Gemma Tattersall held onto her dressage lead after the cross-country at the Equi-Trek Bramham Horse Trials today (10 June).
Riding her 2016 Olympic horse Quicklook V, Gemma rode a sensible round on the 12 year old, jumping a solid clear, but incurring 6.4 time-faults. Gemma was then given 50 penalties, when the jump judge at fence six, the influential Equi-Trek Round House combination. The pair knocked out a flag on the C element, a left-handed corner, but this was later taken away, meaning they reverted back to the top of the leader board on a score of 43.1.
“I’ve been through all of the emotions today,” laughed Gemma. “From being nervous this morning, then excited for my round, delighted when we had finished, then to hear about the 50 penalties I was gutted and after that I had to get in the zone for my cross-country on my CIC3* horse.”
Gemma was very pleased with how her mare performed though.
“‘Pebbles’ was fabulous — she gave me a wonderful ride and galloped so well. Unfortunately the last hill got her slightly and cost me those few seconds,” explained Gemma, who was also seventh in the CIC3* riding Pamero 4.
Sammi Birch, of Australia, enjoyed a flawless round on Hunter Valley II, with whom she was fourth in the same class at Bramham last year. They picked up just 3.2 time-faults, to rise two places after the dressage into second today on a score of 44.8.
“It was nice to feel that the course today was easily within my horse’s capabilities,” said Sammi, who is also mother to a two-year-old son. “I’m here to qualify him for a four-star and so far, so good.”
Yoshiaki Oiwa, from Japan, is in third riding the 10-year-old Calle 44. They got round the course in the fourth fastest time of the day, clocking 2.4 time-faults, finishing on a score of 45.4.
“I wanted to be competitive and I tried to get the time but more horse is very careful and so can sometimes jump too high which wastes time,” said Yoshi. “He gave me a great feeling today.”
Andrew Nicholson is in fourth on Byrnesgrove First Diamond on 46.3 and the next best Brit is Nicola Wilson in fifth riding One Two Many. Nicola was the only rider to get inside the optimum time of 10 minutes 23 seconds, and 10 other riders finished 10 seconds or less away from the time. Willa Newton is in sixth riding Chance Remark.
Jesse Campbell, who was second after the dressage, had a run out at 17b, the triple brush coming out of the Hollow, which marred an otherwise good round.
Pippa Funnell retired Sandman 7, who was third after the dressage. The 11-year-old, who had most of last season off after a fall at Withington Manor Horse Trials, looked spooky and sticky at times. The pair then had a run out at 14b, a brush corner and Pippa decided to call it a day.
Continued below…
Would you be up for taking on Bramham’s CCI3* cross-country course? Here’s what’s in store
Take a virtual look around the 2017 Bramham
Ian Stark’s cross-country course saw 28 riders jump clear. The most influential fence was the Equi-Trek Round House, a trakehner followed by two corners on a curving line. The corners caught out 11 combinations in total, while the Hollow at fences 16 and 17ab, a rail, ditch to a very narrow triple brush caught out eight combinations. One of those was Frenchman Sebastien Cavaillon, who took a heavy horse fall with Sarah D’Argouges at the rail going into the Hollow. Sebastien was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with bruising and was expected to be discharged by this evening. His horse was led away.
Full report of Bramham in this week’s H&H magazine, out 15 June.
