Oliver Townend wins ERM at Blair: ‘Hopefully we’ve turned a corner and figured him out’

Oliver Townend followed up his Event Rider Masters win at Gatcombe earlier this month with victory in the class at the Blair Castle Equi-Trek International Horse Trials.

Oliver was second after dressage with Sally-Anne Egginton’s Cillnabradden Evo but his clear showjumping round and 2.4 time-faults across country gave him victory and the £16,000 first prize cheque.

“He’s got a bit of a track record [for falling] but we’re aware of that and have to work round it — hopefully we’ve turned a corner and figured him out enough to be competitive,” said Oliver.

Tom McEwen was second with his 2013 Bramham under-25 winner Diesel, who is back from an injury break.

“I’ve been waiting to ride him cross-country as he’s a bit of fun,” he said. “It’s massive thanks to all the team at home — my parents, the grooms and physios — that he’s come back on such fantastic form. He felt back to the days when he won at Bramham.”

Gemma Tattersall took third with the eight-year-old Santiago Bay.

There was some delay in the results as it was thought New Zealand’s Jock Paget had taken second on Angus Blue, but eventually it was judged he had jumped the wrong side of the flag at the first of two triple brush arrowheads after a drop at fence 14a.

Germany’s Bettina Hoy led the dressage in this class on Seigneur Medicott, but had two showjumps down and a time-fault. She dropped behind Oliver heading into the reverse order cross-country, and then had a run-out at the Auto Ecoss angled brushes near the end of the course to drop to 13th.

Harris wins Scottish open

Flora Harris took the regular CIC3*, the Scottish open championship, on Bayano, who belongs to her mother Caroline and Rebecca Salt.

“He was absolutely amazing, that was one of the best rides I’ve had on him,” she said after finishing just two seconds over the time across country.

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Oliver was also second in this class riding Dunbeau, with Australia’s Paul Tapner third on Bonza King Of Rouges.

Full report from Blair in H&H next week, out Thursday 1 September.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.