Kitty King scored her first Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials win in the Equi-Trek CCI4*-L aboard Vendredi Biats, adding just 0.4 of a showjumping time fault to her dressage mark of 26.8.
Vendredi Biats, who is owned by Diana Bown, Sally Lloyd-Baker, Sally Eyre and Samantha Wilson, was eliminated across country at Badminton, the 10-year-old’s first CCI5*, but more than made up for that with a very classy performance in all three phases at Bramham.
“It’s lovely to put it all together when it really matters,” said Kitty. “I didn’t feel too nervous before the showjumping because he is such a good jumper and has produced plenty of clear rounds, so I just focused on what I was going to be doing and on my lines and turns.”
They had a fence in hand because Gemma Tattersall and Jalapeno III, second overnight, dropped one rail, but Vendredi Biats jumped a lovely clear to complete on 27.2.
Gemma and Chris and Lisa Stone’s chestnut mare Jalapeno III held on to their second place despite their four faults.
“I’m hoping I can eke clear rounds out of her and I think I can,” said Gemma. “I haven’t had her very long; our aim here was top six and we’ve done better than that, which is fantastic.”
Gemma had a second horse in the top 10 – Chilli Knight, who, like Jalapeno III, is by Chilli Morning and owned by that stallion’s owners Chris and Lisa Stone. The nine-year-old showjumped clear to finish sixth.
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Selina Milnes and Iron IV took third place. They added 1.2 time-faults in each of the jumping phases to their dressage of 29.2.
“It’s all gone to plan, really,” said Selina, who bought him from Richard Sheane of Cooley Farms in Ireland. “He ate up the cross-country and he really jumps, so I am kicking myself for the time-faults.”
Richard Jones and Alfie’s Clover were another pair to make amends for a Badminton that didn’t go to plan. They finished on their dressage score of 32.9 at Bramham for fourth place.
Lucy Jackson also finished on her dressage score – 33 – on Superstition II, for fifth place, while her fellow New Zealander Andrew Nicholson only added 0.4 of a showjumping time-fault to his dressage of 34.6 in seventh place on the eight-year-old As Is.
“I’m very impressed with him. He’s clever, laid-back and has a lot of class,” said Andrew.
Don’t miss further analysis and insight into where the Bramham classes were won and lost in next Thursday’s Horse & Hound magazine (13 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.
