Photo credit: Angie Lock
Tim Price and Vitali have won the British Open class at the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials incorporating the British National Championships, two years after they scored in the same class at Gatcombe.
As the highest-placed rider in second place, Emily King and Valmy Biats become British National Champions continuing a strong season in which she also finished in fourth place at Badminton.
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats had headed out onto the cross country in the lead, although added 8.4 time penalties to slip into third place. The popular grey that won the CCI4*S at Bramham earlier in the season and travelled to Paris as a potential reserve for Team GB, was later found to have lost a shoe.
Martin Clunes, Chancellor of Hartpury University and Hartpury College, was on hand to present the trophies and even posed for a selfie with the top three. The riders then joined Martin and Professor Andy Collop (Vice-Chancellor, Principal and CEO of Hartpury University and College) on a carriage ride around the arena, pulled along by Westons Cider horses in front of the crowd.
Tim said: “He’s so well suited to this sort of competition, and we’ve been working on our showjumping for the three day events. He’s such a showman in the dressage, is very fast and has ‘been there and done that’. The time was super tight but he’s so adjustable at speed.
“The time here was tight but it was a good Burghley preparation. Last year, I really missed not having the Gatcombe run so hopefully this will stand him in good stead for having a bit more gas in the tank at Burghley."
NAF Metazone CCI2*L
Gemma Stevens capitalised on a busy weekend by winning the NAF Metazone CCI2*L with Cooley Couture. After posting a dressage score of 27.2, two immaculate rounds of jumping meant she secured the win with the promising horse owned by Pru Dawes.
On Sunday, all of the top ten jumped clear rounds (one adding time penalties). Jasmine Holmes and Arent I Lucky made it a one-two for British riders, finishing on a score of 29.4. Ireland’s Austin O’Connor, at his first event on UK soil since the Paris Olympic Games, took third place with Diamond Mistress on 30.
All horses passed the final horse inspection on Sunday morning, with the ground jury sending just one combination to the holding box. Colacentric and Jamaica’s Lydia Heywood were accepted after representing.
NAF Superflex CCI3*L
The NAF Superflex CCI3*L was won by Italy’s Roberto Scalisi and DHI Rock Dancer who added just 1.2 time penalties to his dressage score of 28.9. New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and Hickstead Musterd had two impressive jumping phases although their dressage score of 30.9 meant they had to settle for second.
Fred Powell and Grafiba performed best of the Brits to finish in third place on a score of 31.6 after adding 1.2 time penalties.
Dressage leaders Claire Deuten and Lord Flashheart ran into trouble at fence 5, the Hartpury Sport Planks where the horse put in two refusals before Claire opted to retire.
At the morning horse inspection, Lucy Robinson and Belline Second Chance, and Aimee Penny and PSH Insight were both sent to the holding box and opted to withdraw before re-presenting.
Fairfax Saddles British Restricted Novice Championship
In the Fairfax Saddles British Restricted Novice Championship, a total of 24 combinations came forward to cross country on Sunday. Eric Winter’s undulating track rode well, with many jumping clear. Victoria Gregg and her imposing 18hh grey, Langston Governor, has enjoyed a wonderful few days, following their dressage score of 23.5 that allowed them to take the win even with a show jump down and 0.8 time penalties across country.
Reflecting on her win, Victoria said: “The event is run impeccably. This is our third attempt at the Corinthian Cup, so after the cancellation of Gatcombe we are just absolutely thrilled to have completed, never mind won. My horse is unreal, he’s a machine. He’s a gentle giant.”
Less than a penalty mark separated the top three after the show jumping, but cross country time penalties impacted a number of combinations inside the top ten. Pathfinders Freya Partridge and Candy Flight posted a clear inside the time that moved them up to second place. Emily Worsdale and Landsbook Faerie Tale also moved up the leaderboard after a quick clear, finishing in third.
The Intermediate Novice Retraining of Racehorses Championship
Izzy Taylor and Bayaanaat looked sheer class as they jumped a double clear to finish on their dressage score of 28.3. Oscar Fitzgerald, aboard the former Piggy March ride Our Old Fella, also finished on their dressage score of 28.8 and finished in second place.
The small section of former racehorses ate up Eric Winter’s cross country challenge and only three refusals occurred throughout the entire class. Alexander Tordoff and Jack Randall added 0.4 pens from the cross country which moved them up to third place.
Fairfax Saddles British Novice Championship
The Fairfax Saddles British Novice Championship had its fair share of cross country penalties, with Kitty King and her seven-year-old Kantango incurring a run out in the NAF Magic Pond that resulted in her losing the lead she had from the showjumping.
Katie Magee and Lady Sharon Parnaby’s Cushlas Indigo had a lovely cross country round to stay on their dressage score of 26.1 moving them up from third place to take the win. Hector Payne and Love Story added just 0.4 time pens to their dressage score of 27.1 to end with a final score of 27.5 and second place.
Aston Martin Bristol Intermediate Championship
The final cross country action of the weekend came in the Aston Martin Bristol Intermediate Championship. Oliver Townend had mixed fortunes, winning the championship with En Taro Des Vernier after adding just four time penalties to his dressage score of 28.4. However, he was unseated from his other ride Crazy Du Loir later in the day, having led after the first two phases.
Andrew Heffernan made his journey from Cheshire worthwhile, picking up second place with SSK Cape Cooley on a score of 38.2. Fiona Kashel and Monbeg Cazador finished in third place with 39.3.
Several well-placed pairings ran into problems on the cross country course, with the Hartpury Sport Planks and the NAF Magic Pool causing the majority of penalties.
Speaking after the prize giving, in which competitors were driven in an Aston Martin around the International Arena, Oliver said: “It’s been a really good competition. I was very sad when I heard that Gatcombe wasn’t happening but Hartpury has done a good job in making it a true championship. It’s an ideal set-up in terms of the terrain, and the courses were a proper test so we all leave knowing exactly how good our horses are. That’s exactly what Gatcombe provided and that’s exactly what Hartpury has provided.”
