Oliver Townend heads British Eventing’s top 100 rider list

Oliver Townend (pictured) heads British Eventing’s (BE) top 100 rider list for the first time this year.

Oliver’s victory breaks a 10-year stranglehold on the title by William Fox-Pitt and Andrew Nicholson. Mark Todd, in 1999, was the last person apart from these two to top the list.

HSBC FEI Classics winner Oliver gained 1643 BE points, with William second (1557) and Andrew third (1419).

European individual silver medallist Piggy French was best female rider in fourth (1192), with Lucy Wiegersma fifth (1183). These five were the only riders to win over 1000 points in 2009.

Oliver has been second in the rankings several times, but was helped to victory this time by his two four-star wins at Badminton and Burghley — worth 180 points each.

Georgie Spence is the best of those still competing in young riders in 2009 in 15th — up six places on last year. Other prominent young riders include Emily Llewellyn (equal 26th), who made a great Badminton debut in May, and young rider European champion Laura Collett (31st).

H&H’s online diarist Alex Hua Tian has made it into the top 100 list, finishing equal 98th with 119 points.

Miners Frolic tops horse list

European champion Miners Frolic, owned by Sarah Pelham and Nick and Valda Embiricos and ridden by H&H columnist Tina Cook, is top horse with 464 points.

Apart from his victory in Fontainebleau, which earned him 230 points, Miners Frolic’s major points winner was his sixth place at Luhmühlen which gave him 130 points.

Miners Frolic just pipped Andrew Cawthray’s Burghley winner Carousel Quest (ridden by Oliver Townend, 432 points) to the top award with the Apters’ Idalgo, Badminton runner-up and European team gold medallist with William Fox-Pitt, third (391 points).

The end of season awards will be presented at the BE ball next Saturday (7 November) night at Newbury racecourse.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.