With just four weeks to go until the Eventing competition begins in Greenwich Park for London 2012, Olympic bound horses and riders had a final competitive practice in the Dressage phase at the Barbury International Horse Trials on Friday (June 29), sponsored by St. James’s Place Wealth Management.
At close of play, Chris Burton and Holstein Park Leilani (pictured) led the Olympic dressage test competition with a score of 42.8. Jonathan Paget and Clifton Promise performed a solid test putting them into second place on 43.1, with Wiltshire based Laura Collet and Rayef and American rider Allison Springer with Arthur finishing in joint third.
British Olympic team member Zara Phillips and High Kingdom also performed the Olympic test and currently lie in sixth place. Zara commented: “I was pleased how High Kingdom performed today in his dressage, it was the first time we have done the Olympic test in a competitive environment and he coped really well”.
Wiltshire based Andrew Nicholson, riding for New Zealand took the lead toward the end of the day in the three star dressage when Avebury performed the test with a score of 41.6. Jonathan Paget and Clifton Lush was a mark behind with 42.6. Boyd Martin (USA) holds third with Remington XXV (43.4) and the overnight leader Kitty King and Zidante are in fourth on 43.6.
The show-jumping phase of the three star features on Saturday with the horse trials culminating with the cross country on Sunday. Laura Collet made two appearances on the winners podium – winning Novice Sections F and G with Brookfield Cult King and Longbrain Maisie respectively. Zara and High Kingdom currently lie in fifth place in the two star event (section B), behind British team mates William Fox-Pitt and Lionheart (4th) and Piggy French and DHI Topper W (2nd) with Kitty King and Persimmon leading. The two star event also continues on Saturday with the Show jumping and Cross Country phases.
Other results:
CIC 2 star Section C – Dressage
1st – Pippa Funnell – Billy Beware 36.1
2nd – William Fox-Pitt – Sea Cookie 38.6
3rd – Christopher Burton – Underdiscusssion 40.3
CIC 2 star Section D – Dressage
1st Julian Stiller – Enjoy Me 39.2
2nd Dani Evans – Raphael II 40.3
3rd Daisy Berkeley – Springbok IV 41.1.
Barbury trials: Wiltshire rider Kitty King leads after first day’s dressage
