Eventing in numbers: £400-worth of prizes, a 16.5 dressage score and 4 Brits in the top 20

H&H’s eventing editor summarises the ninth week of the season in numbers, with 77 sections of action

Dates: 27 April-3 May, ninth week of the 2015 season

The basics

Number of British Eventing (BE) fixtures: five (Whitfield, Withington Manor, Bradwall, Chilham Castle (1), Warwick Hall (1))
Number of BE sections run this week: 77
Event with most sections: Chilham Castle — 18 sections
Number of BE sections run so far this year: 664
Number of combined BE and FEI sections run so far this year: 675

Best dressage scores

Whitfield: 21, for Jennifer Olivier and Meacham Roccocco, who took BE100 section I on a clean sheet
Withington Manor: 19.8, for Imogen Campbell-Gray and Bonza Chit Chat, who added four showjumping faults and 6.4 time-penalties to take second in the open novice
Bradwall: 18.8, for Sally Goodall, who later retired across country in BE100 section K

Chilham Castle: 17.8, for Tally It Up, who took second in open novice section P under Rebecca Gibbs, after 8.8 time-faults
Warwick Hall: 16.5, for Emily Parker and Vattrick, winners of open novice section F after finishing one second over the optimum time

Speedy gonzales

2: number of horses who beat the 5min 1sec optimum time over the intermediate course at Withington — both ridden by Emily King. They were under-21 open intermediate section G runner-up Walitze F Vejgard and Loxley, who took fourth
0: number of pairs who beat the 4min 50sec pony trial optimum time at Withington. The fastest combination were the winners, Harriet Wright and Foxtown Cufflynx, who had 2.4 time-faults
0: number of pairs who finished inside the 5min 52sec optimum time in the advanced at Withington. Andrew Nicholson went fastest, with 1.2 time-faults on section M winner Jet Set IV

And also…

20: number of too-fast time-faults racked up by one BE90 competitor at Whitfield, who finished 61 seconds under the optimum time
45: percentage of cross-country starters in the pony trial at Withington who jumped clear
2: number of boys competing in the open novice under-18 at Chilham Castle — and 11 girls
8.6: percentage of riders who showjumped clear in advanced section N at Withington
100: percent completion record in BE100 section G at Warwick Hall
14th: highest place held by a rider who has not ridden at a senior championship in advanced section M at Withington — Canada’s Michael Winter took 14th on Lucullus. However, Coral Keen, who has never worn the Union flag, scooped second in section N with Wellshead Fare Opposition

26: number of riders who made an error of course in their dressage test at Bradwall

Further afield

1: Paul Tapner and Kilronan will be first out of the starting blocks at Badminton this week
400: value of prizes being given in the Fantasy Badminton competition hosted on Ross Millar’s website
4: British riders in top 20 of new world rankings — William Fox-Pitt (second), Oliver Townend (fifth), Izzy Taylor (16th) and Nicola Wilson (18th)

Full reports from Withington and Ballindenisk in H&H this week, out Thursday, 7 May 2015

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.