Panizzon Plays Her Hand

Popular Italian rider Vittoria Panizzon’s horses dominate the advanced as organisers make every effort on the ground after a dry spring.

- Catherine Austen

“HE’S such a lovely horse — he always tries and never lets you down,” said Vittoria Panizzon after winning advanced section H on Amy and Patricia Lambert’s Chequers Play The Game.

The pair led the dressage on 25.9, but eight faults round a tough showjumping track left them playing catch-up across country. They were well up to the task, however, and sped round Withington’s contours to record the fastest time of the two advanced sections with just two time-faults.

“He makes me ride well across country because I can actually see strides on him!” said the Gloucestershire-based Italian. “Before he came to me he had something of a historic problem with corners, and for him to fly through the double of corners here on a loose rein with a smile on his face was great. He has improved so much to ride across country; I’ve worked a lot on his hillwork, and extra-hard before this event, which has improved his balance, and I really felt the difference here.”

Vittoria also took the runnerup spot in advanced section G on her own and Sally Bullen’s Borough Pennyz behind Izzy Taylor and Trevidden. Borough Pennyz, Vittoria’s London Olympics mount, showjumped clear and just added 7.2 time faults to her dressage mark of 28 — the best of the section.

“They both did really nice tests — I was proud Pennyz was so patient in the dressage,” said Vittoria. “She could occasionally have listened to me more on the cross-country, but she’s so quick at adjusting herself.”