William Fox-Pitt made the time and took the prize in the CCIO4* on Little Fire
An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International 2021 - order or view videos here
Britain took the three top spots on the individual podium of the CICO4*-S at the Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International Horse Trials when William Fox-Pitt won the individual class riding Little Fire.
William finished on his dressage score of 25.4 ahead of Selina Milnes riding Iron IV and Bubby Upton on Magic Roundabout IV. China’s Alex Hua Tian, the leader after dressage and show jumping, was fourth on Jilsonne Van Bareelhof.
Selina Milnes and Iron IV
Great Britain also topped the podium for the first leg of the 2021 FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series on home ground at Houghton Hall.
The British team of Tom McEwen, Mollie Summerland and Georgie Spence, who had led after dressage and jumping, took first place overall ahead of Ireland in second and third-placed Australia following three clear and fast rounds on the cross country course on Sunday. The British finished well clear on 98.5 points, with Ireland's Joseph Murphy, Susie Berry and Austin O'Connor on a combined 115.0, and Australia's Kevin McNab, Sam Griffiths and Sophie Adams on 136.8.
Kevin McNab and Willunga had given Australia a strong start in the dressage phase, finishing just ahead of Mollie Summerland with Charly Van Ter Heiden and McEwen with Class Affair. Susie Berry and Ringwood LB top-scored for Ireland.
Kevin went on to finish as the best of the Australian team, incurring no jumping penalties throughout the entire competition and only 1.2 time penalties cross country to finish on a score of 31.7, taking sixth place overall from a field of 102 combinations.
Sam Griffiths, who celebrated his birthday just ahead of the start of the competition, finished 42nd on his team horse Gurtera Cher while Sophie and Ridire Dorcha, drafted in at the last minute when Sammi Birch suffered a reaction to a spider bite and had to withdraw, took 64th place.
Joseph Murphy and Cesar V delivered a strong dressage display for Ireland, but while they went clear in jumping they added 9.2 time penalties in cross country to finish 29th overall. Susie Berry and Ringwood added just 1.6 time penalties in the cross country to finish first for Ireland and 14th overall, while Austin O'Connor and Colorado Blue were 30th.
The winning British team of the first leg of the 2021 Nations Cup Eventing
Young Mollie Summerland finished in eighth place overall, with a brilliant jumping performance as they flew around the cross country course with one of the fastest times and no penalties. Gold WEG medallist Tom McEwen matched that feat and was ninth overall, while Georgie Spence and Halltown Harley made it a hat-trick of clean rounds to finish in 12th.
Britain now leads the Nations Cup Series 100 points with Ireland on 90 and Australia on 80. The next FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ 2021 event is in Strzegom, Poland in June and resumes after the Olympics in Le Pin au Haras in France, Bromont in Canada and Arville in Belgium.
Our full wrap up from across the classes, photo galleries, rider interviews and cross country videos coming up soon
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