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One late withdrawal before Luhmühlen trot-up as Brits prepare to contest five-star title

Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • All 21 horses were accepted at the CCI5* Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials first trot-up this afternoon (17 June).

    The German five-star has a notably reduced field this year; 31 appeared on the entries list when it was first published but by yesterday this had reduced to 22. Among the withdrawals were Ros Canter and defending champion Izilot DHI and MHS Seventeen, Laura Collett with Hester, and US pair Grace Taylor and Game Changer.

    There was a further withdrawal today, from US rider Hallie Coon who has pulled out Lucky Fortuna – leaving a start list of 21. Hallie remains on the list with her other ride, Kapriccio.

    Eight nations are represented in the competition; Australia, Britain, France, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand and the USA.

    New Zealand’s Jonelle Price got the Luhmühlen Horse Trials first-trot up under way, presenting The Grape Syndicate’s Grappa Nera to the ground jury of Britain’s Nick Burton, Austria’s Christian Steiner and Edith Scless-Stortenbecker of Germany. This was followed by Jonelle’s second ride, the Thomson’s Capitaine De Hus Z.

    Next to go was Emma Thomas, one of six British entries, with the 15-year-old five-star first-timer The Buzz Factor, owned by Zoe Bardey, Arthur Thomas and Emma’s mother Rebecca Velarde.

    The first home side rider, Katharina Meyer and the Tietz family’s 16-year-old gelding Aspen T, drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon. The pair are making their five-star debut.

    While all combinations were accepted, the ground jury had a brief discussion ahead of waving through Irishman Dominic Furnell’s ride Ivanhoe (owned by Thomas Jones) but the Wounderwall 11-year-old was passed first time.

    Pictured Dominic Furnell and Ivanhoe during the trot-up. Credit: Peter Nixon

    Britain’s Caroline Harris and her Pau 2024 winner D. Day brought the style factor with a tailored waistcoat and matching trousers. The pair finished 12th here last year. Fellow Brit Sam Gillepsie looked smart in a suit as he presented his own But Not Till Now; Sam is competing alongside his partner Stephen Heal, who rides his own and Heather Chapman’s Hagonda, another horse making his five-star debut.

    Other names in the field include Emily King and Valmy Biats, who come to the German event after dropping down the leaderboard at Badminton, where they finished 39th. World number one Tim Price is riding his own, Susan Lamb and Therese Miller’s Happy Boy, and Boyd Martin presented Shanroe Cooley (owned by Anthony Smyth and the Dallas LLC’s 11-year-old Shanroe Cooley).

    The last Brit to present at the Luhmühlen Horse Trials first trot-up was Sam Ecroyd and Mister Big Ears. The Irish gelding, owned by Michael Byrne, Sam’s mother Penelope, and Julie and Michael Hall, is making his five-star debut. The pair were third in the Scone Palace CCI4*-L in August, and finished 40th at Belsay CCI4*-S having jumped clear across country, with time-faults.

    Mister Big Ears is making his five-star debut with Sam Ecroyd. Credit: Peter Nixon

    The first day of Luhmühlen Horse Trials dressage gets under way tomorrow (18 June), beginning with the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy (incorporating the German national championship) at 8.30am UK time (9.30am local). Malin Hansen-Hotopp will be first out with her own Callfield, for Germany.

    The five-star dressage begins at 1.30pm UK time (2.30pm); Jonelle Price and Grappa Nera will be first down the centre line. Nine of the 21 will go tomorrow, and the remainder on Friday. Emma Thomas and the Buzz Factor (1.38pm UK time/2.38pm local) and Stephen Heal and Hagonda (1.54pm UK time/2.54 local) will be in action for the Brits.

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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