Chris King kept his nerve to hold his overnight lead and win the Blenheim International Horse Trials on The Secret Weapon.
Chris and “Artie”, who have a superb record this season with wins at Barbury and Aston-le-Walls, had one fence in hand when second-placed Kristina Cook and Miners Frolic knocked one down. They hit the last, but still won by two marks.
Kristina remained in second, and Andrew Nicholson stayed in his overnight third position on Armada.
“I thought I’d had the last part of the combination down, which I hadn’t, and I thought the last fence had stayed up, which it hadn’t — it was only when I saw my girlfriend Zanie waving her arms up and down that I knew I had won,” said Chris, for whom this was a first three-day event win.
Andrew Nicholson had a fine consolation prize, however — he took home £20,000 for winning the British Eventing Invesco Premiere League.
Polly Stockton and Regulus also had one pole down for fourth place, and Lucy Wiegersma rose two places to take fifth on Woodfalls Inigo Jones.
Only three riders jumped clear on Sunday, and only two — Michael Ryan, 9th on Master Mexico and Richard Jones 25th on Valentina II — did so inside the time allowed.
Final results
1st Chris King (The Secret Weapon) 51.0
2nd Kristina Cook (Miners Frolic) 53.1
3rd Andrew Nicholson (Armada) 55.3
4th Polly Stockton (Regulus) 57.8
5th Lucy Wiegersma (Woodfalls Inigo Jones) 60.0
6th Julie Tew (Look Out) 60.1
7th Fiona Hobby (Smart Approach) 64.4
8th Jean Renaud Adde (Hason d’Elpegere) 65.5
9th Michael Ryan (Master Mexico) 65.6
10th Clayton Fredericks (Dunges Laurent Rose) 65.7
