Pippa Funnell retains her lead in the senior CCI*** after an eventful cross-country day at Bramham Horse Trials.
Ian Stark’s cross-country track caused numerous problems, but Pippa added just 3.2 time-penalties on Roger and Denise Lincoln’s Redesigned.
“Although this is a step in the bigger picture for him, you can’t go out on a course like that thinking of a schooling round,” said Pippa. “From when I first took him cross-country schooling he’s always been special. In the dressage and showjumping he’s like a Great Dane or Labrador — fully grown but still floppy and needing holding together — but in the cross-country he’s very agile and quick on his feet.”
Pippa has a 3.9pen lead over Piggy French, who has moved up from fifth with Lemington Lets Dance by finishing just 1sec over the 10min 21sec optimum time.
“He lost a front shoe, which meant he slipped a lot and we had a few hairy moments, but he kept jumping all the way and they are both good gallopers,” she said, referring also to her other ride Jakata, who has only joined her stable this year and lies fifth.
Andrew Nicholson signalled the course’s difficulty early on when he ran-out at the sharply angled final element of the Dickinson Dees Water at fences 5 and 6 with Parkmore Repecharge. As the day went on, various permutations of the long route became popular here.
Andrew made amends with one of only two clears in the 10min 27sec optimum time on Shady Grey. This raised him from 12th after dressage to third overnight.
William Fox-Pitt lies fourth with his first ride Neuf Des Coeurs, but his second horse, Parklane Hawk, who shared the runner-up spot overnight, had a run-out at the corner at the Savills Sequence (fence 9bc) and another at the second triple brush arrowhead at the Land Rover Double (fence 24b). Jean-Lou Bigot — equal second after dressage on Lotus De Gobaude — also had a run-out at fence 9.
Young Frenchman shines in two classes
France’s Donatien Schauly, 24, won the CIC*** — for which competitors showjumped this morning and went cross-country at the end of the day — on Ocarina Du Chanois. He also holds the lead in the under-25 CCI*** with Seculaire.
“I thought the course was very big and it was the toughest track Ocarina had jumped — he is only eight and it’s his first three-star,” said Donatien. “My round on Seculaire was a great pleasure to ride, everything went as expected.”
In the under-25 section, Donatien has a slim 1.1pen lead over Britain’s Gemma Tattersall and Kings Gem, one of three pairs to get the time in this class.
“I’m just pleased to be here as she had pus in the foot two weeks ago and had five days off with no shoe on,” said Gemma, who said her mount’s only jumping mistake — at the Equi-Trek step up to Sonic (fence 12ab) — was due to slipping on take-off as she lost three shoes during her round.
Flora Harris is shocked to hold third place at her first CCI***, having added just 4.4 time-penalties with Law Choice over “by far the biggest and boldest course I’ve jumped”.
More updates from Bramham on www.horseandhound.co.uk tomorrow 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 CROSS-COUNTRY
1.Pippa Funnell on Redesigned (GB) 45.5
2.Piggy French on Lemington Lets Dance (GB) 49.4
3.Andrew Nicholson on Shady Grey (NZL) 52.3
4.William Fox-Pitt on Neuf Des Coeurs (GB) 53.2
5.Piggy French on Jakata (GB) 56.2
6.Joris Vanspringel on Lully Des Aulnes (BEL) 56.9
UNDER-25 CCI*** RESULTS AFTER CROSS-COUNTRY
1.Donatien Schauly on Seculaire (FRA) 50.6
2.Gemma Tattersall on Kings Gem (GB) 51.7
3.Flora Harris on Law Choice (GB) 55.4
4.Maxime Livio on Jaipur II (FRA) 55.8
5.Lauren Shannon on Quixotic (GB) 59.6
6.Lucie McNichol on Zeus Of Rushall (GB) 61.3
FINAL CIC*** RESULTS
1.Donatien Schauly on Ocarina Du Chanois (FRA) 46.9
2.Paul Tapner on Kilfinnie II (AUS) 53.4
3.Emily Baldwin on Drivetime (GB) 55.4
4.Ruth Edge on Carnaval Prince II (GB) 56.8
5.Mark Todd on Chuckelberry (NZL) 58.1
6.Jeanette Brakewell on Take It 2 The Limit (GB) 58.6
