Izzy Taylor topped the Bramham Horse Trials results in the CCI4*-L when she jumped clear this afternoon on her own and Mark Sartori’s Monkeying Around to hold her overnight lead.
Izzy had to wait for the wall at fence six to be re-built before she could enter the arena because it had blown down during Ros Canter’s round and she admitted that once she got going, it felt like she had to work as hard as “Monkey”.
She said: “I waited and I waited and I waited and I thought, ‘Oh they’ll be done [rebuilding the wall] by now’. Normally I go into a ring and off we go. I went in and we had a little trot around, had a little canter round, and then off we went and it was fine, but he was bit spooky and a bit like, ‘Oh, are we doing this right now?’ Yes, we are doing this right now. But he was good.”
Izzy knew she could not afford a fence down, but that a few time-faults would still leave her at the top of the leaderboard and she finished three seconds over the time.
“It is always nice to know what you’ve got and the way he was, I needed to use them,” she said.
“But I’m just thrilled with him. He’s won his four star before at Burnham Market in 2020 and then to come here, which is a whole different competition in many respects, just proves to me that he’s is a proper horse. He’s a real one. I’m really thrilled for everyone that’s involved with him. There’s a lot of work behind them all, as we all know, so I’m delighted.”
Izzy headed an all-British top three in the Bramham Horse Trials results with Ros Canter second on Pencos Crown Jewel and Kirsty Chabert third on Opposition Loire.
The final section of the showjumping was marked by drama. Tom McEwen, who was seventh overnight, had a nasty fall when Dream Big crashed through the second part of the final treble at fence 12. Tom’s foot was caught in the right stirrup as the horse got to her feet but he managed to stand up and get it out without Dream Big panicking.
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Birthday girl Izzy Taylor sets the standard in Bramham CCI4*-L cross-country: ‘He dug deep and helped me’
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Course-designer Ian Stark on Bramham’s cross-country: ‘The sport is vulnerable and we need to ask questions about what direction we’re going in’
Four held at Bramham final horse inspection and three withdrawn
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