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Oliver Townend flies around eventing World Championships cross-country – Britain on podium overnight after penalty review

Gemma Redrup Gemma Redrup

    • The fourth and final team member for Britain, Oliver Townend, rode a superb eventing World Championships cross-country round in Pratoni Del Vivaro, Italy to finish clear and four seconds inside the optimum time on Angela Hislop and Val Ryan’s 15-year-old, Ballaghmor Class. This means, that at the end of the cross-country, Oliver is in fourth, just 0.3 of a penalty behind the USA’s Tamie Smith in third.

    “The cross-country here is a very different test to normal, but I think a very fair and cleverly designed test,” Oliver said. “I don’t think it particularly suits some of the older horses such as London 52, Ballaghmor Class and Toledo De Kerser, that have been around those big five-stars like Badminton and Burghley, because this is definitely smaller dimensionally, you’re up and down the hills, and the terrain is tough too.

    “Those horses want big, open courses that they can attack, so the distances didn’t suit my horse, but he’s so genuine – even when he didn’t want to listen, he eventually did and the one thing he does love is jumping between the flags, which is makes my job a lot more relaxing. If he sees the fence you know he’s going to try and jump it.”

    Oliver’s round was all the more impressive given that Ballaghmor Class lost a front shoe, thought to be at the Slide at fence seven on the eventing World Championships cross-country course.

    Britain in bronze after World Championships cross-country

    There is further good news for the British team, as it has been confirmed Tom McEwen’s missed flag 15 penalties, which he was certain would be removed upon review, have been erased from his score. This leaves Tom in 13th place individually on a score of 30.4 and means the British team are in bronze medal position going into the final showjumping phase tomorrow on a score of 80.9. Germany are in team gold medal position on 76.1 with the USA in silver on 77.4.

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    Gemma Redrup
    Gemma Redrup

    H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor
    Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
    Gemma Redrup

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