‘He was class’: Tom McEwen on podium after Kentucky cross-country, plus one Brit clear in time

Tom McEwen holds second for Britain at the conclusion of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country day.

Tom and JL Dublin, owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, put in a jumping clear today over Derek di Grazia’s course with 5.2 time-faults to hold the runner-up position they occupied after dressage.

“He was class – straight as a die,” said Tom, who took over the ride after Nicola Wilson’s accident at Badminton Horse Trials last year.

“He’s a phenomenal horse. Considering this is my sixth run on him, it’s huge credit to Nicola and everything she’s done that I can hop on and get round a true five-star course that has plenty of challenges.

“Like I said, it’s my sixth run on him and four of those runs have been pretty nice open intermediates. I know he knows what he’s doing, but I’ve never had a challenge with the hills, intensity, terrain and fences like here at Kentucky on him, so I couldn’t be any more delighted. He was amazing.

“He finished up really well and I’m looking forward to jumping tomorrow.”

Commenting on his time-faults, Tom added: “He flowed through the course well. At times, I took a bit of time at some of the fences to make sure I was dead right, but over time the relationship will build and we’ll be flowing round really well.”

Ahead of and behind Tom, the order changed around. Tamie Smith has moved up two spots to take the lead with Mai Baum, while Liz Halliday-Sharp rose from fifth to third with the promising young Miks Master C, owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, who came home just four seconds over the optimum time.

Germany’s Sandra Auffarth rose from ninth after the first phase to fourth with Viamant Du Matz, who went clear inside the time.

Will Coleman was fourth after dressage on Chin Tonic, who had 14 time-faults and has dropped to 11th. But Will does now sit fifth on the experienced Off The Record, who went clear in the time today.

David Doel was the only British rider to record a clear inside the optimum time over the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country challenge today, coming home 19 seconds inside the target. He and Gillian Jonas’s Galileo Nieuwmoed sit in eighth place overnight, up from 22nd after dressage.

Zara Tindall, who put in a jumping clear today on Class Affair, lies 18th going into tomorrow’s showjumping. Yasmin Ingham and Banzai Du Loir are in 21st after their disappointing day and Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI hold 23rd.

You might also be interested in:

‘He’s got a heart the size of Kentucky’: mixed fortunes for early riders on Kentucky cross-country

Clears, time-faults and 20 penalties: how Tom McEwen, Zara Tindall and Kirsty Chabert fared on Kentucky cross-country

Disappointment for British world champions on Kentucky cross-country

The 28 challenging five-star fences Zara Tindall and Yasmin Ingham are facing this weekend

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