Ros Canter holds second in the CCI4*-L after an action-packed day of Bramham Horse Trials cross-country.
Ros and Pencos Crown Jewel, a 13-year-old mare owned by Annie Makin and Kate James, enjoyed a super round over Ian Stark’s track to finish seven seconds inside the optimum time. The moved up from third after dressage when Piggy March and Coolparks Sarco had a run-out on course.
“She’s done a fair bit over the years at this level, but she gets better and better. She really eats the courses up, but she’s a little adjustable thing as well, so if you have to change your plan slightly it doesn’t particularly matter,” said Ros.
“She sees a hill and her ears prick and she goes a bit faster. She just seems to see it as a challenge so it was a perfect track for her really. That was probably the weariest I’ve ever felt her, which, considering she galloped through the finish, wasn’t that weary compared to other horses, but the hills are relentless here. There’s so many of them – once you come down, you go straight back up again, so you need a horse like her who relishes a challenge.”
Izzy Taylor holds the overnight lead on Monkeying Around, but she has less than a fence in hand over Ros.
Several riders who could have made an impact on the leaderboard had faults during the final minutes of the Bramham Horse Trials cross-country for this class.
Izzy and her second ride Ringwood Madras, who were equal seventh after dressage, had 20 faults at the Suregrow Kidney Ponds (fence 11abc). The mare overjumped the log into the first pond and it was then impossible for the pair to make the turn to the hedge into the second pond.
Zara Tindall could have gone into the top 10 if she had come home without penalties on Class Affair, but the chestnut hit the log at 15a hard with his front legs, firing Zara out of the saddle.
The last rider in this class, Kirsty Chabert on Opposition Loire, had 2.8 time-faults and retains the fourth place she held after dressage, on the same score as French rider Tom Carlile, who is third overnight after his good early round on Darmagnac De Beliard.
Japanese competitor Toshiyuki Tanaka put in a brave clear inside the time on his second ride Swiper JRA for fifth after this phase. Toshiyuki’s first ride Ventura De La Chaule JRA was put down after an accident on course earlier in the day.
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Bramham fairytale is over for Piggy March and Nicola Wilson’s ride Coolparks Sarco: ‘Nicola will be proud of him’
Birthday girl Izzy Taylor sets the standard in Bramham CCI4*-L cross-country: ‘He dug deep and helped me’
Horse put down after accident on Bramham Horse Trials cross-country
Mixed fortunes for early riders on Bramham cross-country, with one inside the time and several falls
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