Wills Oakden and AKD Cooley Lockdown Photo courtesy Lauren Birt
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While much of the focus was on the Saturday’s headline class at Kelsall Hill, the Protect My Income Advanced Intermediate, there were plenty of quality combinations out on course in the other Intermediate sections
The winner of the Advanced Intermediate, Izzy Taylor was busy hopping on and off horses all day on her first visit to Kelsall Hill and took home other several placings, including third and seventh in the Magnitude Finance Open Intermediate Section O on Artful Trinity and Tregolls
Big pats after the dressage for Ibby Macpherson's Ballingowan Diamond
But it was Scotland’s Wills Oakden, making the trip south for his first visit to the Cheshire event who went away with a win and a very good experience for his horse AKD Cooley Lockdown. This combination won the Open Intermediate Section O on their dressage score of 29.3, closely chased by another talented young rider, Sam Ecroyd on Arco BB in second place on a score of 29.9.
Ibby Macpherson beat both the boys in the dressage phase on Ballingowan Diamond but added 5.2 time penalties on cross country to slip into fourth place
Wills Oakden
Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo Photo courtesy Lauren Birt
Australia had two riders in this class with Andrew Hoy giving his experienced campaigner Cheeky Calimbo an outing for fifth place and a season start for the two talented youngsters, Basmati and Vassilly De Lassos. The young ones may have been a little too pleased to be out, but Andrew gave a masterclass on them all on cross country, even complimented on by the course designer Captain Mark Phillips! Catherine Burrell finished 11th place in this class on Duke but took sixth in the Jade Chewins Intermediate Section M on board the lovely grey, Milan
Catherine Burrell and Milan
This section was won by Oliver Townend on Newmarket Caro on their dressage score of 31.8 with Rosie Thomas in second on Fly The Flag (35.2) and Izzy yet again in third riding Hello Stranger (39.4)
Victoria Wilson and Don't You Know Photo courtesy Lauren Birt
Victoria Wilson and Don’t You Know backed up a good third place in the Intermediate at Belton International with a win in the Intermediate Section N on board Don’t You Know on their dressage score of 31.60, a few points ahead of second placed Stephen Heal and Mississippi II (35) and Phoebe Buckley on Tiger Mail (39.3)
It was a late finish for the last class of the day, the NAF Open Intermediate Under 21, which was won by Douglas Crawford and Shadow Lad
