Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo at Luhmuhlen
Andrew Hoy rode like the triple Olympic champion he is to take a convincing lead after the dressage phase in the British Open Championship, incorporating the Event Rider Masters (ERM), at The Festival of British Eventing, presented by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).
Hoy was naturally disappointed to miss the cut for the Australian team in Rio, but he could enjoy compensation here with a second prestigious British Open title 19 years after he triumphed on the spectacular grey Darien Powers and, in the process, earn some valuable points on the ERM leaderboard while others are absent in Brazil.
Hoy scored 36.6 on the handsome black Holsteiner Cheeky Calimbo, a horse he knows well after several seasons together, to head an international field of 38 riders. “He’s got a big personality,” Hoy said, indicating the horse will need to be on his best behaviour to stay at the head of affairs tomorrow.
Andrew Hoy
Oliver Townend, who took the National title in 2013 on Armada but who has never won the British Open outright, was the only other rider to score under 40 and he is second on 39.1 on Cillnabradden Evo, a ride he has taken on from his Kiwi friend Andrew Nicholson.
“He has a bit of a checkered history [both Townend and Nicholson have suffered falls on the horse] but he’s a great jumper and I enjoy riding him.”
Izzy Taylor, another to miss out on the Olympics, is third on the experienced mare KBIS Briarlands Matilda and Australian Paul Tapner, who is currently second on the ERM leaderboard at the halfway mark in the season, is in fourth place on Yogi Bear Vlll.
The scores are tightly bunched in the 40s with the next 17 riders within six penalties of each other, including 1998 British Open Champion and Olympic Champion Blyth Tait, 13th on Bear Necessity V.
Bumper crowds were enjoying the huge variety of entertainment on offer at Gatcombe Park, in beautiful sunshine. Both Hoy and Townend were full of praise for Captain Mark Phillips’s cross country course, which has a new double water complex at the far end of the park bowl and is creating great interest for spectators.
“The ground is fantastic and the presentation of the course is excellent. Mark does a great job,” said Hoy. “The changes are good and have spread the spectators out so you have support all the way round.
“The whole format of the British Open, and the ERM, with the show jumping and cross country in reverse order is so exciting and has to be the way forward for the sport.”
Rebecca Woolley leads The TopSpec Challenge for The Corinthian Cup for amateur riders on Zeno Das Gluck with the excellent dressage mark of 28.1.
