| Blenheim International Horse Trials,
2007.
|
CCI ***, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.
6th – 9th September 2007.
by Rosemary Cooper.
The eighteenth running of the three-star Blenheim International Horse
Trials provided a victory for Chris King and Miss Lucinda Langland’s
chestnut gelding The Secret Weapon. Lying in the lead after
cross-country, they hit the red and white poles at fence four. However
the poles stayed up, and The Secret Weapon jumped clear until the final
fence.
‘I thought he’d had the first part of the combination,’ said Chris King,
‘ but I didn’t know he’d had the last fence. I wasn’t sure what was
going on at the end, but people were jumping up and down so I assumed
I’d won.’
Chris and The Secret Weapon had gone into the final phase with a lead of
only 1.2 points over the second, Kristina Cook and the 9-y-o bay
thoroughbred Miner’s Frolic, who also hit a showjumping fence and picked
up two time faults.
‘He’s a very exciting horse, fantastic in all three phases,’ commented
Kristina. ‘He had an easy time last year. First I broke my wrist in the
spring, and then I had a baby. I rode him at Boekelo, which gave him a
bit more experience.’
Not one single horse finished the event on a dressage score. New course
builder Eric Winter, previously assistant to Mike Etherington-Smith,
built a cross-country course that only three competitors could complete
without time penalties. He incorporated many elements familiar from
previous years, but his course produced problems at 17 of the 26 fences,
with exactly half the competitors jumping clear.
The Invesco Sunken Road produced plenty of stops and falls, but the real
bogey fence was the VW Water Whirl. After a gallop though water, horses
had to jump a duck-shaped fence with a landing in water, then had a
choice of two routes either side of a couple of raised Toureg VWs. Both
routes involved a couple of skinny brushes on rising ground, one of many
fences where Eric Winter challenged the competitors to think which
option had the advantage. Eighteen horses stopped or glanced off a
fence, including Chianti IV, ridden by Rhian Smith, who was eliminated
for three refusals. Tor Brewer and Bruce Haskall, riding Oakengrove
Rabbit and Sky Sport, stopped twice but continued, while Emily Lochore
and Oliver Townend, riding Party Wings and Clover Curtis, retired after
two stops.
One of the three who had no time faults on this course was third-placed
Andrew Nicholson with Armada, who had one showjumping fence down. Armada
is an 8-y-o chestnut gelding by a Spanish thoroughbred stallion, and New
Zealander Andrew was the only non-British competitor in the first seven.
‘He must now be third or fourth in my team,’ said Andrew, ‘but he’s too
young for the Olympics.’
Fourth place went to Polly Stockton, on a purple patch after her second
at Burghley on Tom Quigley. Riding the bay gelding Regulus, she took the
lead on the first day of dressage but picked up time faults to finish in
fourth place after cross-country, then stayed in the same position with
one showjumping fence down and one time fault.
Lucy Wiegersma and Woodfalls Inigo Jones, a chestnut Irish Sport horse,
improved on seventh place after cross-country to finish fifth in the
three-star with one fence down in the final phase. Sixth was Julie Tew
and the striking dapple grey Look Out, who produced one of the three
clear rounds across country, but also hit one showjumping fence.
Leader after dressage was Britain’s Louisa Brassey on Bruce Rock, who
ran out at one of the skinny brushes of the VW Toureg Water Whirl, the
fence at the end of the long gallop through water. Then Louisa fell off
at the Goodyear Safer Leap, a rail to one side of a big brush. She broke
her collarbone, becoming the only casualty of the event. In second place
after dressage, Sam Griffiths from Australia on Happy Times, incurred a
stop and time penalties to finish well down the order, but third at this
stage was Miner’s Frolic and Kristina Cook, who finished cross-country
with only 3.2 time penalties, to eventually contest the lead with Chris
King and The Secret Weapon, fifth after dressage.
Separating them after dressage was one of the French contingent, Aurelien Kahn on Lord de Ligniere, who had a stop at The Squirrel’s Playpen, two brushes either
side of a post and rail on a mound, then hit two showjumping fences.
At the end, the best of the French contingent was Jean Renaud Adde and
Hason d’Elpegere, who had only 0.4 time penalties of cross country and
on showjumping fence down to finish eighth. Most successful Irish
competitor was Michael Ryan and Master Mexico, who rose to ninth place
after one of only two clear showjumping rounds.
The leading Australian was Clayton Fredericks on the dapple grey
thoroughbred mare Dunge’s Laurent Rose, who was tenth after 5.2 time
penalties of cross-country, but lowered three show jumping fences.
Behind them came Hannah Bates and Valdemar, who had also started at
Burghley but retired after a few fences of its formidable cross-country
course.
Four other countries were represented. Eddy Stibbe from the Dutch
Antilles has been a regular competitor in top-level British competitions
for many years. At 58, he was the oldest rider and finished 20th on
Dusky Moon. 24th place went to Samantha Albert from Jamaica on Blarney
Banker, and Carlos Paro from Brazil finished 32nd on Lawlight Alliance,
while the American Julian Stiller and Mr Ramsay retired on
cross-country.
Andrew Nicholson also netted first prize of £20,000 in the Invesco
Perpetual British Eventing Premier League, some compensation for his
narrow defeat at Burghley the previous week. This challenge is an
accumulator based on points won at nine major events. Second prize of
£10,000 Challenge went to Polly Stockton, and third-placed rider was
William Fox-Pitt, not competing at this year’s Blenheim.
The Blenheim three-star was Chris King’s first major win. The Secret
Weapon is an Irish-bred 11-y-o by Ballinvella Boy out of Carlow
Princess. ‘His main aim was always to come here, and he qualified at
Barbury,’ said Chris. ‘I had no problems on cross-country. He was very
good, but at the 2nd last fence I wanted three strides and got three and
a half. I’m over the moon with my other ride, Silver Machine. After he’d
finished, I competed in the Eventers’ Grand Prix (part of the main ring
entertainment) then slept in the lorry until it was time to mount The
Secret Weapon. I’ve got fourteen horses at home, but since I competed at
Badminton on Miss De Meena, I’ve been short of top class horses for a
couple of years. I’ve been seeing a sports psychologist for a while.’
‘I haven’t tried that,’ commented Andrew Nicholson. ‘It’s probably where
I’m going wrong!’
Main ring entertainment on the final day at Blenheim is always worth
seeing. The Eventers’ Grand Prix, sponsored by Townfields Saddlers and
Bates UK, involved a number of showjumping fences, followed by
cross-country-type fences in the main ring, then further showjumping
fences, all jumped against the clock. The winner was Emilie Chandler
with Kellymoss, last but one to go. Second was the previous leader, the
very popular Japanese rider Yoshi Oiwa, who charmed the crowds when he
went into the lead at Badminton a couple of years ago. ‘His grin is so
wide it goes right round the back of his head,’ said the commentator as
he finished his round on Khanjer Black. Third place went to the last to
go, Jeanette Brakewell and her much-loved veteran Over To You, now in
semi-retirement at the age of 19.
Meanwhile 300 runners tackled the cross-country course in the Anthony
Nolan Fun Run, which has to date raised over a quarter of a million
pounds to save the lives of people with leukaemia.
This year Blenheim’s chosen charity was the Rare Breeds Survival Trust,
which staged a parade of twelve of the thirteen rare or endangered
breeds of horses and ponies in the UK. This began with a Hackney horse
and pony, then continued with Cleveland Bay horses and various breeds of
ponies, the Exmoor, Dartmoor, Highland, Dales, Fell and Welsh Mountain.
Particularly eye-catching was a dapple grey Highland pony ridden
sidesaddle.
Three of Britain’s four breeds of heavy horse are rare or vulnerable.
After the ponies had left the ring, Randy Hiscock drove a pair of his
Suffolk mares, followed by the Wadsworth Shires, while Ted the
Clydesdale, ridden by his devoted owner Sally Anne Oultram, brought up
the rear. Sally and Ted have done great work to publicise the plight of
rare breeds and raise funds for their survival, and Sally, who saved
Ted’s life as a foal, had been telling his story in an outer ring for
the previous three days. Finally they galloped round the ring to end the
parade.
A parade of Britain’s gold-medal winning teams in pony, junior and young
rider events, a display of jousting and a parade of hounds completed the
entertainment.
As well as Invesco Perpetual and Volkswagen, the event’s sponsors
included Goodyear, Horse and Hound, Cotswold Life, The Oxford Times,
Oce, Puffa, The Hong Kong Tourism Board, Ariat, and Equistro, with the
support of British Eventing and the FEI.
RESULTS. –
1. The Secret Weapon & Chris King, (GBR) Dressage, 45.0;
Cross-country, 0 jumping, 2.0 time; Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 0 time;
Total 51.0 penalties.
2. Miner’s Frolic & Kristina Cook, (GBR) Dressage, 43.9;
Cross-country, 0 jumping, 3.2 time; Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 2 time ;
Total 53.1 penalties.
3. Armada & Andrew Nicholson, (NZL) Dressage, 51.3; Cross-country,
0 time, 0 jumping; Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 0 time; Total 55.3
penalties.
4. Regulus & Polly Stockton, (GBR) Dressage, 47.2; Cross-country, 0
jumping; 5.6 time, ; Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 1 time; Total 57.8
penalties.
5. Woodfalls Inigo Jones & Lucy Wiegersma, (GBR) Dressage, 52.4;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 3.6 time, Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 0 time;
Total 60.0 penalties.
6. Look Out & Julie Tew, (GBR) Dressage, 56.1; Cross-country, 0
jumping; 0 time, Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 0 time; Total 60.1 penalties.
7. Smart Approach & Fiona Hobby, (GBR) Dressage, 52.8;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 3.6 time, Show Jumping, 8 jumping, 0 time;
Total 64.4 penalties.
8. Hason d’Elpegere & Jean Renaud Adde, (FRA) Dressage, 61.1;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 0.4 time, Show Jumping, 8 jumping, 0 time; Total 65.5 penalties.
9. Master Mexico & Michael Ryan, (IRL) Dressage, 52.0;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 13.6 time , Show Jumping, 0 jumping, 0 time; Total 65.6 penalties.
10. Dunge’s Laurent Rose & Clayton Fredericks, (AUS) Dressage, 48.5;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 5.2 time, Show Jumping, 12 jumping, 0 time;
Total 65.7 penalties.
11. Valdemar & Hannah Bate, (GBR) Dressage, 51.5; Cross-country, 0
jumping; 6.8 time, . Show Jumping, 8 jumping, 0 time. Total 66.3
penalties.
12. Ashdale Cruise Master & Emily Gilruth, (GBR) Dressage, 54.6;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 4.4 time, Show Jumping, 8 jumping, 0 time;
Total 67.0 penalties.
13. Stoneybrook & Sue Shortt, (IRL) Dressage, 62.0; Cross-country, 0
jumping; 4.0 time, Show Jumping, 0 jumping, 2 time; Total 68.0
penalties.
14. Mac Macdonald & Caroline Powell, (NZL) Dressage, 48.7;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 6.8 time, Show Jumping, 12 jumping, 1 time;
Total 68.5 penalties.
15. Ilot Du Grand Val & Manon Fournier, (FRA) Dressage, 59.1;
Cross-country, 0 jumping; 6.0 time, Show Jumping, 4 jumping, 0 time;
Total 69.1 penalties.