Laura and Mr Bass win big at Burgham

 

       Laura Collett and Mr Bass

 

Owen Pugh CIC3*

British rider Laura Collett won the feature CIC3* class at the Owen Pugh Burgham International Horse Trials on Mr Bass, a nine-year-old owned by Keith and Louise Scott, Nick and Lyn How and Laura herself.

It was Laura’s first visit to Northumberland’s only international event, and she said: “It’s been amazing from start to finish. All my three horses have gone really well this weekend and Mr Bass has topped it off. He’s a pleasure to ride.

“I’ll definitely come back to Burgham. The ground has been perfect, the courses are great – I highly recommend it.”

Laura finished on her dressage score of 39.9, beating Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class by just half a mark. It was a thrilling finish to the 80-runner class: Oliver could afford to be two seconds over the time allowed on the cross-country and still win but, in the end, he was three seconds over and had to settle for second.

Oliver also took third place on Cooley SRS on the pair’s final preparation run for the European Eventing Championships in Poland in August.

Dressage leaders Kitty King and Vendredi Biats finished fifth behind Flora Harris (Bayano).

 

      France's Constance Copestake and Aprobanta

 

Howard Russell CIC2*

Constance Copestake, who rides for France but who is based in Lincolnshire, took the Howard Russell CIC2* aboard her own 12-year-old mare Aprobanta. It was 20-year-old Constance’s first CIC2* win.

She was second behind New Zealand’s Tim Price (Falco IV) after dressage, but Tim had a refusal across country, handing the win to Constance.

She said: “My mare has been super all week. The big, galloping cross-country course really suited her – it was well-designed [by David Evans] and beautifully built, and rewarded forward riding.

“This is such a friendly event – I will definitely come back.”

Swedish Olympic rider Ludwig Svennerstal was second on El Kazir SP, and North Yorkshire’s Storm Straker finished third on Well Designed.

 

      Ludwig Svennerstal and Fialotta

 

AW Jenkinson CIC*

Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal topped the AW Jenkinson CIC* riding Ewa Kroom’s nine-year-old mare Fialotta. The pair completed on their dressage score of 38.8.

Ludwig said: “I’ve only had her six weeks and this is only our fourth competition together. She’s inexperienced but very nice – super-easy and rideable. She’s done very well very quickly.”

Selina Milnes took second place with Morelands Casanova, while Aaron Millar was third on Galopin B.

Event director Martyn Johnson said: “It’s been a fantastic international competition and a brilliant day’s sport. The Owen Pugh CIC3* contained a lot of championship horses and it was great to see such quality at Burgham.”

The event continues tomorrow (Sunday 30th July) with national eventing classes at novice, BE100 and BE90 level.