William Fox-Pitt scores first wins since accident with Tattersalls double

William Fox-Pitt scored a double win at Tattersalls over the weekend (4-5 June), his first three-day event since his serious accident last autumn.

William’s victory in the young horse CCI* was his first win since the fall and just the confidence boost he needed ahead of taking Chilli Morning to Bramham this weekend, a serious trial for the British team for the Rio Olympics.

“I’ve been eventing for 33 years, but my emotions have changed since my accident,” said William, who was visibly moved by this success. “That’s fine, I just have to recognise that things are a bit different now. I’m lucky to be here and I’m so pleased for my team that I won here as they really had their work cut out over the winter and this result is down to them.”

The Irish three-day event has always been a lucky venue for William, whose win in the CCI2* was his 10th victory here. In 2011, he made history as the first person to win three CCI classes in one day when he achieved this feat at Tattersalls, taking the CCI*, CCI2* and CCI3*. Bay My Hero also holds a special place in the event’s record books because he has won all three CCI classes.

On this occasion William won the Eventing Ireland CCI2* riding Catherine Witt’s Secret Night, an 11-year-old by Sunny Boy. He led from the front and finished on his dressage score of 39.7.

In the Cooley Farm CCIYH*, William added just one showjumping time-fault to his first-phase score of 35.6 to win on Jennifer Dowling’s Little Fire. He moved up from second after dressage when Jonelle Price withdrew first-phase leader OBOS Impressive before the cross-country.

William Fox-Pitt’s 10 wins at Tattersalls Horse Trials

2016 — CCIYH*, Jennifer Dowling’s Little Fire

2016 — CCI2*, Catherine Witt’s Secret Night

2015 — CCI*, Catherine Witt’s The Soapdodger

2015 — CCI2*, Fox-Pitt Eventing Partnership’s Ramdam De Mons

2012 — CCI3*, Catherine Witt’s Bay My Hero

2011 — CCI*, Lady Best and Sylvia Harley’s Lady Voltaire

2011 — CCI2*, Catherine Witt’s Bay My Hero

2011 — CCI3*, Fox-Pitt Eventing Partnership’s Oslo

2010 — CCI*, Catherine Witt’s Bay My Hero

2007 — CCI2*, Lady Lindy Best, Sylvia Harley and Jeremy Hackett’s Trinity Hill (later owned and competed by Oliver Smith)

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.