Thousands of people from across the region gathered to revel in all things great British eventing, in the iconic Capability Brown Blenheim Palace parklands as day two of the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials got underway. The action continued with more dressage in the Agria CCI4*-L and GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S, with last-minute shake-ups and jostling around the middle ranks.
Australian Oliver Barratt, who ended day one in the Agria CCI4*-L top spot, held his lead for the entire second day, despite great work from British riders Tom McEwen and Alexander Bragg doing their best to dethrone him. New Zealand rider Jesse Campbell came close, with a 26.2 score just before the lunch break, putting him in a cool second place.
Barrett, 22, world number 2 in the FEI U25 eventing rankings and the son of former Australian team member Prue Barrett, was eliminated in Aachen, but had a confidence-building run at 3-star level at Cornbury last weekend with the home-bred 10-year-old Sandhills Briar.
But it was within the GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S class where the action really stole the show. Day one leader Tom McEwen was usurped by 27-year-old Bubby Upton before the lunch break and her ride Auckland 7, following a clean dressage round and a 26.9 score. Then, as the day’s competition came to a close, Bubby returned with her second ride of the day, Sancerre de Tiji, to wow spectators with a second 26.9 score, to secure first place. But, in classic eventing form, it was the fourth from last rider, Frenchman Astier Nicolas, a team gold and individual silver medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games, who stormed home with a 23.5 score on Hitchqote du Coudray, to secure the top spot at the end of day one.
“He is a very gentle horse, serious and tries to please,” said Astier, who explained that the French-bred nine-year-old is named after the famous film director and is known as ‘Alfred’ at home.
Bubby said of her white-faced gelding, “He was just magic. It is his first 4-star and he is so green – it just shows the relationship we have. I am aware that the next two phases are building blocks for him. The cross-country will be a step-up in terrain and technicality for both horses, but today is a win.”
First-day leader Tom McEwen, a member of Britain’s gold medal team at the recent world championships in Aachen, is now in fourth place on Brookfield Danny de Muze.
In the Blenheim Challenge, the brand-new international competition taking place alongside the Agria CCI4*-L, the Stars and Stripes team secured themselves another point, putting them five points ahead of their British rivals, who ended the day on two points.
The Challenge, formatted like the Ryder Cup, sees daily head-to-head competitions between the British Rising Lions team and an international Stars and Stripes team, with the rider achieving the best result from each phase earning a point for their team.
Tomorrow (Saturday 19 September) will see the action increase in pace, as riders compete in the Agria CCI4*-L cross country and the GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S showjumping.
Over past two days the Connolly’s RED MILLS Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Championship Dressage Classes from Preliminary to Advanced Medium level have been hotly contested alongside the Tattersalls RoR Showing Series qualifiers.
Ali Dane, RoR National Development Officer spoke about the organisation. “It was so lovely to see all of the Prelim and Novice horses here yesterday. The standard was amazing and it’s so lovely to be here at Blenheim to showcase these horses. After all, these horses were bred to race not to do dressage or showing, so it’s lovely that they can come here to such a high-profile event and show the world what ex-racehorses can do!
“RoR is the British Racing official aftercare charity, and we’re also associate members of the British Equestrian Federation. We sit on both sides of the fence a little bit in racing, a little bit in equestrianism as well. We take care of any horse that was bred to race and has a racing jurisdiction passport, regardless of where it comes from in the world. If it becomes vulnerable for whatever reason it will be eligible for our equine safety net. This basically means that we can take care of it and if it needs relinquishment to one of our charity partners we can take it. But alongside that equine safety net that racing should be really proud of, we obviously have our wonderful competitions.”
Full results from the RoR classes can be found here.
Today in the evoke™ Eventer Challenge, the Pony Club Teams stepped up to compete in the 90cm and 100cm competitions. Almost 150 team members and their rides took part throughout the day in the Bladon and Hensington arenas. Winning Team for the 90cm competition was North Cotswold Primrose finishing faultless on counting scores. Rose Wakeley on Glasshouse Man from the Cotswold Hunt took Individual first place with zero penalties in a time of 119.38 seconds. Full results can be found here.
Tickets are still available to purchase through www.bpiht.co.uk and on the gate, with children aged 12 and under free to enter. The weekend’s showjumping and cross country will be livestreamed through Horse & Country. Keep track of live scores and results through Eventing Scores.