Andrew Nicholson heads British Eventing’s end of season points list for the 15th time and the 4th year in a row.
The New Zealander, who has won Kentucky and Luhmühlen 4-stars, as well as finishing 3rd at Badminton and 2nd and 3rd at Burghley (pending the final result of winner Jock Paget’s drugs case), racked up 2591 points.
Andrew Nicholson winning a CIC3* at Barbury 2013 with Avebury
William Fox-Pitt finishes 2nd with 2142 points and wins the Tony Collins award as best British rider.
Either Andrew or William has topped the rankings every year since 2000, except in 2009 when Oliver Townend won Badminton and Burghley.
Oliver sits in 3rd place this year (1241 points) — this is the 7th consecutive year that these 3 riders have held the top 3 places, in various different orders.
Izzy Taylor (938 points) — a lynchpin of Britain’s FEI Nations Cup effort this year — is 4th and best female rider. Kiwi Jonelle Richards is 5th — boosted by her 6th place at Burghley on The Deputy — with Nicola Wilson 6th, Pippa Funnell 7th and Ireland’s Blenheim winner Aoife Clark 8th.
Sam Griffiths takes 9th spot for Australia and Caroline Powell is the 3rd New Zealander in the top 10.
Dani Evans (29th) is best of the under-21s in her final year in the young rider category.
Top event horses 2013
Andrew Nicholson’s rides dominate in the horse rankings, with his own and the Salmons’ Luhmühlen winner Mr Cruise Control heading the list on 409 points. Deborah Sellar’s Nereo, who won last year, is 2nd. Andrew has two more horses in the top 7, with Calico Joe is 6th and the Barlows’ Avebury 7th.
Christopher and Lisa Stone’s Chilli Morning, European individual bronze medallist under William, sits in 3rd with stable-mate Seacookie TSF, owned by Catherine Witt and winner of Pau last week, 4th. Catherine Witt’s Parklane Hawk is 9th and the Skinners and Halls’ Neuf Des Coeurs 10th.
Clifton Promise is 5th for rider Jock Paget and owners Frances Stead and Russell Hall, but that could obviously change were he to be stripped of his Burghley win due to his recent positive drugs test, with other horses standing to gain by moving up the placings and a potential re-shuffle of the list.
Popular grey Borough Pennyz, owned by rider Vittoria Panizzon and breeder Sally Bullen, is 8th.
BE foundation points
In the foundation points rankings, the overall honours go to James Somerville, who collected 470 points. Lucas Poole finished 11th in the table and is the leading grass roots rider.
Kirsty Hogg’s Harry Oh, ridden by Emily Galbraith heads the horse rankings for foundation points (172) after 8 wins this year.
JJ Malone is the top horse ridden by a grass roots rider. He is owned and competed by Alyson Parker.
