Queensland's Emma Dougall leads the CIC 3* after day one riding Belcam Bear
The Fidelity Blenheim Palace Horse Trials is the showcase event for the British Eventing organisation but by the end of the first day the CCI 3* leader board was a truly international affair with six countries represented in the top ten. American rider Clark Montgomery has the top score of 42.7 riding Loughan Glen, a horse he took to Boekelo last year and then left in the UK, until Clark could re-join him in January on a more permanent basis
“It was an obvious decision to be based over here to compete against the top in the sport” said Clark “It’s easy to be good at home in the USA but then you come here and realise it’s not quite good enough”
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen
Rupert Bell Talks with Clark Montgomery
In second place is French rider Jean Teulere riding Matelot du Grand Val on a score of 43.1 and in third place is the top placed British rider Charlotte Agnew riding Out of Africa Two on a score of 44.2. Charlotte, who is celebrating her 26th birthday today, was very happy with her homebred gelding.
“I know he’s got it in him” said Charlotte “We had a really good result at Luhmuhlen last year but our dressage score at Badminton was disappointing which knocked my confidence a bit but he didn’t know that and he came out today all guns blazing! He always really tries his heart out”
Honorary Aussie Phillip Dutton
Another American rider who has strong links back to Australia is of course Phillip Dutton. As it is ‘just a quick hop’ over to the UK from the US, Phillip is here at Blenheim riding Ben but will be back and forth over the next few months as he explains
Cry Freedom gets his polo mint from a delighted Lucinda Photo courtesy Sam Clark
Further down the field but delighted with her test was another, very well-known, British rider Lucinda Green riding Cry Freedom. There were polos and big pats for Cry Freedom as soon as he finished his test but he seemed quite pleased to leave the arena and canter back to the warm-up area looking ready for cross country
Lucinda explained why she rides Cry Freedom despite the fact that he is not the best dressage horse in the eventing world and what she thinks of the CCI 3* cross country course
Another newcomer to the UK eventing scene, Emma Dougall also had a big smile on her face as she emerged from the CIC 3* arena this morning and quite rightly so. The Australian rider and the horse she has had since he was three years old, Belcam Bear, had taken the lead on a cracking score of 35.40 – well ahead of the previous leading score of 49.6.
Later in the day the big guns came out and the score crept closer to Emma’s but even the likes of Andrew Nicholson (second on Zaron 35.8), William Fox-Pitt (third on Freddie Mac 37.9), Flora Harris (fourth on Amazing VIII 39.8 and Mark Todd (fifth on Leonidas II 40) finished the day behind the 25 year old Queenslander. Go Emma!
Smiles all round! Love the boots, Emma
“He’s so much easier to ride on the flat than my grey horse (Kelecyn Ice Age) – he’s a breath of fresh air” said Emma at the end of her test “He’s also really brave cross country so I’m looking forward to that”
The nine year old brown gelding by Cooperit was brought over from Australia along with Emma’s top horse Kelecyn Ice Age when Emma and her partner Kevin McNab moved to base themselves in the UK. This is only his second CIC 3* and we caught up with Emma later in the day (apologies for the poor sound quality – we thought we had found a quiet spot but were besieged by trucks and aeroplanes as soon as we started!)
Fellow Australian Sam Griffiths followed Emma into the arena on the very handsome Favorit Z, owned by Sue Brendish. It wasn’t the best test this horse can do due to a few little glitches but he has presence and good paces which were rewarded by the judges with a score of 47.3, leaving him in equal sixth place at the end of the day.
Away from the dressage arena, last year’s CCI 3* winner William Fox-Pitt found himself (literally) in the Member’s marquee today. He is currently being immortalised in a bronze bust being created by sculptress Laury Dizengremel who is hard at work in the midst of the busy marquee
Laury has created the busts of superstars in other sports such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and says it really helps to try and get a ‘feel’ for the sitter by spending some time with them. William was first measured up at the Blair Castle event in August and is spending a little time with Laury each day at Blenheim. He was the first rider in the CCI 3* arena this morning on Before Time (currently in 17th place) and will be riding Running Order tomorrow in this class and Fernhill Pimms in the CIC 3*
