Pippa Funnell (pictured) leads after the dressage in the CCI*** at Bramham Horse Trials.
Pippa described herself as “thrilled” with Roger and Denise Lincoln’s nine-year-old Redesigned, who performed a personal best test to give himself a leading margin of 4.1pen.
“He’s a big-framed young horse still and he gets anxious because he wants to please you, but his body doesn’t allow him,” she said. “He almost tries too hard.”
Pippa said she has sometimes worked Redesigned too hard before tests in the past, so this morning she only lunged him and she has also hacked out and worked him on the hills since arriving at Bramham.
William Fox-Pitt lies equal second on the New Zealand-bred Parklane Hawk, despite a few mistakes in the flying changes.
“He’s still green — this is only his second advanced test with me — but he’s really willing,” he said. “It’s very encouraging to know he can score 46 with those little blips, and there’s a lot more to come.”
French overnight leader Jean-Lou Bigot is now equal second with William, with Thursday’s runner-up Ewart Woolley in fourth. Piggy French took fifth late this afternoon with a good test on the elegant Lemington Lets Dance, while Paul Tapner — substituting for Matt Ryan, who is recovering from a groin operation — is sixth on Maybee IV.
Collett leads under-25s
Young rider European champion Laura Collett, 20, heads the Bishop Burton College under-25 CCI*** on the former Andrew Nicholson ride Ginger May Killinghurst.
“She’s different to my other horses, as I’ve produced the others from scratch,” she said. “She’s very nice in the dressage, but she’s strong cross-country — I just aim at the fences and hold the neckstrap!”
France’s Maxime Livio, 22, is 4.5pen behind Laura on Jaipur II — he was also second after dressage here last year, but fell on the flat across country.
Britain’s Rachael Lupton, 22, is third with The Chenko Artist.
“I’m pleased he did the flying changes and stayed calm, as the changes can upset him a bit,” she said.
The final competitors in the CIC*** this morning could not touch the top of the leader board, and Mark Todd still tops this class on NZB Regent Lad.
Strong cross-country
The riders are describing Ian Stark’s cross-country course — the first he has designed here — as “big”.
“It’s not hugely technical, but it’s very big,” said Badminton winner Paul Tapner. “I think fitness over the terrain and the size of the fences will mean the time is very influential.”
Pippa Funnell said: “It’s going to reward and encourage bold riding. Ian Stark has been clever in putting the fences in places where you want to balance the horses anyway, and he’s limited the amount of galloping on the cambre, which is better for the horses’ legs. You can tell he’s a really experienced rider in the way he’s built the course.”
Pictures of all the CCI*** cross-country fences
More updates from Bramham on www.horseandhound.co.uk over the weekend and full report in H&H next Thursday, 10 June, plus Mark Phillips’ comment on the course.
Full times and results from Bramham
SENIOR CCI*** RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE
1.Pippa Funnell on Redesigned (GB) 42.3
2eq. Jean-Lou Bigot on Lotus De Gobaude (FRA) 46.4
2eq. William Fox-Pitt on Parklane Hawk (GB) 46.4
4.Ewart Woolley on Keep Your Options Open (GB) 47.9
5.Piggy French on Lemington Lets Dance (GB) 49
6.Paul Tapner on Maybee IV (AUS) 49.2
UNDER-25 CCI*** RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE
1. Laura Collett on Ginger May Killinghurst (GB) 41.3
2. Maxime Livio on Jaipur II (FRA) 45.8
3. Rachael Lupton on The Chenko Artist (GB) 47.3
4. Donatien Schauly on Seculaire (FRA) 49.4
5. Flora Harris on Law Choice (GB) 51
6. Gemma Tattersall on Kings Gem (GB) 51.7
CIC*** RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE
1.Mark Todd on NZB Regent Lad (NZL) 41.3
2.Laura Collett on Rayef (GB) 42.3
3.Emily Baldwin on Drivetime (GB) 44.6
4.Donatien Schauly on Ocarina Du Chanois (FRA) 46.9
5.Sharon Hunt on Tankers Town (GB) 47.7
6.Jeanette Brakewell on Take It 2 The Limit (GB) 49.4
