Watch interviews with leading riders at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in the video below
Quick, clear rounds have been rewarded with sizeable leaps up the standings, while those at the business end after dressage had mixed fortunes on cross-country day.
Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (26.8) moved up from third overnight to provisional second with a superb round inside the time, starting steady and settling into a nice rhythm, before building speed.
“He was foot perfect,” said Kitty, buzzing delight after the finish. “He had a bit of a trip in the main arena and I thought, ‘Oh God, not before these angles!’ but he picked himself up and locked on and was super straight everywhere. Other than being quite strong at the end he was absolutely lovely to ride.”
The 14-year-old gelding, owned by Diana Bown, Sally Lloyd Baker, Sally Eyre and Samantha Wilson, made the beefy direct route of a hanging log to corner at the LeMieux Lagune (fence 13abcd) look like a schooling exercise. The influential accuracy questions at the second water (fence 17: Meßmer Teich) and in the main arena (fence 20abc: Longines Kombination) posed no problems, with “Froggy’s” little grey ears pinned on the task at hand.
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“It’s just a relief to be honest after Burghley and Badminton. I know he’s a good horse – I know he’s a five-star horse. He didn’t do anything wrong to have that pin at Burghley, it’s just one of those things, and then obviously to have an early fall at Badminton, it starts making you doubt yourself and what you’re doing as a rider.”
Pippa Funnell and the Clarkes’ 2019 Burghley winner MGH Grafton Street, second after dressage, enjoyed a steady clear, adding 15.6 time-faults to their score to drop them to 16th. Emily King and Valmy Biats, owned by his breeder Philippe Brivois and the Event Horse Owners Syndicate, who were third after the first phase, were unlucky to pick up 20 penalties for a run-out at the skinny arrowhead at 17a in an otherwise fluid round.
This means world champion Yasmin Ingham has climbed into the top three with Rehy DJ (“Piglet”), owned by the Sue Davies Fund, on 27.5. This is the 13-year-old gelding’s second five-star start and his first cross-country clear at this level.
“I think he was the definition of flying pig today!” said Yasmin. “He took it all on and was a total pro. He helped me out quite a few times, I was a little bit off some of the fences and up came his knees. It’s such a pleasure to ride a horse that’s so careful and really aware of where he’s jumping.”
Luhmühlen Horse Trials cross-country: how the day panned out
A total of 12 of the 39 starters finished inside the optimum time of 11 minutes. There were 23 jumping clears and a fair spread of faults over the 28 fences, with no horse falls and Matthew Flynn the only rider to part company in the five-star.
The US combination of Boyd Martin and the syndicate-owned Luke 140 have jumped from ninth to fourth with their fault-free round. Harry Meade and Tenareze will also head into the showjumping on their dressage score, finishing three seconds inside the optimum time across country to move from 11th to fifth in the provisional standings.
“I was totally thrilled with him and he gave me a lovely ride. He gets a little bit strong, so my plan was just to start out a little bit gently and try not to touch him,” said Harry, riding for David Bernstein, Nigella Hall and Sophie Caruth, adding he was particularly pleased with the way the horse tackled the LeMieux Laguna.
“It was a really good strong question. I made sure I came out pretty wider than most so that I could then ride forward over the first log in a nice positive way, a little bit like hunting, then the corner is straight in front.”
New Zealand’s Muzi Pottinger and her family-owned long-term campaigner Just Kidding, a zippy little thoroughbred who moves through the air like an arrow, have risen from 12th to provisional sixth on 31.1.
Muzi Pottinger and Just Kidding at Luhmühlen Horse Trials.
(Image credit: Libby Law)
Oliver Townend and Tregilder, owned by the Hazledines and Mitchell Fox Group, added 1.2 cross-country time-penalties to their dressage mark, giving them a two-phase total of 31.1 to retain seventh place.
“He’s a huge tall horse, so I feel sometimes I have to balance him a little more than I’d ideally like to, but he’s honest as honest could be and he tried his heart out there,” said Oliver. “The three seconds are mine. I could have gone quicker, but I just again want to save and save, and possibly saved for two strides too many somewhere around there. But he’s home and safe and we’re thrilled with him.”
A clear round inside the time with Paul and Diana Ridgeon’s Swallow Springs means Oliver also holds eighth place (31.7). His pathfinder, Mr Ridgeon’s five-star debutant Cooley Rosalent, picked up 20 penalties for a run-out at 17a.
Boyd, the only other rider with three horses in the five-star, holds ninth with Federman B (32.4). Last year’s Swiss winners Felix Vogg and Colero climbed 10 places with a cracking round to complete the top 10 on 33.3.
Tom Jackson’s exciting prospect Farndon franked his name as one to watch at top level with a clear round inside the time on his five-star debut.
“He hasn’t always been the easiest in this phase, not because he’s not brave or straight – just because of his rideability,” said Tom, who heads into the showjumping in 12th on 34.9 with Anne and Iain Slater’s gelding. “We’ve been working quite hard on that over the past couple of years since we’ve had him. It all came together today. He’s been steadily improving all the time and I feel like today he really showed his class and I’m very excited for the future.”
Elsewhere in the British camp, Fiona Kashel slept in her number 13 number bib overnight, before securing her first cross-country clear at five-star aboard Creevagh Silver De Haar. The pair are in 18th, one place ahead of David Doel and Ferro Point, who rose from 37th to 19th with a faultless cross-country round at Luhmühlen Horse Trials. Will Rawlin recorded his first five-star cross-country completion, finishing with 20 jumping penalties and 4.4 time-penalties to sit 23rd.
Imogen Murray pulled up Roheryn Ruby after fence 17, because the mare sustained an injury on landing.
“She’d jumped all the fences I was more worried about with so much confidence and was absolutely flying. She came through the water so well, but I felt an off step as we came out,” said Imogen.
“The vet team at the event and the Team GBR vets have been fantastic and so supportive. She’s quite happy in her stable and we’ll continue treatment when we get home.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
