An Eventful Life is filming at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials – order or view cross country videos here
Thousands of people from across the region gathered to revel in all things great British eventing, in the iconic Capability Brown Blenheim Palace parklands as day two of the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials got underway. The action continued with more dressage in the Agria CCI4*-L and GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S, with last-minute shake-ups and jostling around the middle ranks.
While Australia’s Oliver Barrett held his CCI4*-L lead for the second day of the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, there was a change at the top of the GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S class.
Thursday’s leader Tom McEwen was usurped by 27-year-old Bubby Upton before the lunch break with her ride on Auckland 7 scoring 26.9. Then, as the day’s competition came to a close, Bubby returned with her second ride of the day, Sancerre de Tiji, to duplicate that score, effectively holding two equal first places.
But, in classic eventing form, it was the fourth from last rider, France’s Astier Nicolas, a team gold and individual silver medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games and regular competitor on British soil, who stormed home with a 23.5 score on Hitchqote du Coudray, to secure the top spot at the end of day one.
"He is a very gentle horse, serious and tries to please," said Astier, who explained that the French-bred nine-year-old is named after the famous film director and is known as "Alfred" at home.
"He was just magic. It is his first 4-star and he is so green - it just shows the relationship we have” said Bubby of her Bubby said of her white-faced gelding, Sancerre de Tiji “I am aware that the next two phases are building blocks for him. The cross-country will be a step-up in terrain and technicality for both horses, but today is a win."
First-day leader Tom McEwen, a member of Britain's gold medal team at the recent World Championships in Aachen, is now in fourth place on Brookfield Danny de Muze. Izzy Taylor riding Barrington Boy and Kitty King riding Kilcoltrim Cooley round out the top six and Australia’s Sammi Birch sits in seventh place riding Rosa’s Party.
While Astier has 3.4 penalties in hand over Bubby’s two horses, just 2.2 penalties separate Bubby from the rest of the top 10, with many more very promising combinations dangerously close behind!
