Jumping into the weekend at Houghton

After two days of dressage here at Houghton, it was time for the jumping to get underway today with CCI 2*-L and CCI 3*-L cross country and show jumping for the CCI-S 4*O and the FEI Eventing Nations Cup.

Great Britain retained their lead in the British leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup after today’s show jumping, with all four of their team members jumping clear. For Phoebe Locke and Heidi Coy it was a first experience of riding for a Senior Team in front of a home crowd, but they more than rose to the occasion and both delivered superb jumping rounds.

The New Zealand team riders also kept clean sheets, leaving the scores for the top two teams unchanged as we head into the cross country tomorrow.

“They were very pleasing performances today, with all of the team jumping clear rounds so maintaining dressage penalties only,” said Great Britain’s Chef d‘équipe, Philip Surl. “As ever, tomorrow is another day and the whole team looking forward to getting the job done around the cross country.”

In the CCI-S 4*O, New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali kept their lead after a lovely clear round in the show jumping. They head into the cross country tomorrow with a lead of 4.2 penalties over Tom McEwen and Bob Chaplin in second. Oliver Townend completes the current top three with the grey mare, Cooley Rosalent.

Oliver began today’s jumping phases with a collection of placings across the classes, including lying in first and second position in the CCI 3*-L. He was delighted with Crazy Du Loir and Caunton First Class, who produced two lovely rounds to keep hold of those top positions.

Also running as a CCI 3*-L is the British Young Rider Championships, a popular aim for riders aged 19 to 21. Ibble Watson has been leading this class since Friday’s dressage with Aristoteles S Z, and a cross country clear means she stays on her very good dressage score of 21.7 as we head into the show jumping. Clear jumping performances and no time faults moved last year’s winning combination, Oliver Jackson and Viktor Krum moved up into second place and Saffron Cresswell and Funny Guy into third.

It was a good day all round for Saffron, who also moves to the top of the score board in the CCI 2*-L with Vivendo Hero. This competition could not be closer, with all three of the top placed combinations (Saffron and Vivendo Hero; Eliza Stoddart and Kadans; and Piggy March and Cooley Anything You Like) all sitting on a score of 27.1. Having set out cross country on the same dressage score and all having gone clear inside the time, it comes down to who is closest to the optimum time to decide the current placings and that was Saffron.

“It is very tight,” said Saffron. “Heading into the show jumping I am just going to try and keep my cool and do what I know is best for him and what will be will be!”

All of the scores from today’s cross country and show jumping are available on Eventing Scores, here.