After a very eventful show jumping in the RM Williams CIC3*, Samantha Felton and Ricker Ridge Pico Boo have moved up a place, and are second going into the final phase, tomorrow’s cross-country. Sam was unlucky to take a rail on Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, but rode a very decisive round within the time. She is now on 53.1. We caught up with her afterwards:
“I thought it was a little bit unlucky; sometimes you get that. I thought he was perhaps a little close, but I wasn’t going into it thinking he was going to have it down. Then he jumped really well around the rest of the course, so perhaps it was the little wake-up call he needed. Lots of people were having time faults and I thought there was no point going clear and having four time faults so I shaved my turns and tried at least not make that happen.”
The leader after the dressage, Tim Boland on GV Billy Elliot, was eliminated after the horse napped towards the end of the course. There was no way he wanted to jump away from the entrance gate and the judges had no choice but to ring the bell on them.
Oliver Townend showed his class by recording the only clear jumping round in the time, so is on his dressage score of 44.9. Every other competitor had at least a time fault or three, and a rail or eleven.
“He is a good horse,” said Oliver after his round. He wasn’t feeling any pressure either, even as the leader heading into the cross-country phase. “I am still in holiday mode. This is the world I live in every week, hopefully. But it is a great position to be in and I am just enjoying myself more and more.”
As the jumping was in reverse order, Sam Felton rode Ricker Ridge Escada first, and had one rail and one time fault to finish on 70.4 in eighth place.
“Escada started off a little unsettled but finished really well. The rail that we had was my mistake. He was being a little difficult to ride but it was my fault.”
The course certainly proved a challenge for most of the riders and has changed the leaderboard significantly. Shenae Lowings, fourth after dressage, had a disastrous round, taking 11 rails and adding time faults to fall back to 17th. Megan Jones has moved up to third on Kirby Park Impress with 55.10, recording a clear round but with one time fault.
