Britain’s Kristina Cook and Billy The Red are the overnight leaders ahead of tomorrow’s show jumping in the CIC3* at Barbury International Horse Trials. The former European champion and three-times Olympic medallist produced a stunning test on the 10-year-gelding, securing a mark of 40.4.
Kristina says: “I am really pleased. Billy is only a young horse and there is masses of atmosphere here today. He can be buzzy, which makes him good on the cross-country, but means he can show some tension in the dressage, but he was great in the arena today and I am delighted with how he responded.”
Australia’s William Levett performed the best test, scoring an excellent 36.1 on Lassban Diamond Lift. However, the combination withdrew from the competition following their test. William Fox-Pitt and Clifton Signature, who were the overnight leaders after the first day, are now second on 40.7.
Locally-based riders Tim Price and Kitty King are third and fourth respectively. Tim, on Ringwood Sky Boy, delivered a smart test for 41.3. Kitty and Vendredi Biats scored 42.2.
Another local rider, Andrew Nicholson, holds good spots on two horses: seventh on Byrnesgrove First Diamond with 43 and eighth on Swallow Springs with 43.9.
Saturday at Barbury features the CIC3* show jumping, the dressage phase of Leg 3 of the Event Rider Masters, the CIC2* show jumping and cross-country, as well as the JCB Champions Challenge. The CIC3* culminates on Sunday with the cross-country, running in reverse order of merit.
The Novice classes have concluded, and the best of the Kiwi results were Dan Jocelyn and Fjury, second in Section F, Blyth Tait and Superstorm Sandy third in section H, Dan and Lissygan Rory fifth in section H, Tim Price and Providores eighth in section H, and Jesse Campbell on I Spy II ninth in section G. In the Open Novice, Andrew was fourth on Andrea BT4, and James Avery 11th on Babaloo II.
The Intermediate Novice classes still have their cross-country to come and Sir Mark Todd sits in second place on Dusk Til Dawn in one section, with Blyth on Dasset Courage fifth and Andrew eighth on As Is in the other.
