Britain’s showjumpers got off to a superb start in Herning, with two riders in the top 10 of the Agria World Showjumping Championships results and the team in fourth place overnight.
Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson, the last British pair to go, put in a superb clear in the opening speed round to take overall second place, 0.23 penalties behind overnight French leaders Julien Epaillard on Caracole De La Roque.
Ben Maher and Faltic HB are in 10th place overnight, on 1.72 penalties. The scores from today are worked out so that Julien has 0 penalties, and the scores of all those behind him are calculated compared to his.
Harry Charles and Romeo 88, who just caught the last fence, are in 48th place on 4.71 penalties, while Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel, who caught one unlucky rail, are in 65th on 6.39.
In the team World Showjumping Championships results, Sweden are in first place on a total of 3.69 penalties; Peder Fredricson and H&M All In are in fourth on 0.4 and Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward are fifth with 0.58. France are in second place overnight on 5.44 and Belgium third with 5.59, with Britain hot on their heels in fourth place on 6.66.
British Showjumping performance manager Di Lampard told H&H it was a “super start”.
“To have two in the top 10,” she said. “Harry was unlucky at the last fence and Joe had just a toe on that back rail; he’ll gain confidence from today and we’re looking forward to tomorrow. We’re happy this evening.”
Ireland are in 11th place overnight; although the first three combinations jumped clear and their fourth rider Daniel Coyle, with Legacy, clipped just one rail, the calculation of penalties from points and time put them on a score of 11.15.
Individual leader Julien said he was very happy with Top Stallions Company’s 10-year-old Zandor Z x Kannan mare, whom he has been riding for about a year.
“She was very relaxed today; she listened to me super,” he said. “I had my plan; we always have a plan A and today I didn’t need to use the plan B so that was a good start for me! I hope the mare isn’t too flat for the two rounds of the Nations Cup, but the feeling was good.”
Julien added: “She’s an amazing mare. She has a lot of blood, she’s careful and scopey. But, okay, she’s a mare. She’s not always really easy to ride. But every day, more and more she takes experience. She’s only 10, and every day she’s more easy to ride.
“She’s a very good mare, with a very good head. She doesn’t look at anything, maybe a little bit more at the public and the scenes outside; the fences normally are not a problem.
“We did the job today. We will try to do it again tomorrow.”
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