Sammi Birch Hunter Valley II.

© Lorraine O’Sullivan, Inpho Photography

CIC3*

Britain’s Nicola Wilson is in the lead in the CIC3* class at St James’s Place Barbury Horse Trials (5-8 July) in Wiltshire after the first day of dressage.

Riding James and Jo Lambert’s 12-year-old mare Bulana, with whom Nicola won team gold and individual bronze medals for Britain at the 2017 European Championships, she scored 25.2.

Angela Tucker, president of the CIC3* ground jury who judged the test, said: “Bulana is a very attractive horse who produced an accurate and expressive test.”

William Fox-Pitt, veteran of so many British medal-winning teams and winner of this class at Barbury in 2017, is in second place. He scored 26.4 aboard Fernhill Pimms, which leaves him half a mark ahead of Australian Sammi Birch and Hunter Valley II, who scored 26.9.

Aussies in the CIC3*: Sammi Birch Hunter Valley II are currently in 4th place on 26.9 after the first day of dressage, while Chris Burton and Cooley Lands are sitting in 11th on 32.0. Robert Palm and Koko Story are still within reach on 38.0 penalties and are in 38th out of a big field of 70.

CIC2* classses

In the CIC2*, Australia’s Sam Griffiths and Billy Liffy are at the head of section C with a mark of 25.4.

The British pair of Sarah Bullimore and Corouet are in first place in CIC2* section D with 23.9.

And Belgian rider Maarten Boon scored 29.1 aboard Gravin Van Cantos to lead CIC2* section E.

Christine Bates and Adelaide Hill are competing in the CIC2* (Section D) and are currently in 21st place on 30.5 penalties.

Young horse classes

The remaining action on day one of the 2018 St James’s Place Barbury Horse Trials concentrated on the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse classes.

Hannah Freeman won the four-year-old section with Helen Watkins’ Spye Morning Star, a son of the Badminton-winning stallion Chilli Morning. Hannah bred and backed him herself, and this was their first attempt at a BYEH qualifier.
 
Yasmin Olsson-Sanderson took the five-year-old class with her own Inchello DHI, a son of Chello III VDL. She bought him from Ian and Heidi Woodhead as a green four-year-old, and described him as her “pride and joy”.

Event Rider Masters CIC3* still to come!

Action at Barbury resumes tomorrow with the second half of the CIC3* and CIC2* dressage, and the eight novices classes do their dressage, showjumping and cross-country.

On Saturday the CIC2* sections showjump and go cross-country, while the CIC3* Event Rider Masters competitors perform their dressage tests in Barbury’s spectacular main arena.

Aussie in the ERM class: There are a number of Aussies set to compete in the Event Rider Masters CIC3*, including Chris Burton, Warren Lamperd and Sam Griffiths.

RESULTS AND START TIMES CAN BE VIEWED HERE.

Source: Event press release / editor's notes in italics

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