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Buckley takes inspiration from Brash to clinch Royal Highland victory *H&H Plus*

Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Simon Buckley finds the winning formula, Annabel Shields continues her tremendous purple patch and Holly Smith makes a successful visit north of the border

    THE Royal Highland Showcase took on a different format this year with no spectators, instead operating live-streaming to viewers at home. But the lack of crowds didn’t take away from the spectacle of the feature classes.

    Simon Buckley took Friday’s 1.55m international stairway on 12-year-old Elia as a big, open water proved influential with only four clears from 23 in the first round.

    “When you need him to turn up, he turns up,” laughed Simon. “We were first to go [in the first round] which is always hard, but he’s a quick horse and he’s better suited to that pace so I was the fastest clear.

    This report can also be read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale date 24 June 2021

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray