One horse was eliminated and two others sent to the holding box at the CCI4*-L final trot-up at Blenheim Horse Trials this morning (18 September).
Tom Rowland’s ride Quintilius, who was in 11th place after cross-country and within touching distance of a top placing on a score of 32.9, was sent to the holding box by the ground jury of Sue Baxter, Douglas Hibbert and Bobby Stevenson.
The 10-year-old gelding, owned by Jo Handman, was re-presented, but was not accepted. Tom has another ride in this class, Michael Wilmshurst and Alison Sharpe’s KND Steel Pulse, who passed the final trot-up and goes forward to showjumping phase at Blenheim Horse Trials on a score of 42.5 in 26th place.
Katie Magee’s ride Enceladus, who she co-owns with Anne Kitching, was withdrawn from the holding box. The pair picked up 20 penalties on yesterday’s cross-country and were in 55th place overnight.
Josie Smailes’ own ARS Vivella, 42nd after cross-country was also sent to the holding box and was accepted on re-presentation.
One of Georgie Goss’s two rides in this CCI4*-L class, the grey Fanta Boy who is owned by Joanna Spence, Nicky Cooper and Lucy Fleming, was withdrawn ahead of the final Blenheim Horse Trials trot-up. The 12-year-old gelding was in provisional 40th after a clear cross-country jumping round on Saturday.
Georgie is in provisional 17th place with her other CCI4*-L ride, Feloupe. The 12-year-old mare, owned by Nicky Cooper, Suzanne Doggett and Lucy Fleming, was presented at the final trot-up by Gemma Stevens and was given the nod of approval by the ground jury.
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Overnight leader Carlitos Quidditch K looked a picture in the early autumn sunshine, taking in the crowd and the morning as he powered along the trot-up strip.
The two highest-placed British horses at this stage, the chestnut mare Jalapeno III, ridden by Gemma Stevens (provisional second), and Sarah Bullimore’s European medallist Corouet (provisional third) – alike in colour as in dignity – sailed through the final trot-up.
The Speedi-Beet best turned-out prize was awarded to Woodlands Be Daring, an elegant bay ridden by Sasha Hargreaves, who co-owns the 12-year-old Billy Be Cool son with Bill and Alison Hargreaves.
Best turned-out winner Woodlands Be Daring, pictured with rider Sarah Hargreaves.
(Image credit: Benjamin Clark)
The Ballintrane Incentive, owned and ridden by Kajsa Mansby Svedberg, was accepted by the ground jury, but has since been withdrawn ahead of the showjumping. This means that a total of 61 combinations progress to this afternoon’s showjumping, which is split into two sessions. The first session, for the lower-placed horses, will start at 12.05, following a two-minute silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II and a rendition of the national anthem performed by soprano Laura Wright.
The final session will start at 2.40pm this afternoon, with the winner decided just after 3.30pm.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
