Once again, we’re counting down our Top 10 Most Viewed XC Videos to see which horses and riders were the most popular to watch in 2019
The results have shown pretty clearly over the past few years that amateur riders often feature at the top of the XC Videos shown on our website
In 2018 it was Alice Goring and The Little Frenchman riding the Advanced course at Aston-Le-Walls (3) who topped the views by a country mile
In 2017 it was Zoe Traherne and Lavalla Jimmy Joe, finishing sixth in the BE90 at Oasby (1), that took the top honours - we’re sensing a theme here for watching talented small horses!
2016, the first year that we introduced our Cross Country Search Box, enabling people to search and view videos by horse or rider name, bucked the trend with one of the biggest names in the sport coming out on top.
However, it came as little surprise to us that it was William Fox-Pitt riding Parklane Hawk at the Barefoot Estates Burnham Market International in April 2016 as this was William’s first ride back in competition after a life-threatening fall at Le Lion d’Angers in October 2015
So who will be on top in 2019?
Once again, we’re counting down our Top 10 Most Viewed XC Videos to see which horse and rider were the most popular to watch in 2019.
But this year there will be two sets of Top 10; the most viewed cross country videos on our website and also the most viewed cross country videos on our Facebook page as both are very popular!
The main difference is of course that we choose which cross country videos are shown on our Facebook page (and are usually winners of events) whereas the videos on our website are those purchased by riders
The Top 10 videos on our website cover a wide range of classes, from BE100 up to CCI5* and this year the men are bucking the trend – last year just one male rider made the Top 10 but in 2019 we had five male riders and one of those features twice.
Although our stats are based on views only during 2019, six of the videos are from previous years with three from 2017 and three from 2018; we find that many people are buying their videos years after they were filmed, possibly as mementoes or if they are selling their horse, and maybe we’ll get some feedback from this year’s Top 10 riders for clues as to what made their video so popular!
Check back each day over the next few days to see how each Top 10 unfolds ........
Number 1
Website - Nesta Thomas
Big drum roll for the most viewed cross country video on our website in 2019! And yet again, it is an amateur rider who has come up trumps with Nesta Thomas riding Chevalian Titan in the number one spot.
Congratulations Nesta – here are Nesta and Chevalian Titan in the 6-Year-Old Young Horse class at Aldon (2) in October 2017, which has turned out to be a very popular video!
Facebook - Pippa Funnell
Over on our Facebook page, the winners of the 2019 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street were the most viewed video with 17,000 views
We still wonder if anyone found Pippa’s hat silk? Take a few moments and enjoy the ride on our Facebook page HERE
Number 2
Website - Mark Godliman
We love that amateur riders often feature in the top three of our cross country videos on the website.
We never really know why, but we do know that Greenvale Debutante, a 12 year old mare that finished seventh in the BE100 at Allerton Park in 2018 but didn’t compete in 2019, had her ears pricked the whole way around this course and both horse and rider looked to being having a lot of fun!
Facebook - Astier Nicolas
Astier Nicolas’ long journey from France to Scotland to compete at the Blair Castle International Horse Trials certainly paid off when he went home with the win in the CCI4*-S and the Scottish Championship
“It feels very exotic to be Scottish Champion!” he said. “Babylon is a top horse – I’ve always said so, and he showed it again today. I didn’t rush him cross-country, but he was always going smoothly; he did it easily and recovered really well afterwards. He showed pure class.”
Watch Babylon De Gamma’s ‘pure class’ and some great riding from the French Olympian who had over 14,000 views on our Facebook page HERE
Number 3
Website - Claire Fielding
We’re now at the pointy end of the countdown and there are three ladies (two human and one equine) and a Froggy taking the two spots at Number 3.
On the website, Claire Fielding riding her own Olympic Lady takes the Number 3 spot. This is another video from previous years with Claire and Olympic Lady competing in the BE100 at Little Downham (3) in 2018, where they finished 21st but enjoyed a lovely cross country run together
In 2019 we found out more about Claire when she had the first International win on board Fernando at Chilham Castle (2) and, as it turned out, the now 11-year-old gelding Fernando (Nando) is owned by Paula and David Evans, also the owners of young star Andrew Hoy’s Vassily De Lassos
Facebook - Kitty King
“It’s finally come together at the right time for him” said Kitty King of Vendredi Biats, when they won the CCI4*-L at Bramham International in June 2019.
After a disappointing retirement on course on course at Badminton, Kitty and Vendredi Biats re-routed to Bramham where they not only won the big class but also the eye of the selectors. They headed to the FEI European Championships, competing as an individual, to finish as the highest placed British rider in seventh place and we had great fun catching up with them at home before they left
The turn around of fortune for Kitty and Vendredi Biats was cheered along by many who watched their video on our Facebook page – over 12,000 of them!
Number 4
Website - Dom Schramm
Australian Olympian Shane Rose featured at Number 8 but it is a US based Aussie who tops the Antipodeans with Dom Schramm (originally from Queensland, now based in the USA but still flying the Australian flag) coming in at Number 4
Dom and Bolytair B made the big trip over to Burghley in 2019 and it was all worthwhile, producing a great cross country round that left Dom elated and delighted with his horse. Not only did Dom and Bolytair B get plenty of views on our website, they also just missed out on the Top 10 on Facebook with 6,200 views
Facebook - Pippa Funnell
On our Facebook page, it was one of the big names of the year that made it into fourth place. BT Sports Action Woman of the year, silver European Championship medallist and Burghley winner Pippa Funnell also won the Intermediate at Keysoe (3) in August and their winning ride proved very popular with 11,000 views!
Watch Pippa and Billy Wonder on our Facebook page HERE
Number 5
Website - Andrew James
We did wonder if the name of Andrew James’ horse had anything to do with their popularity but, having watched this video, it’s clear it was just a great ride that everyone liked to watch!
This is another ride that dates back to 2017 (and don’t forget that you can now buy your 2017 XC Videos from as little as Au$50/£28) when Andrew and Lapdancer completed the mare’s first ever long format CCI3* (now 4*) at the prestigious Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials
Andrew’s smile at the end says it all!
Facebook - Ben Hobday
Ben Hobday is one of the most popular eventing riders on social media, so it certainly isn’t surprising that he is in the Top Five of our most viewed videos on Facebook
Ben had a great year in 2019 with Shadow Man II, becoming the British Open Champions at the Festival of British Eventing in August when they finished second to New Zealand’s Jonelle Price in the CCI4* BCO class. They also finished second in the CCI4*-S at Strzegom, Poland and at Ballindenisk CCI4*-L and fifth in the CCI4*-S at Bramham – definitely ones to watch this year
But it was their win in the Open Intermediate at Belsay Horse Trials, a local event for Ben in Northumberland, which this year will become an International event as well as hosting the British Pony Championships in June, that has attracted over 10,000 views on our Facebook page so far. You can watch their full ride HERE
Number 6
Website - Lucas Poole
Gorgeous George does it again! Not only was Gorgeous George gorgeous at Number 7 on our website but he was also gorgeous at Number 6!
Ridden by Lucas Poole, the video of Gorgeous George V at Gatcombe International (2) was not only a great memento for Lucas of a lovely ride at the last ever Gatcombe Horse Trials but also was well-loved by others too
Gorgeous George has stepped up the levels a bit in between the two videos; at Number 6 he was competing in the BE100 at Somerford Park (2) 2018 but at Gatcombe International in September 2019, they had moved up to CCI2*-S and were looking good ….
Facebook - Christoph Wahler
Germany’s Christoph Wahler was part of the winning Nations Cup team at Houghton International in 2019 and also the individual winner of the CCIO4*-S on board the 10-year-old grey gelding Carjatan S.
The overnight leaders sealed the deal with a foot perfect cross country ride around the fabulous track at Houghton Hall, coming home clear and under time and earning 8,700 views so far on our Facebook page HERE
Number 7
Website - Lucas Poole
The name Gorgeous George certainly sums up this lovely seven-year-old coloured horse ridden by Lucas Poole.
They started competing together in 2018 and their ride around the BE100 at Somerford Park (2) in the same year has earned them seventh place of the most watched videos on our website (and there is more to come! Coloured ponies are always popular!)
Facebook - Gemma Tattersall
“Chilli Knight... what can I say?” said top British rider Gemma Tattersall about the young horse she has brought on herself “Love this little man so much. He put in a foot perfect cross country round in the prestigious 8/9yo CCI4* S class at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International to finish three seconds inside the time, only one of two to do so and place in one of the most competitive classes of the season!”
When Chilli Knight was up for sale, Gemma was ‘doing everything I can to keep the ride on this very special boy’ and we thought we’d help out by posting his great cross country ride at Blenheim. It certainly attracted lots of attention with 8,100 views so far (and we’re sure that Gemma would still love to hear from anybody who wants to become an owner!)
Watch their full ride on our Facebook page HERE
Number 8
Website - Shane Rose
Coming in at Number 8 on our website was a well-known Australian combination, Shane Rose and Virgil
They started the year with a win at Sydney Summer Classic, then won the CCI4* at the event that Shane helps to organise (as they say, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person) at TRM Equestriad and finished the season with a bang over in Pau, France where they took third place in the CCI5*, putting them firmly in the eyes of the Australian selectors for Tokyo 2020
Here’s Shane and Virgil, the horse with an enormous jump, on their way to their win at TRM Equestriad and the eighth most viewed video
Facebook - Ros Canter
Another very big name in the sport, the World Champion Ros Canter, holds eighth place on our Facebook video views. Ros and her triple gold-medal winning horse Allstar B competed at Burnham Market (2) in September as part of their preparation for the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk, which they went on to win
Ros had only recently returned to the saddle after having her baby and, as she tells us in our recent interview, although many of her horses were competed by other riders while she was pregnant, Allstar B is only ridden by her
Clearly people loved watching the two World Champions back in action again with 7,600 views to the end of the year. You can watch Ros and Allstar B in action at Burnham Market (2) on our Facebook page HERE
Number 9
Website - Samantha Cadwallader
We know very little about Samantha Cadwallader and Gharette whose video at Barbury International 2017 scored the ninth highest number of views on our website
What we do know is that Samantha and Gharette were competing in the Novice class at Barbury 2017 where they finished in 23rd place but had a lovely cross country ride, coming home with just 0.8 time faults.
Samantha, we’d love to know more about this ride so get in touch and fill us in!
Facebook - Laura Collett
On the other hand, the combination sitting in ninth place with 7,500 views on our most viewed Facebook cross country videos are very well-known! Laura Collett and Dacapo had some very good results in 2019, including a win early in the season at Belton International, taking the Advanced section.
It was their second win of the year, and they went on to take fourth place in the CCI4*-S at Chatsworth, second in the CCI4*-S at Bramham International and win the OI at Wellington. This is certainly a combination to watch in 2020
Stuart Buntine’s course at Belton had plenty of demanding corners and skinnies but Laura and Dacapo tackled it with precision and accuracy - their winning ride in the Advanced at the very last Belton International is well worth a watch on our Facebook page HERE
Laura and Dacapo at Bramham International
Number 10
Website - Amy Beck
Amy Beck featured in another of our video countdowns recently as one the stars of the runner-up in our Favourite Interviews of 2019 – a cross country drive with a difference at Blair Castle with Alec Lochore, Ben Hobday and Amy (well worth a watch if you missed it)
In that interview Amy talks about how she plans to tackle some of the CCI2*-L fences, including the beady eyed seal, and it seems that plenty of people wanted to see how she REALLY rode it! The answer is that Amy and the feisty Kilmanahan Garrison Lady rode it very well, as you can see below
Facebook - Hazel Shannon
Over on our Facebook page, the only Australian rider in the Top 10 was Hazel Shannon, the winner of the CCI5* at the 2019 Australian International 3 Day Event, with 7,300 views (not a bad number considering that it was one of the last events of the year).
It was a record third win for Hazel and Willingapark Clifford and you can watch their full ride on our Facebook page HERE
