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Bishop Burton (2) 2020 - order or view videos here
Sometimes British Eventing likes to wholly live up to the ‘British’ part of its name, and unfortunately last weekend it did just that.
Relentless rainfall and waterlogged ground sadly meant Bishop Burton (2) was cut short after the first day of competition.
Nevertheless, if 2020 has taught us one thing, it is to be grateful for every weekend we spend on a cross country course. Rain or shine. One day or four. Did we ever think we’d even make it to this point?
Based in the Bishop Burton College Estate, Bishop Burton Horse Trials was set to see over 459 riders across the weekend, but instead saw 210 competitors on just the Saturday.
“The event was run exceptionally well and we must say a huge thank you to Bishop Burton for this. We had a great day,” said Lizzie Baugh, a 23-year-old 4* event rider, who finished inside the top 10 with all four of her rides with all jumping double clears.
“Between my sister and I we had seven horses all running in the BE100 on Saturday and thanks to the Bishop Burton team’s organisation the day ran like clockwork and we even managed to somehow finish slightly early”
In 2017 and 2018 Lizzie represented Great Britain at the Young Rider European Championships with her ‘horse of a lifetime’ Quarry Man. She is now planning on riding full time having just completed her Masters degree at Nottingham Trent University.
Her seven-year-old cross country machine, KEC Jack Daniels, took the win in BE100 Section C having won three out of the five events he has run with Lizzie this year, Metropole Star placed seventh in BE100 Section B at his second ever event and Kilcombe Luxsam added to his accomplishments of now finishing all six BE events he has ever competed in on a double clear and all inside the top ten, placing eighth in BE100 Section A. The five-year-old gelding by Lux Z has also qualified for the Five-Year-Old Championship at Oasby (2) along the way.
Now we’re wondering, is there any room left in Katie Magee’s house for her and Jellyon’s rosettes this season? The pair took another fabulous win in BE100 Plus Section D which featured another Jack Daniels in fifth place - this time Olympian Nicola Wilson riding Jack Daniels L Z.
“Jelly has been brilliant this year, he was pretty green in the spring when we got him and he’s proved very classy in all three phases. He arrived as a bit of a cheer up for us when I had to retire my top horse Dollarney due to injury and he’s certainly done just that” said Katie who was pleased with all three of her rides at Bishop Burton in what will be their last runs of the season.
Charlotte Dennis and Just The Biscuit
BE100 Section A saw Charlotte Dennis and Just The Biscuit take the win on a dressage score of 26.5, Arthur Duffort led the way in Novice Section F riding Lynn Matthews’ mare, Springwind Balou and Elise Bradley took home the red in Open Novice Section F on Finnigans Gold with only 1.60 time faults in what was a tough cross country ride for the section.
Questions, questions, questions. Joe Weller’s course asked plenty of them last weekend with both bravery and fitness tested on the undulating ground for both horse and rider. We can’t be the only ones in awe of those pencil jumps right?
The Bishop Burton team’s effort to maintain the ground given the weather did not go unnoticed either
The ground held up well despite the rain
“I thought the ground held up as well as it could have and they were continually putting hardcore down in the take off and landings. They did a really good job,” said Eva Carrier, winner of Novice Section E on her 9-year-old mare, Omars Lass, more affectionately known as Molly.
“I loved the course and, as Molly has just stepped up to Novice level in August, I thought it had some good questions that she hadn’t encountered before, she really did give me an awesome ride throughout the whole course.”
Eva finished ahead of both Sam Ecroyd and Rosalind Canter in Section E, being more than used to riding in soft ground after hunting from a young age. With her horses based at the family’s landscaping business where Eva works, she makes use of anything she can to ask questions of Molly “Whether it be walking up and down the soil heap or through the polytunnels, finding road closed barriers or plant pots to jump in the school,” she laughs.
The pair were one of only two combinations to make the time in the Novice classes. The other pair, 15-year-old Keeva Johnson and gelding Cornasaus Lad won ONu18 Section H.
“The conditions this weekend were tough and the ground was testing,” said Keeva who has recently completed her first Intermediate and 2* this season with Cornasaus Lad, known as Bennie at home, and has finished in the top 10 of all of their Novice runs this year.
“With Bennie’s previous hunting experience, he really doesn’t mind the mud but to help him I tried to avoid the very deepest parts where possible. The course rode well for me and I felt so confident all the way round. Bennie just gives the best feeling and enjoys it so much.”
From little horses, great eventers grow – and 14.2hh Souris De Ness, more aptly named Mouse, certainly brought that with her win in BE100 Section B last weekend.
“I got her as a two-year-old, breaking her in and producing her myself. She was bred to be over 16hh but never seemed to grow, I would love to send her down the pony eventing route,” said Anna Dawson who part-owns Mouse with her Mum, Rachel.
“Mouse did a lovely test, and I was especially pleased with her show jumping round. It felt very easy to her.
“By the time we got our soggy belongings packed up in the lorry and on the road home, it was 20 minutes before I looked at the results.”
After Anna’s Dad came to the rescue following their lorry breaking down half an hour away from the event that morning, the day could only get better, and they headed home with a winner onboard.
“I’m so pleased we have ended the season on a high and with a result the pony deserved. My Mum and I have felt very lucky in these uncertain times to be able to get out and enjoy doing what we love,” she said.
It’s a bitter-sweet and much too early farewell to Bishop Burton for its last Horse Trials of 2020 but we’re looking forward to being greeted by the hills again in May 2021.
Oh, and of course those pencil jumps.
Article by Kelly Aitken
A splash of colour on a gloomy day from (above) Emma L Littlewood and Maysong (who can obviously do this with his eyes shut!) 3rd in the BE100C and Morgan Stokes on Cor Blimey O'Reilly (below)
