BARBURY HORSE TRIALS: Andrew Nicholson and Avebury make it a hat trick of victories

Lockeridge based Andrew Nicholson rode a copybook clear round in the cross country on the grey Avebury to clinch a hat trick of victories in Barbury’s premier competition – the £5,000 CIC three star.

On the last day (July 6) of the St James’s Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials Nicholson and Avebury galloped easily round Mark Phillips’ rolling course for 4.8 time penalties and still finished 8.6 penalties clear of nearest rivals Francis Whittington and Easy Target – another grey.

Avebury was bred by Nicholson and is owned by Rosemary and Mark Barlow.  Mr Barlow told Marlborough News Online: “It’s a great achievement – three in a row! And they’re going to do the same at Burghley.  It’s a wonderful achievement.”

The presentations were made by Penny Bunter, wife of the Barbury Estates owner Nigel Bunter, and David Bellamy, CEO of St James’s Place. Nigel Bunter was delighted with the result: “It’s been another fantastic weekend.  What a result for local rider Andrew and his wonderful horse Avebury.  It’s great that the huge crowd here were able to see history in the making.”

Paul Tapner, the Australian rider who is based at Swindon, took the Retraining of Racehorses prize on Inishmoor. As a racehorese Inishmoor had a pretty undistinguished career, but after a period at a rehabilitation centre, the 10-year-old grey gelding is now competing well in intermediate level eventing.

Earlier in the day the huge crowd was reduced to silence as they watched a display by para-dressage rider Ed Chanin on his 17.1 hand Hannoverian My Rubicon.  Ed was badly injured in a fall and is paralysed down one side – his aim is to represent Great Britain at the Rio Paralympics.

He was followed by Laura Collett’s stunning dressage display with Kauto Star.  Clive Smith, Kauto Star’s owner, told the crowd he thought the horse was second only to Arkle.  

And Team GB’s performance manager, Yogi Breisner, said the important thing was to give Kauto a good retirement and he explained how he quickly he had made the difficult switch from steeplechasing to dressage.

Ed and Laura are testament to the work of the Injured Jockeys Fund, having both received treatment and support from the IJF and its rehabilitation facilities at Oaksey House in Lambourn.  The IJF was the main charity for the full four days of the Barbury trials.

The top riders make it all look so easy.  But even the best can make a slip.  There were a couple of nasty falls and Kristina Cook and Star Witness took a tumble into the water jump (below) – horse and rider were unhurt. Later, Kristina and De Novo News – chosen for the British team at the Aachen nations Cup in two weeks – finished fifth in the three-star.

Many riders at Barbury are now going on to Aachen, Burghley and the World Equestrian Games in Normandy – and results like Kristina Cook’s in all three eventing disciplines is good for team confidence building.