Jonty Evans and his promising 5YO SFS Artic Chill against the autumnal backdrop at Oasby
An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at Oasby (2) - find out more here
The last hurrah of the year for the Bede Events team was blessed with lovely autumn weather, at least on the Saturday, for Oasby (2) and there were plenty of riders out enjoying the last throes of competition
For some it was a hit out before a big European competition with Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes Drift finding form at the right time in the Open Intermediate Section H to finish on their dressage score of 24.3 and win the Section in some fairly fancy company. Sir Mark Todd was second on NZB Campino, also finishing on his dressage score of 25.9 and Jonelle Price was third on Cloud Dancer, adding just two time penalties on cross country to finish on 27.7
Both Jonty and Sir Mark are heading to Les Etoiles de Pau CCI4* later this month; Cooley Rorkes Drift missed out on the Europeans this year but should fare well in France and Sir Mark has NZB Campino entered as well as Kiltubrid Rhapsody, who was also competing in the OI at Oasby, finishing in seventh on 35.6, adding 5.6 time penalties to his dressage score
They will be joined in France by several other combinations having a warm-up run in this class with Jonelle on Faerie Dianimo finishing in 11th place, Louise Harwood and Mr Potts (9th) and Emily Parker and Harelaw Wizard (17th)
Caroline Powell and Shannondale Inca on the way to a win
Alexander Bragg did the dressage and then withdrew on his two Pau bound horses, Redpath Ransom and Zagreb, as did Caroline Powell on Up, Up and Away and On The Brash and Australia’s Sammi Birch on Hunter Valley II, two more French 4* contenders
Another big name in this class who isn’t heading to Pau was William Fox-Pitt. He finished tenth on Bay My Hero, who we haven’t seen in competition since since the Europeans at Blair in 2015 and they were well up there after the dressage on 24.8, jumped clear and just had time faults on cross country.
“It was lovely to be back on him again, nothing had changed and he felt like he had been out last week” says William on his website “He is going to tick over this winter as I am dreaming of taking him to America to do the American showcase in Wellington in February”
Sam Ecroyd won the Open Intermediate U21 on Tullaher Sunrise and also took third on The Quiet Man, sandwiching France’s Constance Copestake between them for second place on Denver VI. Constance did win the BE90Open however on Temple Ellie, along with one of our cross country videos!
Piggy French and Emerald Jonny
Mark Todd was also a bridesmaid in the Intermediate Section F, running second on Dusk Till Dawn who won at the South of England recently, behind Bill Levett and the striking Piltown Colours. Bill and the coloured horse have had a bit of bad luck this season so it’s nice to see them finishing the year on top and ready for 2018. Bill also placed second in the Novice Section B on Ballinamurra De Valera, behind one of our serial cross country video winners this year, Piggy French riding Emerald Jonny. Piggy has had a fantastic season after taking a year off, starting with a win on Cooley Monsoon at Oasby (1) and finishing with a win, 3rd, 4th and 10th at Oasby (2)
Caroline Powell also has some lovely young horses and two of those, Shannondale Inca and Stracathro Solitary Mistral went home with top honours in Novice Sections
Our section winners’ cross country videos will be coming up soon here so keep an eye out for some great footage from Oasby (2) and you can find more photos in our gallery here
Margot Sly and Little Newmarket Bob, winners BE90 Section S
Claire Surl and Grafelles, 3rd in the Novice Section A
Julia Dungworth and Rocky Spring
