Vina Buller's dream of winning a three-day event was finally realised in Co Cork yesterday when the Co Down rider held on to claim the Ballindenisk one-star international honours with the six-year-old Chablis, despite a fence down in the show jumping.
"It's great after 10 years of knocking at the door," the former show jumper said after clinching victory. "I don't want to ride at the top level any more, but it's great to win a three-day event, no matter what level it's at."
Buller's victory came after a string of second placings with Chablis during the spring season. The Autumn Slipper gelding established his credentials from the dressage phase at Ballindenisk, sped round the 21-fence cross country in greasy, rain-soaked footing on Saturday and then sealed his success in yesterday's show jumping, despite lowering the final part of the combination.
Closest to the winners were Frances Younghusband and Trotski, whose dressage test had left them in eighth on Friday. The initial results on Saturday night had put the eight-year-old son of Victor Hugo in equal 10th place, but a recalculation on the scores saw eight time penalties from the steeplechase removed to promote the pair to third, and they moved up a slot with a clear over the knockable fences. Britain's Joanna Preece and Billy Whizz, the horse Austin O'Connor had ridden to claim the one-star honours at Blarney Castle last year, had held overnight second after the cross country. But the chestnut gelding was very sore from a cut on his pastern joint and, after being held over for re-inspection yesterday morning, was declared too lame to continue.
The British did at least get one into the top end of the line-up, however, with Neil Fox slotting Young Thomas into third, ahead of former Blarney junior winner Lady Alex with Heidi Walsh Hamilton.
Following Buller's example, JP Magnier led from flagfall with the Australian thoroughbred Wanden Park to win a strong junior class by just two points from Ciaran Glynn and Del's Delight. Magnier, who was on Ireland's bronze medal team at the European pony championships in Sweden three months ago, was foot-perfect throughout to complete his first junior three-day on a winning note.
Scottish teenager Olivia Haddow overhauled her French rival at the final hurdle to win the pony class with the 10-year-old part Connemara Sapphire Blue.
CCI one-star (final placings): 1, Ireland's Chablis (Vina Buller), 79 penalties; 2, Ireland's Trotski (Frances Younghusband), 87; 3, Britain's Young Thomas (Neil Fox), 87; 4, Ireland's Lady Alex (Heidi Walsh Hamilton), 90; 5, Ireland's Ground Control (Ken Mahon), 93; 6, Ireland's Specs (John Watson), 96.
Juniors: 1, Ireland's Wanden Park (JP Magnier), 87 penalties; 2, Ireland's Del's Delight (Ciaran Glynn), 89; 3, Britain's The Artist (Alicia Fox-Pitt), 90; 4, Ireland's Sportsfield Pick 'n' Mix (Kate Keenan), 90; 5, Ireland's The Caravaggio (Cathy Prenderville), 116; 6, Ireland's LA Malibu (Sam Curling), 117.
Ponies: 1, Britain's Sapphire Blue (Olivia Haddow), 80 penalties; 2, Britain's Sopps Toby (Lucy Allen), 85; 3, Ireland's Northern Grey (Pierce Power), 85; 4, France's Everest du Canon (Maud Henriette Ludivine Gonzalez), 88; 5, Britain's Mariuson's Image (Holly Wright), 89; 6, Ireland's Shannon View Lad (Dairine Kennedy), 90.
