Finn Healy and Treamble
An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at
Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park 2023 - order or view videos here
Laura Collett leads Grantham Cup after dressage
Aussies and Kiwis at Thoresby Park
What Did the Riders Think of the CCI4* at Thoresby?
Young guns are on a roll at the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park where, following Lizzie Baugh’s win of the Warner Leisure CCI2*-S on Friday, Finn Healy won the Investec CCI3*-S on Friday
18-year-old Finn, who won team gold at the 2022 FEI European Junior Eventing Championships at Hartpury on Fathers Compromise and double gold at the 2019 FEI European Pony Championships at Strzegom on Midnight Dancer, now has another star in the stable in Treamble.
Finn and the 17hh mare Treamble, owned by Amy Hawley, started in equal third place after dressage and added just 7.2 penalties on cross country to take the win at their first 3* together on a score of 34.9.
“Treamble was amazing! Its only her second CCI3* with me and she was absolutely incredible in all three-phases" said Finn "She did a really good dressage and was really obedient as she always is and jumped two mega rounds and I couldn’t be more pleased with her.
I must say a massive thank you to Stuart and the whole of the BEDE team, they’ve done an incredible job with the ground, considering the weather, and it’s an absolutely amazing event to come to. Thoresby is one of my favourite events to ride at and they’ve done amazingly considering the weather.”
But it was a tight fought battle with 24-year-old Bubby Upton, another rider who has plenty of gold medals in the trophy cabinet, who was just slightly slower on cross country riding Joy Jackson’s Viktor Krum, adding 7.6 time to finish on 35.3.
Bubby Upton and Viktor Krum (above) and Saffron Cresswell on Funny Guy (below)
“Viktor Krum is a new ride for me and it’s a true honour to ride him and I’m incredible grateful to his owners, Joy Jackson and her son Oli Jackson for trusting me with him as he’s a real precious part of their family.
He was an absolute pro this weekend. He did a lovely test and jumped a pretty faultless double clear. The cross-country rode quite tough as we’re a new partnership so I had to attack the first half, but by the end I felt we’d grown as a partnership and he’d really learnt from the course. The ground has held up amazingly well, so a huge thank you to everyone who’s played a part in that.”
The young gold medal winners didn’t end there with 21-year-old Saffron Cresswell, multi-European medallist, taking third place (36.2) riding Funny Guy, owned by the delightfully named The Have Fun-ny Guy Syndicate.
The CCI3*-S winner takes home the Rock Model Trophy, named after Vittoria Panizzon’s Olympic ride, so it was fitting that not only did Vittoria present the prize, but she also took fourth place (37.1) too on board DHI Jackpot
Another rising star is Ellie Fredericks, who produced the fastest cross country round of the day on board Pure Trendsetter. She completed dressage on the same score of 33.2 as Elizabeth Barrett riding LVS Movistar, but Ellie’s speedy round with just four time penalties moved them ahead for fifth place and Elizabeth took sixth
While there were plenty of withdrawals in this class, 65 competitors headed out on cross country and almost 85% jumped clear. The ground has held up amazingly well after all the care taken to preserve it as much as possible and looks promising for the big CCI4* class tomorrow.
Ellie Fredericks and Pure Trendsetter
Ros Canter, who finished in 13th place on MHS Seventeen in this class with some ‘planned time penalties’ is one of those who returns for the final day of competition.
MHS Seventeen ‘skipped around the cross country on ground that was amazing considering the recent monsoon weather! Looking forward to going back for the 4 star tomorrow!’ says Ros on her social media.
Vittoria Panizzon and DHI Jackpot
Changes to the CCI4*-S leaderboards
Ros currently holds fifth and sixth places on Lordships Graffalo and Pencos Crown Jewel in the Lycett’s Grantham Cup CCI4*-S after the withdrawal of overnight leader Laura Collett riding London 52 and third placed Tom McEwen on JL Dublin.
Which means that Yasmin Ingham riding the Kentucky bound Banzai De Loir now heads the leaderboard (25.4) and Emily King sits in second place (26.8) riding Valmy Biats after their test on Saturday.
Thursday’s dressage leader, Emilie Chandler riding Gortfadda Diamond is in third (27) and Sarah Bullimore’s homebred Corouet in fourth (27.3)
With William Fox-Pitt riding Grafennacht (29.9), Bubby Upton riding Cannavaro, Tim Price riding Cannavaro and Pippa Funnell riding Billy Walk On rounding out the top ten, we are going to see some fabulous combinations and some tactical riding tomorrow, depending on their goals and individual horses’ liking of the conditions.
In the CCI4*-S Section P, Piggy March still holds the lead with Harry Meade now in second place on Red Kite, moving ahead of Flora Harris riding Monbeg Alcatraz. Australia’s Bill Levett heads into Sunday in 10th place on Huberthus AC
Ruth Gregory caught up with second placed Emily King in the stables for a quick chat - watch that over on our Instagram highlights
And, as it turned, Emily’s boyfriend Sam Ecroyd did win the Open Intermediate Section H while Wills Oakden, another northerner used to a bit of mud and rain, won the Open Intermediate Section G – well done both!
Sam Ecroyd rides Chapel House (above) and Wills Oakden rides Oughterard Cooley (below)
