Blenheim’s busiest rider Tom McEwen holds his pathfinding lead with rising star
Tom McEwen heads Thursday’s dressage leaderboard in the young horse CCI4*-S at Blenheim Horse Trials, while Australia is still out in front in the CCI4*-L
Tom McEwen held the lead he set at 9am this morning in the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S young horse championship with Brookfield Danny De Muze to end the opening day of dressage in the top spot at Agria Blenheim Horse Trials.
The eight-year-old, by I’m Special De Muze, won the seven-year-old world champion title in Le Lion last year and comes to Blenheim following a run of excellent 2026 form. He has jumped double clear in all nine starts this season and is rarely the wrong side 30 in the dressage.
The pathfinding pair set the standard and their score of 27.2 remained out of reach for the 48 competitors that followed into the arena.
“He’s had a nice year getting prepped with this being his main target,” said Tom, who rides the gelding for owners Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry.
“This test is an unbelievably difficult test, especially for eight- and nine-year-olds – the flying changes on the centre line, it’s very tight, and it’s obviously setting horses up for the Olympic and five-star tests and, for example. That’s fantastic, but for eight nine-year-olds, it's a tough test when they’re learning.
“So I was absolutely delighted with how he went about things, and he was nice and relaxed.
“He has had a nice quiet year, popping round, getting a bit of experience quietly at four-star to hopefully come here and go nicely.”
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He added: “He’s very easy and a great jumper, he does it in his own style. If you saw him in the stable, you’d think he was really quite impassive, but he’s got plenty about him. Fingers crossed he’s one to go up the grades.”
The business end of this young horse championship class has a real international flavour, with riders from five different nations filling the top five places.
Sweden’s Therese Viklund and Sella, who Therese owns with Lena Nystrom, have also held fast to the provisional runner-up spot they bagged before lunch on a score of 29.1.
“She doesn’t have any weaknesses really,” said Therese. “She really loves her job.”
This flashy chestnut mare is so light on her feet over the ground, their trot work flowed and their first change was a particular highlight.
“She was very rideable, she doesn’t really care about atmosphere, she went in and did her job, which she loves,” she said.
“I’ve known her since she was a foal. I collaborate with her breeder, so I’ve had her since she was five, so we’ve done the whole journey together.”
New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington and Cooley Corpello, owned by Jeanne and Mark Swallow, were the third combination to break the 30 barrier and have slotted into provisional third on 29.4.
Germany rider Ben Leuwer and gorgeous dapple grey Zuccini MN, a nine-year-old owned by Staade von Paepcke Eventing Horses GbR, earned a nine for their entry and sailed into provisional fourth (30.1).
“We’ve had him in our stables since he was four years old, so we’ve educated him all the way through,” said Ben. “It’s always long journey, but we are happy – he does a super job, he’s a very big horse, so it’s not too easy for him on 20m and to get him properly into the corners, which is absolutely necessary in that kind of test. But we are so pleased, that was a very nice test.
“He had a very nice second flying change and all in all, his bend was better.”
Australia’s Isabel English is in fifth on home-bred Cil Dara Bombay S (30.2).
Blenheim Horse Trials dressage: Adelaide winners lead the way
Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar, who produced the best test of the morning, remain at the top of the standings in the Agria CCI4*-L, but they have been joined on the provisional podium by a new face.
Tom McEwen, probably Blenheim’s busiest rider with five horses across the two classes this week, inched into second late this afternoon with The Fieldmaster on 29.2. The nine-year-old gelding is owned by James and Jo Lambert and Penny Barker, and was bought from Tom Strawson for Tom McEwen to ride ahead of this season.
“Tom Strawson rode him here last year in the eight- and nine-year-olds, and he went very well across country,” said Tom.
“We’ve just been getting to know each other all summer with the aim of coming here.
“I might have just overdone it a little bit with the work outside, but he’s fantastic – every time he comes out he delivers a ‘clear round’ and works really hard in there. He really listens, really tries and that’s all you can ask.”
He said that the horse’s attitude is one of his real qualities, and added: “He’s very laidback, but there’s plenty about him at the same time, and he is a very kind person. He’s so good across country, he’s quick, sharp, nifty and looks for flags. And his showjumping has been coming on all year. I’m delighted with him.”
Gemma Stevens and Chilli’s Jester are now in provisional third (29.6). Burghley re-routers Alex Bragg and Jaeger Master also delivered a smart test this afternoon to hold fourth (30.1).
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.