Olympic medallist Tom McEwen springs back to the top at Blenheim Horse Trials with exceptional young talent
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Danny De Muze lead the young horse CCI4*-S for much of the dressage – and are back on top at Blenheim Horse Trials following a picture-perfect showjumping round
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Danny De Muze are back in pole position in the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses after a text-book clear showjumping round at Agria Blenheim Horse Trials today (19 September).
The pathfinding pair were first into the arena before 8am this morning and have regained the lead they held for much of the dressage.
The eight-year-old gelding, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry, is effortlessly scopey. The quality he showed in the first phase was replicated over the coloured poles – his record in this phase, in all phases, is excellent. He has only ever had two rails in his eventing career, one in April 2025 and one in March 2024.
Overnight leaders Astier Nicholas and Hitchqote Du Coudray started the day on their superb dressage score of 23.5, but dropped 28 places after tipping three rails. After rolling poles at the first, the second and the fourth fence, their round improved.
Bubby Upton and Sancerre De Tiji held on to their provisional runner-up spot. The flashy eight-year-old chestnut, who Bubby owns with Caroline Owen, has an enormous jump. He finished a second over the optimum time, a buffer he could afford, and is now 0.1 of a penalty ahead of leaderboard climbers Izzy Taylor and Barrington Boy.
One of Bubby’s other rides Auckland 7, who shared second place overnight with his stablemate Sancerre De Tiji, toppled a couple of rails and collected 0.8 of a time-penalty, meaning that he will head into cross-country in 31st place.
Bubby had said after her dressage tests that the jumping phases are “building blocks” for these promising young horses.
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“It’s not about the result they pull off this weekend. It's all about what they’ve shown in terms of promise for the future,” she said on Friday (18 September).
Australia’s Sammi Birch and Rosa’s Party (28.2) have climbed from seventh to fifth by virtue of their classy showjumping clear. Katie Magee and Cushlas Indigo (28.4) have also risen a couple of places, from eighth to sixth.
Time was relatively tight and the red British Horse Society upright at fence nine caught out a couple, as did the second part of the multicoloured double at 10ab. But on the whole, the course rode well.
The tightly packed leaderboard has loosened a fraction – the top 14 horses after dressage all held sub-30 scores. After showjumping, only the top 10 remain on scores in the 20s. But as less than 10 penalties separate the first 40 placings, any jumping or time-penalties across country tomorrow will be influential.
- View results and times for the young horse CCI4*-S at Blenheim Horse Trials
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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.