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Katie Magee’s ride Enceladus, who she co-owns with Anne Kitching, was withdrawn from the holding box.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two rides in this CCI4*-L class, the grey Fanta Boy who is owned by Joanna Spence, Nicky Cooper and Lucy Fleming, was withdrawn ahead of the final Blenheim Horse Trials trot-up.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.
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.
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Ballintrane Incentive, owned and ridden by Kajsa Mansby Svedberg, was accepted by the ground jury, but has since been withdrawn ahead of the showjumping.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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