Nicola Wilson is first and second in the CIC3* - leading on One Two Many and second on Annie Clover
It was incredibly tempting today to duck down a small road on the way to Houghton Hall and head to one of the many Norfolk beaches in the area with a picnic hamper full of potted beef sandwiches and lashings of ginger beer (if you’ve never read The Famous Five, forget that bit). It wasn’t exactly hot but it was certainly pleasant enough in the sun whether you were lapping up the sun on the beach or watching eventing
There was plenty to see at Houghton today with the FEI Nations Cup CICO3* dressage completing and, maybe not surprisingly, Germany taking the lead even though they don’t have their top guns here. However they do have Bettina Hoy who, last to go, moved into third place riding Seigneur Medicott on a score of 39.2 behind USA team member Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp on 38.9 and Nicola Wilson, not riding for the British team, in first place riding One Two Many on 36.3, after the withdrawal of the leader from Thursday, Gemma Tattersall.
Tim Boland had been very pleased with the draw for GV Billy Elliot as one of the last riders to go into the impressively located dressage arena today but he wasn’t quite as pleased with their score
Tim Boland
So, at the end of a dressage phase that had spanned three days, Germany were in the lead on a score of 127.5 ahead of Australia on 130.9 and New Zealand 132.2 heading into the show jumping in the afternoon
Between the CICO3* dressage and show jumping, one of the 'places to be' for lunch was the VIP Hospitality tent hosted by Lulu Talbot-Williams. Some special guests popped by the event today when Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and their two children stopped y to watch the action at the water jump for a while
Also in the morning the CCI1* riders had been the first riders out on the very scenic cross country course designed by Alec Lochore, also the Event Director here. The time proved relatively easy to make (only two riders in the top 40 incurred time penalties) but 13 combinations were eliminated or retired on course, including two ladies who had been sharing ninth place; Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp on Deniro Z and Gemma Tattersall on Tillingbourne.
Liz retired at Fence 5 which caused problems for many, possibly because of the change of light to the steps down into the wooded gully. This is a wonderfully scenic course winding around the park with areas of woodland opening out to long galloping stretches, reasonably flat terrain but with some small mounds to make it interesting and a water jump with a tent serving homemade cakes and tea (we’re back to the Famous Five again).
Britain’s Will Furlong had a cracker of a day on cross country, leading the CCI1* on Collien P 2, having added nothing to his dressage score of 37.2. Daisy Berkeley on Ballinteskin Cooper 2 and John Paul Sheffield also kept their second and third places with double clear rounds
Will also leads the CCI2* Young Rider class, this time riding Livingstone II on 34.5 with Emily King in second riding Dargun (36.9), showing a very good hunting seat at the water to get them out of trouble, and Sam Ecroyd also having a good day in third on Opera House (41.4) and fourth on Master Douglas (44.2).
Will Furlong and Collien P 2 (above) and Sam Ecroyd on Master Douglas (below)
It was lovely to see Pippa Funnell back in the saddle last week at Rockingham and even better to see her charging around the course on Billy Walk On today. They maintained their lead in the CCI2*with no added penalties to their dressage score of 35.6 and go into tomorrow’s show jumping ahead of Tim Price on Danturano K (38.7) and Harry Meade riding Vrolijk (42)
Although Germany led the CICO3* after the dressage phase, Australia moved ahead in the afternoon when Andrew Hoy on Rutherglen and Sam Griffiths riding Beaurepaire Nemo both put in clear show jumping rounds, Tim Boland picked up just one time penalty and Kevin McNab’s 13 penalties was the discard score, giving a total of 131.9.
Sam Griffiths and Beaurepaire Nemo are the best placed Australian combination in fifth place
However it was Britain's Nicola Wilson who proved the most consistent of the day producing two clear show jumping rounds, on One Two Many and Annie Clover to move into first and second places
Germany is close behind in second place on 135.5 and Britain in third on 137.60 so it is a very close thing heading into tomorrow’s cross country phase
View every fence on the CICO3*cross country course here
