Piggy March and Cooley Anything You Like. Photo by SPIHT/Peter Nixon.
Piggy March continued her hot streak of form at Scone Palace to leapfrog up to first place after cross-country in the CCI4*-L aboard Cooley Anything You Like. She also holds top spot in the two-star ahead of showjumping.
She was one of only three pairs clear inside the time over Alec Lochore’s track, lifting her from fourth after dressage.
“He is an out-and-out Badminton and Burghley horse – so powerful, brave and he has such gallop,” said Piggy. “I was very grateful for the long uphill gallops because he is a machine – it’s just difficult getting him back for the downhill ones!”
Piggy “tried new tactics” today, going directly from the stables to the startbox because the 11-year-old can find the warm-up arena exciting.
“I lobbed round the bottom field and went straight out on to the course before he realised what was going on, and he started very settled,” she said.
Piggy does not have a showjumping rail in hand over Willa Newton and Hartacker, the dressage leaders, who added 8.4 time-faults.
“He was amazing; I’m just kicking myself for the time-faults,” said Willa. “He’d had a horrid winter with his sinuses and teeth and only started eventing in July, so I didn’t know quite how fit he was, so although I’m a bit gutted to lose the lead, he was brilliant.”
Izzy Taylor, fifth after dressage, is 2.1pen behind in third on SBH Big Wall after clocking 4.8 time-faults – and sixth on new ride PSH Encore. Izzy is on the comeback trail after a broken femur kept her on the sidelines until the summer.
“This is my first ‘long’ since, and there were a lot of questions – am I fit enough? Are the horses fit enough?” Izzy said. “I’m still rusty, but the ride he gave me today was really good. The course was great and a real improvement on last year – smooth but you had to work for it, and beautiful ground.”
Two U.S. riders are in the top 10 after cross country, with FEI Eventing World Championships pair Quidley Kellerman and Blakeney’s Cruise jumping clear with time to go into eighth overnight on a 44.6, and Molly Duda with Jutopia jumping clear into ninth on a 47.9 in the mare’s first CCI4*-L effort.
“Special” Muze Holds the CCI4*-S Advantage
Gemma Stevens and Cooley Park Muze. Photo by SPIHT/Peter Nixon.
Gemma Stevens cemented pole position in the CCI4*-S with a breathtaking showjumping clear with Cooley Park Muze, the final horse to enter the Scone Palace International Horse Trials main arena. Mindful of the tight time, Gemma saw a long stride at the large Subaru oxer at fence seven, and the 10-year-old bay soared effortlessly over – then nimbly popped the following upright.
“I came round the corner to that blue oxer, thinking about the time and trying to give him enough space, but I saw a bit too much space! But he was lovely,” said Gemma, who was part of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the recent World Championships in Aachen, Germany.
“I was a little bit nervous beforehand, not because the course was difficult but because I so want to do well. He is such a good jumper, and he’s a very special horse.”
Gemma is also lying in fourth and seventh, with the Chilli Morning clone Chilli Morning IV and Chilli’s Jester.
“My other two horses were unbelievable as well – all three are lovely, lovely horses.”
Breathing down Gemma’s neck just 0.2 of a penalty away in second is Emily King, who jumped clear on her Luhmühlen runner-up Valmy Biats.
Scotland is represented in third by local rider Wills Oakden and Keep It Cooley, who also left all the coloured poles up.
Sixty percent of the 99-strong field showjumped clear, but only 35% were inside the time.
The leaderboard is tightly packed, leaving little margin for error for those contending for the £1,500 first prize. Just 1.9 penalties – or five seconds of cross-country time-faults – covers the top six.
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