Kitty King and Vendredi Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Change is afoot in the top ten — and beyond — after the final horse inspection at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials, held in front of the ground jury of Katrin Eichinger-Kniely, Merel Schurink, and Dr Ernst Topp.
Four horses were sent to the holding box over the course of proceedings, and just one of those would go on to pass: that was a visibly relieved Declan Cullen of Ireland, whose splashy Seavaghan Ash had also been held at the first horse inspection. They go into today’s showjumping finale in 25th place, having added 20 jumping penalties and 43.2 time penalties yesterday.
That means that three horses and riders have departed from the competition as we head into the final phase, and our field has thinned from 32 cross-country finishers to just 25 competitors. Those were Janneke Boonzaaijer of the Netherlands with I’m Special NOP, who had 13.2 time penalties to sit in 19th place after cross-country; Morocco’s Noor Slaoui and her Olympic partner Cash In Hand, who had won over the crowds through their joyous — and floppy-eared — debut round at the level, and sat 29th on 30 time penalties and 11 jumping penalties, and Great Britain’s Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who had added nothing yesterday to sit fourth after cross-country.
The field was further diminished by four withdrawals ahead of the horse inspection. One of those came from last year’s champion, Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who produced yesterday’s first clear inside the time with level debutant Origi — but on landing from the final fence, the gelding twisted a fetlock, putting him out of today’s competition even as he held seventh place overnight.
There was also a trio of British withdrawals: Aaron Millar opted not to present KEC Deakon, who was 17th after adding 16.8 time penalties on course yesterday, and debutant Phoebe Locke made the same decision with Bellagio Declyange, with whom she’d added 38 time penalties on course. The final withdrawal came from Kirsty Chabert and Opposition Heraldik Girl, who had added 17.2 time penalties to sit 21st.
We’ll head into showjumping at 10.00 a.m (9.00 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. EST), with overnight leaders Laura Collett and London 52 currently sitting less than a rail ahead of second-placed Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. Also within a rail of the win is third-placed Sam Lissington and Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ — and having taken a peek at the course in the main arena, it’s every bit as square and technical as we’re used to seeing here. Luhmühlen famously — along with Pau at the end of the year — has the toughest showjumping tracks, and whichever way the leaderboard stacks up today, it won’t be easily won.
The CCI4*-S, incorporating the German National Championship, will follow afterwards from 13.15 (12.15 BST/7.15 a.m EST). Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel remain in top spot, ahead of Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS in second.
We’ll be back soon with a full report on all the action, and you can tune in to the livestream on Horse&Country TV to catch it all as it happens. Go Eventing.
The new-look top ten going into showjumping in the CCI5*.
Longines Luhmühlen CCI5* (Germany): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [H&C+ Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
