The dressage arenas were the place to be at the 2023 FEI Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International Horse Trials today (14 April), with the first riders completing their dressage tests in the CCI-S 3* and CCI-S 4* classes.
Last year’s CCI-S 4* winner, Oliver Townend got his title defence off to an ideal start –with all three of his horses placed in the top ten of the CCI4*-S class (Section B) at the end of day one. Oliver currently holds the top spot with his Tokyo Olympic team gold medallist, Ballaghmor Class on a score of 25.6; third place with last year’s winner, Swallow Springs (27.8); and seventh with Tregilder. Izzy Taylor completes the top three at this stage, lying second with Monkeying Around.
“I was happy with all of my horses in the international classes,” said Oliver. “Tregilder is progressing all the time and I was very happy with his performance. Swallow Springs had possibly the worst of the weather and struggles in wind because he is very, very slight but again behaved very, very well, and obviously I was thrilled with Ballaghmor Class’s performance. He felt very relaxed. The ground in the dressage was fantastic and Ballaghmor Class was as good a performance as he does at this point in time – he’s still got three weeks leading up to his big run.”
In the CCI-S 3* (Section A), Bubby Upton was another to get her weekend off to a fine start – lying first with Viktor Krum on a score of 25.4 and fourth with Its Cooley Time (28.3) after the first day. Bubby’s two rides are currently split by Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova and Oliver Townend and Finley Du Loir, who are lying equal second on a score of 26.9.
“I was absolutely delighted with them both today,” said Bubby of her horses. “They gave me a really nice feeling in the arena and were just super relaxed and calm because it felt quite buzzy, there was a lot of atmosphere there today. I was really, really pleased with how they both went and responded to me.
“Its Cooley Time is a lot less experienced than Viktor Krum, so he’s not as established in his movements – there’s so much more still to come from him and, with it only being his second CCI-S 3* as well, he’s an unbelievably exciting horse for the future.
“Viktor Krum is a new ride for me this season, so I’m still getting to know him and learning the buttons to press but he’s an absolute honour to ride and it’s a privilege to be able to ride him for his owners, Joy and Oliver Jackson. I’m just so unbelievably grateful to them for the opportunity because he’s a little superstar.”
The national classes also provided some great sport on day one of the horse trials, with both horses and riders enjoying the good ground.
The national class winners on Friday were:
Novice Section C, Eliza Bell and Rocksea (25.8)
Novice Section D, Ros Canter and DHI Rock Dancer (30.2)
Open Novice Section E, Georgie Campbell and Jakzent Tren (25)
Open Novice Under 18 Section F, Flynn Kewney and Financial Express (27.3)
BE100 Open Under 18 Section G, Poppy Mcdonald and Don John (25.8)
BE100 Section H, Gemma Stevens and Chilli Morning IV (28)
BE100 Section I, Tom McEwen and Shannondale Arnold (18)
BE100 Open Section J, Georgie Featherstone and Foxtown Cufflynx (23.8))
Full results are available here.
Tickets
Why not head along to Burnham Market and enjoy this beautiful spring sunshine! Tickets are available on the gate, cash payments only. Gates open at 8am tomorrow and Sunday, with competition getting underway at 9am tomorrow and 8am on Sunday. View the full timetable click here.
Watch live
All the cross country action from tomorrow and Saturday will be available to watch via your mobile, tablet, TV or desktop with H&C+. Visit the Horse & Country website to find out more.
Please credit image to Hannah Cole Photography – Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class lead the CCI-S 4* at the end of the first day of dressage
