2019 Winners, Jonelle and Classic Moet, took fifth place this year
New Zealand’s Tim Price has kept the British Open class win in the family at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing
World Number 3 Tim, whose wife Jonelle won this class the last time it ran in 2019 on board Classic Moet, led the dressage with a very good mark of 23 on his Tokyo horse, Vitali.
They added time penalties in the show jumping and then jumped clear around the undulating terrain of Gatcombe Park with just four time penalties, giving Tim his first win at the venue
“He’s a really good jumper and he was ready for this,” said Tim of the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding originally produced by fellow Kiwi James Avery. “It’s the perfect preparation for Burghley. The course was really good – they’ve done a great job with the ground here.”
As the highest-placed British rider in second place, Oliver Townend became the British National Champion for the third time and was the only one to achieve the notoriously elusive optimum time in this competition on board Dreamliner
Pippa Funnell, the British Open champion in 1992 and twice a national champion, led after the first two phases and was the very last rider on course with Billy Walk On, but a tally of 8.4 time penalties dropped her to third place, 2.8 behind Tim and just 0.7 behind Oliver. Luckily Pippa was unhurt when her first ride, Majas Hope, who had been third going into cross-country, caught a leg at a corner fence and dislodged her from the saddle.
Oliver Townend also took fourth place on Lukas ahead of the 2019 winners Jonelle Price and the now 19-year-old mare Classic Moet in fifth. Ireland’s Austin O’Connor riding Colorado Blue took sixth place and Australia’s Sammi Birch riding Finduss PFB finished seventh
It's Tim's turn this year! Tim and Jonelle at the last Festival of British Eventing in 2019
