Sarah Bullimore and home-bred Corimiro have taken the lead after the first day of Defender Bramham Horse Trials dressage in the CCI4*-L class.
“He’s still only nine and he was hot to trot yesterday,” said Sarah, after scoring 24.6. “And I was like, ‘Oh my goodness’ – he knows what this is all about now and he was quite wired. Lilly Corinne, his mum, was quite hot and he is hot, but in a nice way – he’s got such a good brain.”
Corimiro, by Amiro Z, is out of Sarah’s 2015 European Championships ride Lilly Corinne and a half-brother to Corouet (by Balou Du Rouet), with whom she won individual bronze at the 2021 Europeans.
“They’re all dominant horses and like to do it their way, but he is far, far easier and more trainable than Corouet,” said Sarah.
“He is a pleasure to train, because he does want to do the right thing and he actually does want to stay on side, whereas Corouet does think he knows best, and would rather I just get off and he’ll do it on his own.”
Physically Corimiro is considerably bigger than Corouet and a more similar stamp to Lilly.
“He doesn’t need to learn that he’s that big and strong and actually he could get away from me,” said Sarah. “He’s just a lovely horse. I’m very, very lucky, and he means an awful lot to me.”
The Bullimores have twin full siblings to Corimiro due this week from embryo transfer mares.
“So we are watching monitors at home and hoping the mares cross their legs until we at least get home on Sunday night or Monday,” said Sarah.
Sarah added that Corimiro – who belongs to her husband Brett, Bruce Saint and Christopher and Susan Gillespie – “just wants to get on with it and really wants to do the right thing”.
She said: “He was almost quiet today. I actually had to say, ‘Come on’ but yesterday, when we did the arena familiarisation, he just wanted to walk up the side of the crowd. He loves to look and stare.
“Almost the busier it is, the more he relaxes, which is a bit random; when it’s quiet at home, he keeps looking out of every window to see if something’s going on and he’s missing something. But when it’s busy, he’s like, ‘Well, I know it’s busy, that’s fine. I’ll go and sleep.’”
Swedish pair lie second
Sweden’s Louise Romeike holds second on 27.4 with her father-in-law Hinrich Romeike, Madeleine Brugman’s and her own Caspian 15, an elegant 11-year-old grey.
“He’s such a kind horse, and so talented in all three phases, but he’s still a little bit like a small boy who wants to hold your hand,” said Louise.
“Every show he got a bit better last year, but the Olympics was actually the most difficult one and he didn’t show the progress there. Over the winter I did so much dressage training and he’s got stronger, so he can carry himself much better now.”
Young Brit Barnie Brotherton and his mother Naomi’s DHI King Nelson – fresh from a successful Nations Cup debut at Bicton – hold third on 29.4.
“I know he’s capable of more and so am I, but we’ll take it, and there’s lots more to do,” said Barnie. “I was pleased that we got both flying changes, because that’s been quite a difficult thing for him in the past. There’s always room for improvement everywhere and I’d like just a bit more relaxation from him.”
Fellow Brit Daniel Alderson, who is based in Ireland but is originally from Barnard Castle, near Bramham, holds fifth (32.6) on Lady Caroline Colthurst’s Blarney Monbeg Pepper, with whom he was 13th at Boekelo CCI4*-L last autumn.
“Dressage is her weakest phase, and she doesn’t really like it, so for her to go in there and behave and listen to me – I was very happy with that,” said Daniel.
Tom Jackson is fifth, just 0.1 of a penalty behind Daniel, on Helen Scott’s Hawk Eye, who he started riding at the end of last year. The horse was previously piloted by Nicola Wilson and then Kristina Hall-Jackson.
“He’s such a lovely horse and he loves his job, so it’s just trying to build on on what’s already there and make him as adjustable as I can across country,” said Tom.
The Defender CCI4*-L Bramham Horse Trials dressage continues at 10.30am tomorrow, when the second half of the field will try to overtake Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro.
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