horses.”
The high-pressure of running across country in reverse order of merit always inevitably causes a few thrills, spills and errors as tension mounts, and thea large crowd sitting on the bank watching the action in the sunshine were whooping with excitement as horses flew past them.
Andrew Nicholson was looking good on the competition leader, the grey Avebury, and negotiated some of the early technical fences as well as anyone, but an unfortunate run-out in the influential Quarry ruined his chances of doing a double. However, he did finish third on his earlier ride, the exuberant Spanish-bred chestnut Armada.
Germany’s Bettina Hoy, lying fifth on Lanfranco TSF, ran into problems at the Sunken Road and retired, and Mark Todd, lying seventh on NZB Regent Lad had a run-out in the quarry, as did William Fox-Pitt on Sea Cookie.
Last year’s winner Daisy Dick on Springalong lived dangerously at the pair of angled houses after the Owl Hole, but the veteran Springalong was nifty on his feet and the pair survived to record fourth place ahead of William on Cool Mountain and young Irishman Sam Watson on Horseware Bushman, sixth.
CIC** B - Andrew is spot on again
Andrew Nicholson brought a brilliant Saturday’s competition at the Barbury International Horse Trials, sponsored by St James’s Place, to a thrilling climax. Last to go in the competitive 99-starter CIC** section B, the master of the clock finished a cheeky one second inside the optimum time to retain his lead on Libby Sellar’s Spanish-bred black mare Quimbo.
The cross-country was run in reverse order of merit, by which time Andrew knew he had 6 time penalties in hand to win and was able to enjoy the luxury of a judicious circle between fence 5 and the influential narrow, angled rail at 6, and still achieve finish one second inside the optimum time on the good jumping black mare on which he recently won the CCI** at Tattersalls in Ireland.
“He’s not a Thoroughbred and not naturally a fast horse, but he’s a superb jumper and fun to ride,” said Andrew. “He really wants to do it – he’s a proper horse. The plan is to take him to the Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers in October.”
James Adams from Darlington scored one of his best international results with second place on the attractive dapple grey Pebbly Aga Khan, a horse he rides for the Soley family, for whom he is stable jockey and whom he credits with much of the preparation work. He took over the ride last May, winning the CCI* at Weston Park last October.
“He’s only a little horse (15.2hh) but he’s got such a big stride that I never felt he was out of his rhythm, and he’s so brilliant with skinny and offset fences,” he said. “He felt comfortable all the way. In fact, it’s been a brilliant event and well worth the trip. I’ve absolutely loved it.”
Piggy French produced a quick and well-judged round on DHI Topper to rise 10 places after the show jumping phase to take third and Andrew’s old New Zealand team Mark Todd was fourth on NZB Campino.
CIC** C - Ruth and Applejack peel back the seconds
Ruth Edge sped to victory in the second CIC** class at the Barbury International Horse Trials, sponsored by St James’s Place Wealth Management. A fast time on Sir David and Lady Hart’s Applejack ll propelled her from third after dressage and show jumping to first place ahead of local Swindon-based rider Chris King on Miss Caruso.
“I’m very pleased with how he galloped and also how he took the water,” said Ruth of the jumping-bred eight-year-old by Calvados, a purchase from Peter Murphy. “It had ridden a bit short with my first two rides, but I popped in with him and got three good strides.”
Chris King was competing Miss Caruso, a Dutch-bred mare, at her first two-star competition, having finished fourth in the CCI* at Houghton International recently. Chris, who is based with Miss Caruso’s half-owner Jane Jones near Chippenham, said: “She can be a little bit tricky – we have to just hack her around the farm because she doesn’t like traffic.’
Chris was also hugely complimentary about going, which has received tireless treatment over the past weeks from the team at Barbury, who were up until the small hours last night using two verti-drainer machines – one owned by the estate and used for its racehorse gallops, the other loaned by nearby Manton - whose L-shaped spikes gently shift the earth.
