Just six weeks after taking her first CCI4* title at Badminton, New Zealand’s Jonelle Price followed up with a second CCI4* win at Luhmühlen, this time riding Faerie Dianamo.
Jonelle had been second after cross-country, but when the USA’s Boyd Martin withdrew the leader, Shamwari 4, with a hock tendon injury, she was in first place going into showjumping.
She jumped a super clear round over a big track and held off a strong British challenge to take the title aboard Trisha Rickards, Jacky Green and her own British-bred 13-year-old mare.
“She was bred by Trisha Rickards, and it is an extra-special day when one of your home-breds wins a four-star,” said Jonelle. “I came here hoping and thinking that we could be in the mix, but it’s another matter to go into the lead and another again to jump clear under pressure.”
Faerie Dianamo had been sent to the holding box at the final veterinary inspection, but was passed on re-inspection.
“She dug really deep today and it is a testament to her resilience and courage,” said Jonelle, who only added 1.2 cross-country time-faults to her sixth-placed dressage mark of 27.1.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The next four places all went to British riders, headed by Laura Collett and 10-year-old Mr Bass in second place. Laura, third-placed Ros Canter (Zenshera) and Kitty King, fourth on Ceylor LAN, all showjumped clear. Willa Newton had one fence down on Chance Remark to take fifth place.
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Laura said: “He is so special and it is so nice to be able to show everyone that. I kept reminding myself today that there was no other horse I would rather be sat on going into a showjumping arena.”
Laura was in 18th place after dressage with 29.9, but added nothing in the jumping phases to that score.
British team coach Chris Bartle said: “They all did extremely well – they kept their heads and rode exactly as they have done in training.”
It was a best four-star result to date for Laura Collett, and Ros Canter equalled the third place she gained at Badminton on her other top ride, Allstar B, in May.
Dutch rider Tim Lips leads the CCI4* at Luhmühlen after dressage, with four British riders in the top 10
Irish riders Sam Watson (Ardagh Highlight) and Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua) took sixth and seventh places. Both lowered two showjumps but, having both made the time across country on Saturday, achieved personal bests at this level.
There were just six clear rounds within the time in the showjumping. Beyond the top four in the final line-up, they went to the Netherlands’ Tim Lips (Bayro) and Britain’s Piggy French (Quarrycrest Echo). Both riders were awarded 50 penalties on the cross-country for jumping the wrong side of a flag; if their appeals against the penalties had been successful, dressage leader Tim would have won and Piggy would have finished fourth.
Full report from Luhmühlen in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 21 June.
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A St Andrews’ graduate, Catherine joined Horse & Hound in 2002 and stayed for 11 years in a variety of roles until she went freelance in June 2013. She rejoined the team part-time in November 2016 as hunting editor. She pretty much lives on the hunting field or at the racecourse, but also loves eventing, as a journalist, press officer and competitor. She was H&H’s sole accredited journalist at the London Olympic Games and has reported from major race meetings and eventing, showjumping and dressage championships and shows round the world, and has hunted all over Britain and Ireland.
