Eventing in numbers: Oliver Townend’s speedy two and thunderstorms force abandonment

Our weekly round-up of the eventing action continues with the 18th week of the season and a 14.8 dressage score for a Frenchman

Dates: 29 June-5 July, 18th week of the 2015 season

The basics

Number of British Eventing (BE) fixtures: five (Chepstow, Purston Manor (1), Aske (1), Brightling Park, Eland Lodge (2))
Number of BE sections run this week: 76
Number of FEI sections run in Britain this week: two
Event with most sections: Chepstow — 19 sections
Number of BE sections run so far this year: 1319
Number of combined BE and FEI sections run so far this year: 1354
Number of BE fixtures run so far this year: 89

Best dressage scores

Chepstow: 15.8, scored by Katie Hancock and Kilcandra Rambo Bay, wnners of BE100 section E
Purston Manor: 14.8, for Leonard Goerens on Brechfa Medrod in BE100 section B
Aske: 20.3, for both Kirsty McCreesh (Wolds Dancer), winners of BE90 section J, and Nicola Wilson (Kingsleypark Panther), runners-up in BE100 section M
Brightling: 21, from Francis Whittington’s ride Fernhill First Friend, second in novice section I
Eland Lodge: 18, recorded by Jeanette Brakewell and Tory Massini, who took second in BE100 section A

Speedy gonzales

2: number of pairs who beat the 4min 45sec optimum time over the intermediate track at Aske — they were Oliver Townend’s open intermediate winner Red Andes Fanfare and runner-up Note Worthy.
0: number of pairs who made the 5min 11sec optimum time over the novice track at Brightling. The fastest was Sophie Jenman, who won section J on Zook with four time-faults and section I on Fedorian with 4.4
0: number of pairs who finished inside the 6min 19sec optimum time in the CIC2* at Brightling. The speediest rider was Sarah Pickard (Polo Striker) who had 2.8 time-penalties

And also…

5: number of starters in the Welsh Championships at Chepstow, won by Dickon Reader on Bravanjo
100: percentage of Oliver Townend’s five rides who finished in the top three at Aske. He had two wins, two seconds and a third
2: number of sections abandoned at Aske due to a ferocious thunderstorm
2: number of novice regional final victories at Purston Manor for William Fox-Pitt, on Reinstated and The Soapdodger
6: nationalities in the top 10s of the two international classes at Brightling — Britain, America, France, New Zealand, Sweden and Belgium
100: percentage of BE90 section winners at Eland Lodge who had dressage scores in the 20s

Further afield

43: number of pairs who were balloted from the polar event at Barbury Castle this weekend
2: position William Fox-Pitt has dropped down to in the latest world rankings

Full reports from Brightling and Aske in H&H this week, out Thursday, 9 July 2015.

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.