The sun shines for day two of the horse trials – and Zara’s back at Barbury

The sun shone, the ice-cream man smiled and a good crowd enjoyed more dressage and the first rounds over the cross country course. And then Zara Phillips brought Mr Peter Luff’s eight year-old gelding Mr Murt to Barbury for the two star event.

Away from the crowds, Zara took the eight year-old gelding through the dressage test in the TH White ring.  And she seemed pleased with the result.  On Saturday she’ll be tackling the show jumping and cross country on Mr Murt. (Photo below)

In Section I of the Open Novice competition Zara Phillips riding CG Master Lux finished in fourth place.

Local riders had a good day: in Section A of the three star eventing competition New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson on Avebury (based at Lockeridge) and Laura Collett and Rayef (based at Membury) go into the showjumping phase on Saturday in a commanding position lying in first and second respectively. 

Yesterday’s leaders Minal’s Tim Price (Wesko) and Franca Luedeke (Parlando) for Germany were equal third.

Tim Price also notched a notable achievement for the area coming first in the Retraining of Racehorses Championship with his fantastic campaigner and nineteen years young, Vortex. The top ten in the competition jump off in the main ring on Sunday. Tim hopes to repeat his 2012 win with Vortex.

In Section B of the three star eventing competition, the overnight first and second remained unchanged with Clarke Montgomery and Loughan Glen leading, followed by Piggy French and Tinkas Time.  

The Novice classes christened the slightly altered cross country course. The James’s Place Hippo Water jump has a fearsome drop into the water and a tricky jump out of it at quite an acute angle. 

There were some horses who refused at their first attempt, but there were also some spectacularly successfully jumps as well as some approaches to the Hippo that came close to disaster.

 

 

The first prize giving of the day had an appropriately local flavour.  Sammi McLeod won the F Section of the novice class riding the eight-year old gelding Hunter Valley II (known as Gizmo) who was bred on Sammi’s parents’ farm in Australia.      

Sammi was presented with the prize by Penny Bunter wife of Nigel Bunter who owns the Barbury Estate.  By coincidence, Sammi used to ride eventing horses for Penny and Nigel.  

When she first came to England from Australia she lived in Marlborough and rode in the very first Barbury horse trials.  She’s now based in Cirencester.

She told Marlborough News Online: “It’s especially nice to win a price here.  It’s great.”