It was the first day of dressage at Barbury yesterday and the defending champion Andrew Nicholson agreed to answer questions from some of his fans on Twitter although he was obviously concerned about it cutting into his course walking time! The Barbury organisers put out the Q&A on Twitter @BarburyCastle and, thanks to British Eventing for collating them, here is a summary
@EmilyJFairhurst ‘#nicholsonontwitter Is there a particular horse you owe a lot to or feel helped shape your career?’
Answer: Nereo - he is so consistent at the top level pretty much since he arrived there
@EmilyJFairhurst#nicholsonontwitter ‘What's your favourite event and the one you've always wanted to win?’
Answer: @BarburyCastle OF course! But I love Burghley to its my fav 4 star event!
@kiwieventer ‘Is it true #nicholsonontwitter & the top gear stig are cousins?’
Answer: NO we are actually brothers!
@HatRochesterPR ‘Bohemian Rhapsody was playing during ur dressage on Nereo earlier, if he were a RockStar who do you think he would be? #nicholsonontwitter'
Answer: Nereo would be Bruce Springsteen - he's loud and & cool dude!
@pom01 ‘How do you get your horses looking so fit and well, they always look a class apart at events’
Answer: They get a lot of work at home as well as a lot of brushing
@Jennygw ‘#Nicholsontwitter What do you think of the #nicholsonontwitter hashtag & would you ever have your own twitter account?’
Answer: I am not sure where everyone has the time to tweet! am sacrificing a course walk to be here now #needacompasstomorrow!
@BEVolunteersWould ‘you spend a day as a volunteer? Maybe SJ steward? Or tea round? #nicholsonontwitter ‘
Answer: Yes - the tea round as hopefully I would be given cakes to carry around too!
@jackeventing ‘#nicholsonontwitter when was the last time you had felt nervous at a competition?’
Answer: I thinks it’s important to be nervous - its keep you focused and alert. So yes I get nervous at all comps!
@SarahCaldwell__ ‘ #nicholsonontwitter whats been your proudest moment/achievement to date?’
Answer: There's been many - the latest has to be winning Luhmuhlen 4 Star on Mr Cruise Control.
Riding the aptly named Avebury (the Avebury circle, similar to Stonehenge, is local to Barbury Castle, hence the look of several of the fences on Capt Mark Phillips’ cross country course) Andrew had his first win here last year and backed it up with a second place in the CIC 3* on Quimbo.
As defending champion, he is last to go in the CIC 3* Section A dressage on Friday but so far, after the first day of dressage competition in this class, Franca Luedeke and Parlando of Germany and New Zealand rider Tim Price, who is now based locally in Marlborough and who won the Retraining of Racehorses Championship (ROR) on Vortex here last year, have finished in equal first place on a penalty score of 42.6.
All of the Australians in this class are scheduled to do their dressage on Friday (saving the best for last obviously)
Andrew Nicholson and Nereo
America's Clarke Montgomery and Loughan Glen put in a smart display in the dressage to take the overnight lead in the CIC 3* Section B with a penalty score of 34.2. Britain's Piggy French on board Tinka's Time (36.4) and Kitty King riding Persimmon (38.2) finished in second and third spots respectively, with Mr Nicholson and the ‘very consistent’ Nereo lying in fourth (41.4).
In the CIC 2* Section C so far Bettina Hoy (GER) leads on Seigneur Medicott, a horse Bettina has high hopes for, on a good score of 36.9 with Chris Burton and his very promising young horse Graf Liberty in second place (43.9)
Chris Burton and Graf Liberty, CIC 2* winner at Pau last year
In the 2* Section D Colina Pickles (GB) and Airtime lead on 43.1 but Australian rider Alex Townsend on Bedigo is not very far behind in third place (44.7). Go Alex! Paul Tapner and Pioneer Milly are in 19th (53.3)
There are also plenty of Aussies in the top 20 in the CIC 2* Section E which is led by Irish rider Aiofe Clarke riding Fernhill Adventure and Alice Dunsdon (GB) with Wolftone on an equal score of 41.9. Sam Griffiths and Beaurepaire Nemo are in fifth (45.8), Paul Tapner and Yogi Bear VIII are seventh on 46.7, Chris Burton and Temperanillo equal 11th (50.8) and Alex Townsend riding Mumbo Jumbo (53.6) in 18th place
In the Novice Section F, another Australian rider Sammi Mcleod and Hunter Valley II have had a good start and lead on a cracking score of 25
View our Thursday photo gallery from Barbury here
