Tait and Teddy triumph at Chatsworth
13 May 2002
Catch up with all the latest news from the world of horse trials in our weekly column from Eventing magazine editor Kate Green
Blyth Tait and his wonderful horse Ready Teddy, owned by Online Finance, produced more of their world-beating form and fired a warning shot for this September’s World Equestrian Games when they won the CIC*** at Chatsworth yesterday with the fastest cross-country round and a clearshow jumping round.
Blyth and 14-year-old Ready Teddy, winners of an Olympic gold medal in 1996, the world title in ’98 and Burghley last year, lay fifth after dressage behind Badminton winner Pippa Funnell, riding Anne Burnet’s Jurassic Rising.
Pippa, the winner of Chatsworth on Supreme Rock in 2000, finished eventual runner-up after Blyth’s cross-country speed took him to the head of affairs and a her show jump down gave him some leeway, although Ready Teddy, one of the best jumpers in the business, proved not to need it.
In third was best under-25 rider Ruth Friend on Ann Lawson’s promising Matthew, winner of an advanced class at Belton this spring.
Mary King and King Solomon,who withdrew from Badminton when the horse showed an irregular heartbeat in the 10-minute box, were fourth, having dropped a place with two show jumps down.
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Mary finished on the same score as New Zealand’s rising star Heelan Tompkins,although Mary was nearer the optimum cross-country time. Heelan was riding in her first British CIC, on Glengarrick, a horse she initially brought over for Badminton but who will now be confined to the one-day circuit.
Polly Stockton was speedy across country on Jane Starkey’s In The Purple to rise up the order to sixth. Andrew Hoy was seventh on a chance ride, Printers Absolutely Primitive, on whom he is deputising for Sarah Cutteridge, who has broken her shoulder, and ninth on Moonfleet, who is likely to be his back-up horse for WEG.
His wife Bettina Hoy fared less well on her WEG prospect, the class grey Woodsides Ashby. They lay second after dressage but suffered a rather silly stop at a log afterthe Ice Pond, only to show jump clear later.
Leslie Law, third after dressage on Matt Butler, had a stop coming out of the historic Queen Mary’s Bower complex and Polly Stockton, lying fourth after dressage on Oscar, dropped down the order to 17th with six show jumps down.
Ian Stark, the 1999 winner, riding Saucy Brown for Lady Hartington, the inspiration behind Chatsworth’s revival as an event, was eliminated for a horse fall at a surprisingly troublesome logpile.
Karen Dixon, who has announced that she is expecting her second child, withdrew Too Smart after dressage.
Advanced sections
Eddy Stibbe, riding Eton for the Dutch Antilles, and New Zealander Paul O’Brien on Edward Belcher’s Rock It won the two advanced sections, where there was a surprising amount of trouble.
Fellow Kiwi Bryce Newman had a nasty fall with Burke’s Boy, a horse he is riding for Pippa Funnell,and Polly Jackson, who only last weekend was best under-25 rider at Badminton, was taken to hospital for X-rays on her ankle after a fall into the water at the Ice Pond.
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