Nicola Wilson won the BETA CIC3* at the Equi-Trek Bramham Horse Trials this afternoon with her parents Mary and Barry Tweddle’s Annie Clover.
It was a first Bramham victory for local girl Nicola and this is her favourite event.
“I can’t quite believe it’s happened — to win in Yorkshire at Bramham on Annie Clover, who is owned by my parents, is magical,” said Nicola (video interview above).
Nicola Wilson and Annie Clover at Bramham 2015. Picture by Peter Nixon
Nicola was second after dressage to Pippa Funnell and the top three after dressage all showjumped clear, so there was no change in the top echelons heading into the final cross-country.
However, Pippa had warned that she would be riding according to how her inexperienced horses felt today and she had four time-faults on her own and Carol Toliver’s Billy The Biz to drop to second.
“I set out wanting to have a go, but I haven’t run him this quick before and he’s a horse for the future,” said Pippa, who joked that she had a little trot in the woods to make sure that she was popular with the locals for letting Nicola win.
Annie Clover was making her return to competition after finishing eighth at Rolex Kentucky in April. Nicola was also fourth on Jo and James Lambert’s Watermill Vision, who also ran at Kentucky.
“This week was about Annie Clover and Watermill Vision having a lovely run back after Kentucky and the rain made the ground perfect,” said Nicola.
Riders in all classes commented on the excellent going — the rain was the icing on a lot of hard work by the Bramham team in watering the course and using a Verti-Drainer.
Caroline Powell held third throughout the competition for New Zealand on Cameron Crawford’s Onwards And Upwards and finished in that position on her dressage score.
Check back tomorrow for final updates on the CCI classes at Bramham. Full report in the magazine this Thursday (18 June).
