Evans' pair start in style

Riders are delighted to be eventing, as Dani Evans and Harry Meade are among the winners at Tweseldown

- Pippa Roome

DANI EVANS kicked off her campaign in style on the opening day of the restarted eventing season at Tweseldown. The Somerset rider led throughout to take intermediate section F on C Born Fresh Z (Frankie) and landed the runner-up spot in intermediate section E on Hollywood Dancer (Holly).

“They are two very straightforward horses – it makes my life easier as you’re only as good as what you’re sat on and they help me,” she said.

Heather and Kirk Ehrlich bought Frankie as a young horse for their daughter Taylor, who competed him until she went to university and handed the reins to Dani in the middle of 2018.

“He went from novice to advanced quickly and I think he’s a very good horse,” said Dani of the 10-year-old.

Ann Butler’s Holly has been with Dani from a four-year-old and already has eight wins to her name, including being a British five-year-old champion in 2017. Her long-term aim is the Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old class next year, with a possible tilt at the equivalent at Burnham Market this September.

“It will depend on how confident she feels,” said Dani. “She’s a very special horse and one for the future so I’m not going to chase her to get there.”

Dani’s cross-country rounds over Eric Winter’s track were sped up by taking the faster route inside the tree to the log roll spread at fence seven.

“My eye was naturally drawn to that line and it’s a credit to Eric for being clever with his designing and giving us the option,” said Dani. “It’s good practice to turn the horses on tighter lines, prepping them to step up a level, and to get near the time by being clever rather than going like a bat out of hell.”