Izzy Taylor still leads the CCI3* at the Equi-Trek Bramham Horse Trials after an eventful and very wet cross-country day.
Izzy added 14.8 time-faults to her exceptional dressage of 28.1 with Di Davies, Irene Graham and Anita Dalton’s Orlando.
“It was hard work and I took a couple of long routes at the waters, which wasn’t the plan but they were at the back of my mind as he can be a bit cautious in water,” she said.
Izzy’s lead has now reduced and she doesn’t have a fence in hand over Aoife Clark, who had an excellent day. The Irish rider holds 2nd with PJ Hegarty’s Blenheim winner Fenyas Elegance, up from 11th with just 0.8 of a time-penalty, and 4th with the Duchess of Bedford’s Vaguely North (3.6 time-penalties).
“I’m really pleased, delighted with them both,” she said. “The ground was a bit dead, but it didn’t really change apart from being a bit slippier later. I felt on Vaguely North [her 2nd horse] I had to set up a bit more.”
Jodie Amos now lies third after 2.8 time-faults on Wise Crack, who belongs to Nicola Stocker and his rider.
“He hasn’t done a CCI3* before and you never know how they are going to cope, especially here with the hills, but he was brilliant and got in a really nice rhythm,” said Jodie. “I was 5sec up at all my minute markers without feeling like I was pushing, then at the last water he was tiring and we had a hairy moment so I lost a bit of time.”
France holds 5th and 6th with Eric Vigeanel (Qatar Du Peuch Rouget) and Thomas Carlile (Quiro Hoy).
With plenty of rain and tiring going adding to the effect of Ian Stark’s cross-country course, Izzy was the only rider from the top 5 after dressage to keep her position.
Second-placed Karin Donckers went clear for Belgium, but had 12.4 time-faults with Lamicell Unique to drop to 9th.
Pippa Funnell, third, had a run-out at the first corner at the Speedi-Beat Double Feat (19a) and then fell at the alternative with Or Noir De La Loge.
And Mark Todd had a run-out at the triple brush arrowhead at the Equi-Trek Round House (6b) with Amacuzzi (5th) and a fall when NZB Campino (4th) stopped at the upright rail into the Woodheads Seeds Hollow at 13.
There were 32 jumping clears from 63 starters (50.8%) in the senior CCI3*, with 43 finishers (68.3%). Just 6 combinations made it home within the 10min optimum time.
Under-25 CCI3*
Only 10 pairs from 22 finished in the Bishop Burton College under-25 CCI3*.
Tom Jackson has moved up to 1st from 4th after dressage with 8 time-penalties on his parents Sara and Ian and his own Waltham Fiddlers Find.
“He was awesome all the way round and really helped me out,” said Tom, who was held before the last water. “He’s usually good at water, so I just thought I could use that to get a bit of air back in his lungs and have a bit of a rest before coming home.”
Germany’s Niklas Bschorer lies 2nd on Tom Tom Go, while Wills Oakden is 3rd on his aunt Frances Hay-Smith’s Alfi Brown.
Dressage leader Dani Evans dropped to 7th with a run-out at the corner at 8c in the Suregrow Fertiliser Owl Hole combination.
Log back on tomorrow for final updates from Bramham. Full report in H&H next week, our 12 June.
