Pippa still in front at Houghton

      Pippa Funnell still leads - but this time on MGH Grafton Street.

 

An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at

Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International - find out more here

 

With 19 horses still to do their dressage tests tomorrow in the headline 'three-star' class, which incorporates the FEI Eventing Nations Cup, Pippa Funnell reigns supreme. Her overnight leader Billy Beware has dropped a place to second, usurped by stablemate MGH Grafton Street.

Sweden's Terese Viklund is now in third place on Diabolique while both Laura Collett's Mr Bass and Kiwi Jesse Campbell's Cleveland have moved about Holly Woodhead. Holly now sits in sixth place on Parkfield Quintessential. Campbell also holds equal seventh place on his second ride Amsterdam II, having posted the same score as Nicola Wilson riding Bulana. Less than one and a half penalties separates these top eight combinations.

 

      New Zealand's Jesse Campbell and Cleveland

 

There was no change today at the top of the leaderboard in the 'two-star', with France's Thomas Carlile, Australian Brook Staples and Piggy French filling the top three places. There's little to choose between them, however; Carlile scored 29.2, Staples 29.3 and French 29.4.

Germany's Dirk Schrade has a more comfortable lead in the 'one-star'. Dajara 4 performed a lovely dressage test to score 24.6, with Jesse Campbell also in the running in this class, currently second on Diachello. Caroline Harris, Piggy French and Tom Jackson complete the top five.

 

      Bubby Upton and Eros DHI

 

In the NAF British Eventing under 21 National Championships the reigning Junior European Champion's run of form is continuing. Suffolk born Bubby Upton is emulating Pippa Funnell by filling the top two spaces on the leaderboard. Cola III currently has the edge over her European Champion Eros DHI.

Away from the eventing, Nicola Wilson won yesterday's Combined Training; this competition consists of dressage and showjumping with no cross country. Nicola narrowly pipped Ros Canter to the win, Ros riding No Excuse. Izzy Taylor and Director General took third place. Meanwhile, today was action packed with both affiliated and unaffiliated show jumping, the day wrapping up with the first of the Arena Eventing classes.

The trade stands are well stocked and with the weather forecast predicting two days of sunshine the organisers are looking forward to welcoming around 12,000 people over the weekend. Tickets can be bought on the gate, which opens at 8.30am. The cross country gets underway at 9am.

 

      Australia's Kevin McNab and Willunga, competing at his first 3*, are in 16th place currently

Interim results here