Ireland’s Aoife Clark leads Blenheim Horse Trials

Ireland’s Aoife Clark has to larn clear inward the concluding stage to win her commencement CCI*** later jumping into the Pb on Saturday’s cross-country at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

Clark, seventh as well as best of the Irish Gaelic squad at the London Olympics in conclusion year, seat upwards a dashing display of cross-country riding on PJ Hegarty’s Irish Gaelic Sport Horse Fenyas Elegance to accept a 1.5 penalization Pb later dressage leader Sarah Bullimore had an unfortunate run-out.

But scores are so tight at the top of the leaderboard that Clark does non ask maintain a debate inward manus over the veteran French horseman Jean Teulere on the experienced Matelot du Val nor third-placed American passenger Clark Montgomery on Loughan Glen.

“She tried her take in out,” Clark said of her mount, a nine-year-old Irish-bred chestnut mare. “I only tried to ride the accuracy fences positively as well as she’s a super jumper, actually powerful.”

This is the commencement fourth dimension Clark, who lives locally to Blenheim, at Middle Barton, has been inward the Pb at a three-star competition, but she said she planned to “ride every bit I unremarkably do”.

Jean Teulere, 59, the footing champion inward 2002, is hoping that the 13-year-old Matelot du Grand Val will seat him dorsum into the French squad when side past times side year’s World Equestrian Games are held on his domicile soil.

“It was a tough course of didactics but quite straightforward for me as well as my horse, who is actually fast.”

Clark Montgomery, who is based near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, amongst senior estimate Christian Landolt, was delighted at how good the 10-year-old Irish Gaelic Sport Horse Loughan Glen finished. The Equus caballus had a current of air functioning before this twelvemonth which seems to ask maintain helped him gallop to a greater extent than easily.

“It wasn’t the smoothest circular I’ve always done, but the Equus caballus has a ton of heart,” Montgomery said. “Whatever happens tomorrow, I volition consider this to ask maintain been a massively successful twelvemonth amongst him.”

Eric Winter’s cross-country course, beautifully presented past times David Evans as well as his team, proved influential as well as exclusively Gemma Tattersall, the highest-placed British passenger inward 4th house on Arctic Soul, achieved the optimum fourth dimension of 10 minutes 10 seconds. The weather condition stayed dry out as well as a large as well as enthusiastic crowd enjoyed a solar daytime total of suspense as well as bold riding.

Sarah Bullimore, leader later the dressage stage on Lilly Corinne, had an unfortunate glance-off at the influential debate 21b, a skinny brush at the Ariat Dewpond.

William Fox-Pitt was some other to ask maintain a bad day, although he is leading the 8/9 Year Old Young Horse Championship. First out on course of didactics with Before Time, he brutal at the 2nd of the Cotswold Life Stone Houses (23b), ii angled spreads as well as and then retired Running Order after a run-out at the Ariat Dewpond.

Pippa Funnell, the exclusively passenger who could ask maintain snatched the Pb from Clark, had a frustrating run-out on Or Noir de la Loge at the Ariat Dewpond.

There were 33 clear rounds from the 83 cross-country starters. “It’s been a proper cross-country day,” Winter said. “I was surprised that at that spot were quite so many run-outs, but they were spread out roughly the course, which is a skillful result.”

» Results

Young Horse Championships

William Fox-Pitt has moved upwards into commencement house inward the 8/9yo CIC*** later a clear jumping circular on Fernhill Pimms, the Equus caballus on whom he won the British Intermediate entitle in conclusion month.

Australian riders Christopher Burton, riding Graf Liberty, as well as Emma Dougall (Belcam Bear) are 2nd as well as third, amongst the cross-country stage to come upwards on Sunday.

Fox-Pitt had been inward 3rd house amongst Freddie Mac, but was eliminated for contravening an FEI dominion on the manner of hindleg boots allowed inward a young-horse championships.

Australia’s Sam Griffiths as well as Favorit Z were likewise eliminated nether the dominion (Ref. Art. 257.2.4), which states that: “for all international Young Horse competitions, all hind leg protections must ask maintain a maximum interior length of 16cm as well as minimum outside width of 5cm. The within of the protection must live smooth. Only non-elastic Velcro fasteners are permitted: no hooks or straps may live used. The rounded stiff purpose of the protection must live placed roughly the within of the fetlock. No additional elements may live used inward conjunction amongst the protection.”

» Results

Local passenger Michael Jackson, who is a field-master to the Heythrop Hunt, as well as Alice Dunsdon, joint-master of the Surrey Union, shared the honours inward the pop Gate-Jumping competition. They both cleared 5ft 8in.

Sunday’s Fun Ride has been cancelled due to weather condition conditions, but entrants tin utilisation their passes to sentinel the Equus caballus trials action.

Images below © Mike Bain