Eventing Bicton Arena, Kelsall Hill and Moreton
Laura Collett shines at this busy event, which fields record numbers following multiple spring cancellations
AFTER two consecutive international runner-up placings last year, Laura Collett and London 52 kept the opposition firmly in check in Devon and took home a clutch of prizes for winning the Rathbones CIC2*.
“He’s come out a different horse this year,” said Laura at a sun-soaked prize-giving. “Across
country last year I had to do a bit of hand-holding, but now I think we’re on course for the Blenheim eight- and nine-year-old CIC3*. At least, that’s plan A.”
The horse’s quirky nature extends to disliking others near him in the dressage warm up.
“He gets himself wound up, but doing the dressage here on a surface out of the way kept him calm,” said the rider, who lay second after the first phase behind Chelsea Pearce and Albert VI, but added nothing to her scorecard in the subsequent jumping phases to take pole position.
Like many horses contesting national and international intermediate level classes at Bicton, London 52 — who belongs to Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett and Laura — has had a far from straightforward spring campaign, and the numerous cancellations had left him short of runs. The event, too, was deluged with late entries, and the organising team was not only forced to keep an intermediate wait list for the first time, but it balloted out 200 horses at BE100 and BE90 level.
Laura added: “I haven’t been to Bicton since 2006 and it’s barely recognisable. Helen West [event organiser, course-designer and Bicton Arena manager] deserves a big pat on the back. The ground was incredible and the crosscountry was educational and a great fitness test.”
In a tussle for the two-star runner-up spot, Danielle Dunn pipped long-distance raider Harry Mutch by 0.1 of a penalty. Danielle was piloting the Pau-bound Grandslam, the horse she had admired when on the same 2015 silver medal-winning European CIC2* championship team as his then rider, Tyler Cassells.
“When Grandslam came up for sale, Stuart Hodder came on board with me and bought a half share. I’m used to bringing on my own youngsters, so to take on an experienced horse was a change for me, but it’s been a good learning curve,” said Swindonbased Danielle.
Harry Mutch, who had travelled all the way from Newcastle, attended prize-giving with his proud mother, Carole, whose allegiance had been torn between watching Harry steer HD Bronze and Ramilo into third and 20th and trying to follow her elder son Robert’s progress in the London Marathon.
Harry’s placing was all the sweeter because of some nightmare issues he has suffered
in recent years. His potential leading light Gorsehill Echo was killed when he fell through the floor of the family’s horsebox, while Harry incurred a crushed leg in 2017 when HD Bronze slipped over while out hacking.
“I developed a large haematoma and couldn’t ride for six weeks.”
Carole puts Harry’s success down to training with Oliver Townend.
“Harry believes in himself now,” she said, going on to credit David Herron with producing the 17.1hh HD Bronze up to BE100.
The CIC2* proceedings ran late after several holds on course for triggered frangible pins, as well as fallers, sometimes prompted by horses’ excessive zeal after the long winter lay-off. Sophie Gardner incurred mild concussion when Mr Malarky II tripped up the step at 7a and ejected her into the corner at 7b. She was taken to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital for observation. Brazil’s Ricky Candi suffered a suspected broken ankle following a fall from Joly Jumper at the Giant’s Table (12).
The skinny triple brush (11a) claimed the most scalps, including those of Padraig McCarthy (Rosemaber Lancuest) and Izzy Taylor (Monkeying Around).
VENDREDI WINS ON A FRIDAY
KITTY KING and Pippa Funnell (Billy Beware) vied for the top spot in the advanced intermediate, the former finally taking the honours by 0.8 of a penalty aboard the nine-year-old Vendredi Biats. However, Surrey-based Pippa did go home with one red rosette, from the open intermediate (OI), courtesy of Sandman 7.
The French-bred grey
Vendredi Biats fell foul of an angled question early on the cross-country at Belton on his previous run, but his rider had already entered him at this West Country event as a back-up.
“He always comes out fresh at the beginning of the season, but he’s made up for his blip at Belton today,” said Kitty, who scored 26.5 on the flat with the Bramham-bound gelding, who belongs to Diana Bown, Samantha Wilson, Sally Eyre and Sally Lloyd-Baker. “He has three good paces, so it’s easy to produce a good test on him.”
On the final day of action, Kitty made it a double, with victory in the Chatham CIC* aboard another
French-bred grey, Alex Wakeley’s Cristal Fontaine, leader of the 55-strong class from flag fall to finish.
“He’s grown-up and mature for his age [six], so I hope he’ll be considered for Le Lion d’Angers in the autumn,” said Kitty.
Junior team hopefuls Sasha Hargreaves and Playtime won’t have done their selection chances any harm with an emphatic win in the under-21 OI, despite two holds during their cross-country round (see box, above).
The intermediate sections went to Izzy Taylor (Philip Surl’s Grafenelle) and Tom Jackson, who was having his second ride in competition on Patricia Davenport and Milly Simmie’s Capels Hollow Drift, who won the CIC* at Chilham Castle last season under Georgie Strang.