Two title contenders held and one leaves competition at Bramham final trot-up

Two title contenders were sent to the holding box and one has left the competition at the Defender Bramham Horse Trials final trot-up this morning (14 June).

New Zealand’s Caroline Powell was third overnight after a clear inside the time on Chris Mann’s 2024 Mars Badminton Horse Trials winner Greenacres Special Cavalier, but she withdrew after being held.

The Ruckers’ Cooley Snapchat, second after cross-country, another who recorded a clear inside the time yesterday, was also sent to the holding box but rider Selina Milnes re-presented and Cooley Snapchat passed on re-inspection.

Thirty-two horses came before the ground jury of Swedish president Christina Klingspor, New Zealand’s Andrew Bennie and Britain’s Les Smith, with the sun making an appearance after a week of wet and grey weather at the Yorkshire event.

Bramham Horse Trials final trot-up: two withdrawn before inspection

Two competitors withdrew before the Bramham Horse Trials final horse trot-up. Ireland’s Jim Newsam pulled out Carole Hawthorne’s Tullybee Louis, who lay 25th after a jumping clear with 28.8 time-faults.

Britain’s Tom Rowland was the other competitor who did not present at the inspection, with Jo Handman’s LB Mettaphor. They had 40 jumping penalties across country yesterday – at the skinny box in the water at the Womble Bond Dickinson Pond (fence 7c) and the triple brush arrowhead in the water at fence 19c – and 24 time-faults to sit 33rd overnight.

The first pair of horses down the strip raised a laugh – Rupert Batting’s two rides are obviously devoted to each other and whinnied and fidgeted when they were separated, leading commentator John Kyle to joke that Rupert would now present Coombeland Talisman’s “fwiend” Coombeland Semilly.

The showjumping for this CCI4*-L class starts at 1pm today. Defending champion Bubby Upton will be last into the arena, with Its Cooley Time, and she is unlikely to start with a fence in hand as the five riders behind her are all within four penalties. This pair showjumped clear to win the same section here at Bramham last year.

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