Wilson unveils a new star

Nicola Wilson rises up the ranks with foot-perfect jumping rounds, while Caroline Harris puts a fall behind her to make the podium

- MARTHA TERRY

NICOLA WILSON proved the strength in depth of her string on the eve of her departure for the European Championships. She won the CCI4*-S on Coolparks Sarco and finished fourth on Hawk Eye.

This is a prestigious class for eight- and nine-year-old horses – five out of 11 previous winners have gone on to win at five-star – and this renewal brought the cream of bold young jumpers to the top.

It was not a dressage contest. Ros Canter’s two-phase leader Izilot DHI ran out halfway round the cross-country, while Tom Jackson racked up 35 jumping penalties on HH Moonwalk to lose second spot. Two stiff jumping tracks rewarded horses who finished on their dressage score or thereabouts, with the top four jumping double clear and within three seconds of the optimum time.

Nicola couldn’t split her two prize-winners, who were just 3.1 penalties apart.

“They’ve both given me super rides,” said Nicola, the only rider to finish on her dressage score (twice). “When I walked the course, I thought, ‘Crumbs, there’s lots to jump here.’ The horses had to be sharp and on their game.

“I’m pinching myself because I felt at the beginning of the year they were lovely horses, but it’s always a journey trying to make them peak at an event like this.”

Nicola’s Europeans team-mate Piggy March took second on The Lancer Stud’s 2019 six-year-old world champion Cooley Lancer, 0.3 of a penalty ahead of Caroline Harris and Miss Pepperpot.

TAMING THE BRAIN