Piggy French and Highdown March, CCI3*-L winners at Osberton
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Osberton International & Young Horse Championships - order or view videos here
Thankfully for all concerned, the overnight rain which caused both Bishop Burton and Dauntsey to cancel cleared earlier than expected and, with a few logistical tweaks, the final day of Osberton International and the Caunton Manor British Breeding Championships ran undeterred.
Sunday was all about Piggy French as wins in both the CCI3*-L and CCIYH3*-S took her tally of international wins in a season to 14, one ahead of Michael Jung’s 13
“Can I retire now” she joked “because its not going to stay like this – it’s just crazy”
The result in CCI3*-L could not have been tighter. Piggy and Tom March and John and Judith Addicott’s Highdown March and Alexander Whewall with Lisa Coward’s Chakiris Star matched each other pretty much all the way. Both completed 27.2 dressage tests and earned the same collective marks, both jumped clear across country and in the show jumping arena but Piggy and Highdown March snuck the win by coming home one second inside the cross-country optimum time compared to Alexander and Chakiris Star’s eight.
“He’s just fantastic – you could almost ride him in a headcollar but he has the most phenomenal jump,” admitted Piggy.
Former British Young Rider Lizzie Baugh rose from 13th after dressage to third with her homebred nine-year-old B Exclusive.
Ros Canter and Shannondale Nadia
With just one fence separating the top 13 after cross-country in the CCI2*-L, mistakes in the final phase proved costly and the business end of the leader board changed quite considerably below World Champion and section winner Ros Canter. Riding Sharon Bayston’s Irish-bred seven-year-old mare Shannondale Nadia, she completed on her first phase score of 28.1.
“I’m delighted” said Ros “She’s not jumped that many clear show jumping rounds as she is very brave and scopey and can sometimes jump herself into trouble but she listened to me well here”
Second place went to Cumbrian-based Mark Davidson with another seven-year-old, Highlight K, on 30.0, a horse he describes as “totally unflappable” until, that is, he sees a cow!
Mark Davidson and Highlight K
Hannah Bate and the Preci-Spark bred mare Tremanton, who like William-Fox Pitt’s CCIYH3*-S runner up Grafennacht, is by Graffenstolz, were third on 30.5.
Piggy French won The Caunton Manor Stud British Seven-Year-Old Championship with the Irish-bred son of Harlequin Du Carel, Sportsfield Top Notch, she completed just .2 of a penalty ahead of William Fox-Pitt and Susan Eggleton’s consistent mare Grafennacht. Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti and the British-bred Swirly Temptress were third, while six cross-country time penalties dropped overnight leaders Heidi Coy and Russal Z down fifth.
Ros Canter notched up a second win in the CCI2*-S Caunton Manor Stud British Six-Year-Old Championship by the narrowest of margins with Izilot DHI. They completed just 0.1 of a penalty ahead of Piggy French and Cooley Lancer who next head to Le Lion d’Angers for the FEI Breeding Federation six-year-old Young Horse Championship. Alexa Palmer and Global Super Nova were third.
“He’s very sharp, quirky and incredibly flexible” said Ros “Everything I like in a horse really. He’s definitely a horse for the future”
Article by Sue Polley
Alexa Palmer and Global Super Nova
