Collett clinches another victory
The winner speeds to triumph with a young gun back from injury, while Piggy French impresses with a horse not known for being a ‘natural’ on the flat
LAURA COLLETT’S heady summer of success continued with a convincing win on exciting prospect Dacapo in the competitive advanced section for eight- and nine-year-old horses.
Second after dressage, she was fastest across the inviting cross-country, adding just 1.6 time-penalties to a dressage score of 26.4 to head a field of 68 on the strapping bay German-bred nineyear-old by Diarado.
Taking home the first prize of £1,000 provided by sponsor and competitor Kate Rocher-Smith of Dassett Eventing, Laura headed runner-up Kitty King on her World Equestrian Games (WEG) reserve-listed horse Vendredi
Biats by 8.1 penalties.
Andrew Nicholson, in the rosettes on all four advanced rides, rose to third on Yacabo BK, who was gelded late but has come on since third place at Le Lion last year. Another black son of Lacros, sire of the 2013 Kentucky winner Quimbo, Andrew suggests that Yacabo, the better galloper of the two, will probably be sold.
Dressage leader Pippa
Funnell, another to enjoy multiple advanced prizes, had the homebred Billy Walk On (by Billy Mexico) in a lovely rhythm to finish fourth.
Laura bought Dacapo from Gloucestershire-based Italian dealer Francesca Pollara as a six-year-old and sold him to a syndicate but, frustratingly, in 2016 he fractured his pelvis in a fall on the horse walker.
“He’s come on in leaps and bounds and feels as if he’ll jump whatever I aim him at,” said
Laura, who puts her run of success down to “a really nice atmosphere” in her new yard at Salperton and her super collection of young horses coming to fruition.
Dacapo is aimed at Blenheim although, of course, Laura hopes to be many miles away at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon that weekend with Mr Bass, whom she rode in the first two phases of the Sunday section laid on for WEG-listed horses, using the four-star dressage test.
Piggy French was not only victorious but also earned herself the speed demon accolade in this advanced section, as the only rider to come home within the time across country.
Partnering the “tough” 13-yearold mare Vanir Kamira, Piggy let the handbrake off and finished three seconds within the optimum time, having been one of only a handful to post a clear score in the showjumping.
Trevor Dickens’ daughter of Camiro De Haar Z is on the British WEG long-list and was having her first run since returning from breeding duties. The pair were also putting a tumble at Badminton in May behind them.
“The fall was in the water and it was quite nasty. However, today she did not bat an eyelid at the water, which I was pleased about,” said Piggy, who introduced the mare to eventing as a six-year-old.
“After Badminton, she spent about six weeks at stud having embryos taken, which was the prize she won as ‘best mare’ at Burghley. I am just so glad she has come back feeling in great form.”
Despite an impressive dressage score of 26.6, Piggy highlighted that Vanir Kamira is not a “natural” on the flat.
“She is not the easiest horse to get all three phases right on the same day. Three-day events suit her more because she has time to settle,” added the local Northamptonshire rider. “She is a hardy girl and does whatever she can to please. Although she is not a natural, she is a real trier and has plenty of scope.”
There were plenty of problems in the showjumping in this advanced section, with the time being particularly tight, and riders had to accelerate round the twisty track to stay within the clock. This resulted in many time-penalties and only nine combinations from 36 starters posted a zero score in this phase.
Paul Tapner — a former rider of the winning horse — finished runner-up to Piggy aboard
Bonza King Of Rouges, with Tom McEwen (Strike Smartly) in third.
‘It’s a course to ride at, there’s nothing trappy’
PAUL SIMS
‘FUN HORSE’ TRIUMPHS
PAUL SIMS, winner of section K with Fred and Roselle Willis’ Last Secret, was upfront about his modest ambitions for the 12-yearold mare by Arkangel.
“She’s my fun horse,” he explained. “I stepped her up to three-star last year and she didn’t really like it so I now do a mix of two-star and advanced to keep her competitive. It seems to work, as she wins a lot.”
Matthew Heath and his longtime four-star partner The Lion finished bang on the optimum time of 6min 51sec to be second and Izzy Taylor was third on Direct Tullyoran Cruise.
Riders praised Nigel Taylor’s efforts to produce excellent going — watering took place during the day — and his endlessly varied
track, described by Paul Sims as “a course to ride at, there’s nothing trappy”.
The big hedge and drop introduced in 2017, which created superb pictures, was followed by a right-hand turn to a new water complex (fence 23) with a log in and narrow brush exit. The acquisition of the land around the start and finish means that viewing can be improved next year and the young plantings will be turned into another meaty hedge for 2019, when Nigel intends to apply for CIC status.
“It’s an old-fashioned,
galloping track with a modern touch, the idea being to create something I’d still like to ride myself,” said Nigel, a member of Britain’s 1998 WEG team.
“That’s why we come here all the way from Somerset,” said Millie Dumas, who won advanced section L on Artistiek, adding
9.2 time-penalties to her leading dressage score of 26. “It’s lovely to let the handbrake off — there are lots of places to gallop.”
Runner-up James Sommerville on Talent was far faster (1.2 time-penalties), but was anchored by five showjumping penalties.