EQUESTRIAN:BRITAIN's WILLIAM Fox-Pitt recorded a hat-trick at the Tattersalls international horse trials when landing The Irish Field CCI*** class on Bay My Hero, which he partnered to victory at 1½-star level at the Co Meath venue in 2010 and 2011.
Bred in Wexford by Bryan Maguire, Catherine Witt’s nine-year-old Cult Hero gelding lowered one show jump in yesterday’s final phase but, on a penalty score of 48, still had four points in hand over local rider Sarah Ennis and Miriam Cunning’s home-bred mare Sugar Brown Babe. A very expensive time penalty over the coloured poles saw Britain’s Polly Stockton drop a place to third with Cork owner Arthur Comyn’s Westwood Mariner (52.2).
Stockton’s sister-in-law, Ireland’s Aoife Clark, riding the Lily White Syndicate’s Master Crusoe (49.2), finished second in the George Mernagh Memorial CIC*** to fellow Co Kildare native Camilla Speirs and her mother Bridget’s Portersize Just a Jiff.
The 12-year-old Crosskeys Rebel gelding competed all three phases on his dressage score of 41.4.
On a day when the Irish team won the new Dubarry Boyne trophy, fellow Olympic hopeful Captain Geoff Curran had to settle for third place with The Jump Jet having picked up 0.8 of a penalty for time in yesterday’s cross-country phase (49.6). Mark Kyle (Coolio), Joseph Murphy (Electric Cruise), Elizabeth Power (September Bliss) and Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure) kept their Olympic hopes alive with good performances.
Sadly the Australian horse Sugoi suffered a broken neck in a fall at the 17th fence. Chris Burton, who moved to England from Australia over a year ago, made his first visit to Ireland a memorable won when winning two of the senior CCI classes.
First up, he landed the Eventing Ireland two-star class with Underdiscussion, which finished the three phases on his flat work mark of 37 penalties. There was a strong international field for this class with New Zealand’s Tim Price taking second with Wesko (40.7), Britain’s Lucy Wiegersma placing third on the stallion Wish Upon A Star (45) and Sarah Ennis finishing third with Westwinds Hercules (48.7), one of three rides she had in the class.
In Land Rover CCI* class, Burton led from the outset to win on his dressage score of 37.5 with the Irish-bred gelding Graf Liberty. Britain’s Oliver Townend took second (44.4) with another Irish-bred, Cooley Master Class, ahead of compatriot Chris King and Billy Bounce (45.6). Local rider Ciaran Glynn was best of the home defence when fourth with Killossery Jupiter Rising (46.5).
Also in fourth, Katie Nolan riding Kilbeg Cool Diamond (60) was best of the Irish in the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI** for riders under 25. Here, Britain’s Isabel Djivanovic riding Billy Buzz (43.2) finished well clear of compatriots Caroline Harris (The Undertaker, 57.9) and Georgie Norton (Hearne Lass, 58.7).
Ballymena’s Tori Dixon won the Tattersalls Autumn Festival of Eventing one-star class for junior riders with the 17-year-old thoroughbred Shadow Light. Although slightly slower across the country, Co Kerry’s Katie Moffatt also show jumped clear to finish second on Pick And Mix II (48.1), while a pole down yesterday saw Britain’s Camilla Hope drop to third with O The Bill (48.2).
Co Cork’s Gavin Smiddy led from start to finish to claim the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa national pony two-star class with the German-bred stallion Mr Hale Bob.
