Childeric Saddles Little Downham (3), Ely Eventing Centre, Cambs
THE crème de la crème of the eventing fraternity took advantage of Little Downham's CCI4*-S and advanced tracks, which are firmly established as perfect prep runs for the final long-format four- and five-star events of the season.
The peaty East Anglian soil ably withstood the phenomenal amount of rain that descended on the area over the previous couple of weeks and the going was nigh on perfect.
Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan's prolific five-star winner Ballaghmor Class lived up to his name and reputation, winning CCI4*-S section K under Oliver Townend on a score of 32.8.
This was only the 16-year-old's third competition in a season that has been dogged by injury niggles. To the observer, he appeared to cruise around the cross-country with little obvious effort, however Oliver admitted "Thomas" does need waking up every now and again.
"He can be a bit sluggish and lazy and needed this run to sharpen him up a bit," he said.
"He's phenomenal and can do things other horses can't, but I needed to know I had all the gears and he ticked that box." A decision will be made this week between Oliver and Thomas' owners regarding if and where he will contest a long-format competition to round off the season.
New Zealand's Clarke Johnstone and his family-owned Paris Olympics partner Menlo Park were second on 34.1, with Tom Rowland and Jo Handman's 12-year-old Quintilius third on 36.8
Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Walking up a sweat
Plodding around the hills in the summer is poor preparation for a riding lesson, finds Tessa Waugh, who nonetheless improves from \"granny crouch\" to conjuring a floating trot
'She's a little rocket'
An amazing Billy Stud auction purchase is untouchable and a Dorset \"family holiday\" proves profitable
Speedy Brown bags a win
PHIL BROWN and Rachel Cardall's M Bear Esquire (Joey) were the only combination to keep a completely clean sheet in the sole intermediate section - a feat that earned them top spot.
Ballaghmor Class looks sharp
Oliver Townend's veteran star is back in the game, while elsewhere horses heading to Pau dominate, as this East Anglian event defies the weather
A symphony of red and gold'
Waking with the jackals, sleeping under the stars and galloping to the world's edge in a \"true wilderness\", Eleanor Jones experiences the trip of a lifetime in the Namibian desert
'The world's toughest steeplechase'
The Pardubice is well known to be formidable. Xander Brett asks some of the British raiders how they rose to the challenge
What's the problem?
Lameness is often the first thought if a sport horse performs below par, but there are plenty of other possible causes. Imogen Johns FRCVS explains
Lewis Robertson-Carrier
The new national dressage champion and his newly-wed wife tell Oscar Williams about the highs, challenges and emotions of their unforgettable week
New technology aims to reduce equine inbreeding
The idea is to give owners of mares and stallions more information when choosing possible pairings
Half of owners cannot identify equine lameness
A study found many owners cannot tell when a horse is lame or sound