An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at
Aston-Le-Walls (3) - find out more here
Saturday at Aston-Le-Walls (3) was mainly about the Advanced classes with young equine stars and young riders being in the spotlight
The Advanced U25 Section J saw the recent European Young Rider Championship team gold and individual silver medallist Bubby Upton lead the dressage phase on board Eros DHI but nine faults in the show jumping (‘Totally my fault’ says Bubby) dropped them down the leader board although they then enjoyed a clear, steady run around the cross country at Eros DHI’s first Advanced start
We caught up with Bubby for a chat about her experience at the FEI European Championships in The Netherlands; the full interview is coming soon but here is a little snippet about her day at Aston-Le-Walls (3)
Eight combinations in the Advanced U25 produced clear showjumping and cross country rounds but only two of those made the time on cross country – the winner of the class, Grace Taylor on Jack In The Box III (32.70) and Chelsea Round riding Fleetwood Mac IV who finished in third place (34.6)
This is the first win of the season for 23-year-old Grace and her 10-year-old gelding who beat the Belton Advanced U25 winners, Lizzie Baugh riding Quarry Man, when Lizzie added two time penalties on cross country to keep them in second place (33.40) and Grace made it a double whammy with another win in the Intermediate Section O on Game Changer
Sarah Bullimore and Corouet
From young riders to young horses and it was Andrew Nicholson’s Spanish-bred As Is, the recent winner of the CCI3*-S at Barbury, who took the Dassett Eventing Advanced 8/9 Year Old class on their dressage score of 29, a few penalties ahead of Helen Witchell riding Figaro X (34.2) and Louise Harwood on Trevillick in third place (34.6). Ireland’s Aoife Clark riding Celeus D Ermac Z and Sammy Oliver were the only two to join Andrew Nicholson in the ‘double clear cross country rounds club’, moving Aoife into fourth place while Sarah Bullimore on the homebred Corouet took fifth and Tom Jackson on Newmarket prospect were sixth
Christine and Adelaide Hill through the water
Australia was abuzz overnight with the news that Christine Bates and Adelaide Hill were making a great comeback in this hemisphere in equal first place after dressage with Pippa Funnell on Billy The Biz in the Advanced Section L but neither of these ladies took the win on Saturday.
Both Pippa and Christine jumped clear show jumping rounds but had time penalties on cross country dropping them to sixth and seventh but Christine was delighted with Adelaide Hill’s first start at this level since Sydney International last year although not so happy with her ‘economical lines’! Our full interview with Christine about her 'backpacking around the UK with my horse' coming up soon ....
It was Britain’s David Doel riding Galileo Nieuwmoed who won the class, adding just 1.6 time penalties to their dressage score to win on 34.6, despite the fact that this was the first start at this level for the 17h gelding who finished third in the CCI3*- L at Saumur in May
Pippa Funnell did take second place but on Maja’s Hope while the only rider to produce a double clear cross country round, Tom Rowland on Very Good Tempo finished third as well as taking fifth on Possible Mission in the Section K which Pippa won, going one better on Billy Walk On
Tom Rowland and Possible Mission (above) and Alex Bragg on Shannondale Mari, winner of the Intermediate Section M (below)
