For Bramham coverage throughout the weekend tune into SamanthaLClark.com and Eventing Nation. [Bramham Results]
Chilli Morning had three fences in hand over Pippa Funnell in the CCI*** here at Bramham, but only used one up to deliver William Fox-Pitt his sixth title, and his second three star win of the day, as he’d already piloted Neuf Des Couers around the CIC*** cross country clear with no time to take that section too. Congratulations to the whole team for another amazing weekend. Things that seem ridiculous to suggest before a competition starts, ‘imagine if William takes both classes..” have a way of becoming reality when he’s involved. William has hinted all weekend that Bramham is a special event for him, and now more than ever it surely will be; he did his first ever 3* here in 1987 on his mother’s Melton Ride horse, an OTTB called Le Djinn and said he remembers completing but not where he placed.
William once again paid tribute to Chilli Morning’s former rider Nick Gauntlett, but also to the horse, “He’s a lovely horse to work with, and I really enjoy riding him. You could see in the show-jumping he is quite keen but he wants to do his best and you can’t ask for more than that.” William said he wasn’t at all surprised by all the trouble the track caused, “I walked the course this morning and I thought it was pretty big. The ground was excellent but it was yielding ground, it wasn’t giving them much spring so they had to work quite hard, particularly after a tiring day yesterday on good to soft ground. I think today was inevitable but certainly the show-jumping track walked, and rode like a decent track at that level.”
All Pippa Funnel’s show-jumping experience paid off this afternoon over a track that caused plenty of heartache and disappointment. Pippa’s well-ridden clear on Mirage D’Elle bumped her up a whopping ten places from 12th to 2nd. She sat next to her longtime team mate and friend William in the press conference and gently teased him throughout while they shared a tray of sandwiches; there is a lovely rapport between them , the result of competing against each other and together for many years, and a mutual respect, and obviously affection. When asked if he preferred any of his three Olympic prospects over the other, Pippa laughed and joked about how selfish William is to have three, and that she should be allowed to borrow one! Pippa also addressed the tough course, “I think that because of the ground conditions you nearly had to go up a gear, and going up a gear on tired horses that maybe needed a bit of help and being held together isn’t so easy. It’s much easier to go up a gear if you know you’re sitting on a good jumper.” Pippa has three Bramham titles to her name, and remembered that on her first ever time here she was lying second after the cross country and missed out a fence in the show-jumping to be eliminated, and then watched Richard Walker, in the lead in the senior division do exactly the same thing which, she said, made her feel only slightly better!
Izzy Taylor is one cool customer and a wonderful rider; she just needs luck to go her way for her to be unstoppable. Briarlands Matilda breathed on the first part of the treble and it came down, but their 4 fault round was good enough for 3rd place.
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The spectacular Borough Penny Z drew gasps from the crowd, clearing every jump by feet, and feisty in between. Vittoria Panizzon has a great relationship with her, and their clear round moved them up to fourth place in the final standings.
Sam Griffiths had an unhappy day in the show-jumping arena; lying second and third with Paulank Brockagh, above, and Happy Times respectively, he had three down on each to drop to 5th and 7th places.
Lucy Jackson has had a cracking weekend and is riding like a champion. Although Willy Do knocked the first and third parts of the treble down she still moved up from 14th to eventual 8th place, and I’m sure she’ll take happy memories of Bramham home with her.
Cool Dancer and Olivia Wilmot had three down, but finishing in the top 10 (9th) in such illustrious company is a great result, and there’s plenty more to come from this pair.
Jamie Atkinson’s Celtic Fortune has a hell of a jump and he rode him very well for one down. I think this is quite a young horse so he’ll be thrilled, and looking forward to the future with him.
Tristar looked tired and even Andrew Nicholson couldn’t conjure less than four rails down out of him.
Joy Dawes has been so impressive all weekend and put a bow on her 2012 Bramham with a clear jumping round on Finisterre to move up to 12th place (they languished in 61st place after the dressage!)
Sharon Hunt, who recently retired her experienced campaigner Tankers Town looks like she may have found a nice replacement in the young mare Just Maisie who had one rail down and finished 12th.
Grannvetka put his Rolex cross country blip well behind him yesterday with a superb fast clear on the cross country, but was a difficult ride for Lucy Wiegersma who will no doubt have been disappointed with five down which dropped her to 14th place.
Louisa Lockwood rode a very good round for one down on Ballyfarris Flight who also looked tired, they finished in 15th place.
Congratulations to all the horses and riders and their connections, but especially again to the Fox Pitt team, he is truly a living legend. An enormous thank you to the grooms who have worked so hard, to the volunteers and organisers, and to the Bramham estate. CIC cross country report coming up soon, but in the meantime Go Fox Pitt and Bramham Eventing!
