A £700 former racehorse who was bought to sell five years ago has shot into the lead in the CCI4*L at the Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials.
Italian Roberto Scalisi and 13-year-old Alamein scored 29.1 to top the first day of dressage yesterday (24 August). Max Warburton and Monbeg Exclusive scored 30.4 to sit in second overnight.
“I can’t believe it,” Roberto said. “He did a 29 in our first four-star and you go off and have dressage lessons to try to improve that but I’ve been stuck in the low 30s ever since – which is fab, but I’ve not been able to break the 30s barrier again.
“He felt really good in there and deserved his score. This is his sixth year eventing – he’s an ex-racehorse who raced 25 times. I bought him for £700 to produce and sell over the winter – five years later he’s still here. The more I trained him, the better he got and he’s taken me round several four-stars, giving me experience at this level.”
It is Roberto’s first visit to Blair, which is running six international classes this weekend.
“I can’t wait to get out on those hills,” he said. “It can rain more as far as I’m concerned, I’m on a thoroughbred!”
Ten of the CCI4*S combinations performed their tests yesterday; Ros Canter and Rehy Royal Diamond were in the lead of these. The remaining competitors take to the arena from 12.30pm today.
George Bartlett and Conpierre lead the CCI3*L, ahead of Amelia Leeming on Overis Cavalier.
“I knew he had a performance like that in him,” said George. “He’s a little dude; a dobbin to lead around but he can be spooky and sharp to ride. He doesn’t try to drop you, but he likes to have a good time. Having got him super-fit I was a bit worried about the dressage but we managed to just about hold it together.”
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