GB Eventing Team Manager Yogi Breisner was up early this morning, walking the Advanced Show jumping course, and then walking some of the related distances and combinations again.
Will Faudree and Andromaque jumped a lovely clear. Andromaque (Missy) was careful but bold, and just ballooned over everything, and Will rode her beautifully, very calm and quiet.
The US can certainly be proud of the performance they put up in the show jumping in the Advanced this morning; Tiana Coudray also jumped a smooth clear round on Ringwood Magister, who’s looking fitter than I’ve ever seen him.
Sadly Sandhills Tiger was not as obliging for Hamish Cargill and booted out several fences; let’s hope he redeems himself out on cross country.
The complete opposite to Tiger was Mopani, ridden by last year’s British Open winner, Daisy Berkeley – a stunning jumper, and although you cant see it in the pictures, he had the daisy flower on his bum, definitely the best quarter marks we’ve seen yet today – it was actually Lily who noticed it!
I caught up with Daisy very briefly after she jumped her second horse, McKenzie, and as she was headed up to get ready for cross country.
When I told her that Lily had admired the Daisy quarter marks, she laughed and told me that if she falls off it’s so that everyone will know who the horse belongs to and bring it back to the right person!
Daisy on Mopani
Andrew Nicholson was busy as usual; in the short time we were watching we saw him on two rides, here he is on Shady Grey
We also saw Lucinda Fredericks on a couple, here she is on The Navigator
William Fox-Pitt also rode several of course, although we only saw him go on Avoca Alibi, and it’s almost impossible to get a picture of him not in a faultless position
Sharon Hunt, a member of the British Team with Tankers Town, has a nice bunch of horses here this weekend, and jumped a nice round on Just Maisie II.
Frenchman Sidney Dufresne is based with Mark Todd, and we all oohed and aahed over Quincey!
We didn’t stay to watch much more show-jumping as the cross country started a mere two hours later, leaving riders, children and EN journalists little time to hang about! More from Gatcombe soon as we go cross country and go eventing!
