The two-star leaderboard remains unchanged at the Necarne Castle three-day event at Loughanmore, Co Antrim, with British rider Lucy Challis holding on to her advantage with the 14-year-old Kibah Bossa Nova when the final 10 horses were put through their paces yesterday morning.
Alison Kissock is still best of the home side in fourth with Dun An Ri, but north Co Dubliner Jenny Pratt moved into contention by slotting Horseware Halcyon Days into 11th, despite further overnight rain which had made the footing in the dressage arenas even more testing.
In the one-star competition, Switzerland's dressage specialist Christian Landolt gave an elegant display with Lord Simba to earn top marks from two of the three judges for a substantial four-point lead over both newlywed Heidi Walsh, who returned from her honeymoon in Barbados on Monday to ride Flashman K for owner Tim Philips, and Co Meath rider Cliona Boyce, whose horse Coalman made an impressively speedy recovery from a flint cut in his hoof which had threatened to keep the horse in his stable for the weekend.
Charlotte Hayes from Co Wicklow has a slim lead in the junior class with the eight-year-old Royal Renown mare Sage, but Valeska Kroeger (Meeng Rule), Shelley Cunningham (Another Tommy) and Alex Hynds (Positive Spirit) are all within a point, and today's cross country leaves precious little margin for error.
An extra 15 seconds has been added to the time for the steeplechase in deference to the difficult underfoot conditions and two fences have been taken out of the cross-country course.
