Mollie Summerland was in super form at Nunney International Horse Trials where she scored a brace of wins, taking the open intermediate on her five star winning horse Charly Van Her Heiden and winning the CCI-S3*, sponsored by Hopkins Estates, on her own and Paula Cloke’s Flow 7.
With just 7.6 cross country time penalties to add to their superb dressage score of 21, they kept their position at the head of affairs in the OI from Katherine Coleman riding her own Role Limbo Kaiser.
In the CCI-S38, Flow 7 was last to go in the showjumping, and after jumping a beautiful clear went into the cross country on a score of 30.8, staying on a clean sheet to win with 1.6 penalties in hand from Ireland’s Susie Berry and Kilcandra.
Flow 7 was purchased unseen from the internet two seasons ago and has surpassed all expectations. “He came from Germany and the first time we saw him was when he walked off the lorry. Most riders have a type of horse they go for and he’s a similar type to Charly. They both move very well and are very nice horses to look at,” she said.
Help from Ryan Lockwood has paid off in the showjumping, the discipline Mollie says has required some extra work. “He’s green and weak in that stage and today was the first time he has jumped clear at this level,” she explained. Across country, his long stride and ability to cover the ground worked in her favour. “I knew the time was tight, but he’s very quick, and he had a really good educational round. We were lucky with the rain too, which helped the ground,” she said.
Fence six had caused a few problems – a two element lane crossing with a post and rail fence and brush shoulder, heading away from home – but having ridden the combination already on Charly, Mollie knew what to expect. “You just had to give them plenty of time to read the fence,” she commented adding, “Nunney has become a favourite event of mine – I always seem to have such a great time here.”
Tom Woodward and Jaeger Master headed the CCI-S2*, sponsored by Kingsland Property, finishing on their dressage score of 24.8.
Tom kept a clean sheet on Wendy and Jenny Spiller’s ten-year-old gelding to win the section ahead of Georgie Spence riding Kojack.
“He can be quite spooky so when I walked the cross country course I had a good look at where he was likely to spook,” said 20-year-old Tom who was based with Padraig McCarthy in Devon for several months before setting up on his own last year. He continued: “You just have to keep his concentration between the flags and he locks on. He’s a machine. It’s all well within his abilities, so he doesn’t really have to think too much, but he gave me a super ride and it’s the best dressage test he’s done. He’s a really flashy horse with the wow factor. Tom, who is based with his parents Dave and Sue Woodward near Hartpury, took over the ride on Jaeger Master in March from Izzy Taylor and it was the pair’s third outing together.
The venue also hosted an Intermediate Masters class, with a raft of fabulous prizes for the participants, and it was Melissa Joannides and Patch Ali who scored their second success in the series having won at Rockingham.
Despite towering above 5’1” Melissa at 17.1hh, the pair have an incredible partnership, making light work of the cross country course having added 1.6 time penalties to their dressage score of 29.9.
“The Intermediate Masters classes are really worthwhile with some fabulous prizes – they’re a super concept,” said Melissa, who began competing Irish Sports Horse Jeff (Patch Ali) five seasons ago at BE100.
“We’re aiming for a four star this season. He’s such a star and we’ve been on quite a journey together. It hasn’t been straight forward but we went away in the winter for some showjumping training. He’s very rideable in the dressage, but he worries about showjumping. Cross country has taken a while to ride for the time, without him getting too strong but I’m so lucky though as I have great owners who are very supportive.”
Organiser Bridget Parker said: “We have had three super days – extremely hot on Friday and quite chilly on Saturday and Sunday. It was wonderful to see so many excellent combinations in action, and some really super riding too. The international courses have proved very educational, and despite Friday’s heat, overall feedback was very positive, with riders adapting their riding to suit the ground.
“We’ve had some super feedback too, all of which will be taken on board so that we continue to create an event that riders really want to attend.”
Other winners throughout the three days of competition are as follows:
Intermediate section F was headed by Jo Rimmer riding Merrill and Halstead and Nikki Axon’s Chilli’s Midnight Star adding eight cross country time penalties to their dressage score of 26.8; Lissa Green finished second on her own Igor G on 35.7 with Andrew Heffernan, later a winner of a novice section on SSK Cape Cooley, third on David Schofields Ballylaffin Juno.
Michael Owen headed intermediate section G on Jane Duncan’s Treworder with a score of 34.7, some 13.4 points ahead of Emma Vilma on Kec Sazoon.
Novice section C was headed by Vittoria Panizzon riding Bowstraight Eliza finishing on a score of 25.8: Vittoria said: “She’s been so consistent so she really deserves to step up to win. She’s an awesome jumper and really fun, and unusually, she’s also a really good girl in the dressage.
“We had a lot of fun in the novice and the time seemed quite easy and we cruised along. In the intermediate there were plenty of good questions and plenty of use of the hills and luckily the questions all rode beautifully for me. “
Novice section D winners were Nina de Haas and JVK Mr Maguire (26.9); second was Alice Hallows’ Luna Eclipse (27.3) and third Freya Patridge riding Another Fable (30).
Open novice section E winners were William Fox-Pitt Duke Legacy (27.9); second was Sarah Bessant on Clooncalagy Knight (28.7) and third Ella-Jane Creasy with Model T (28.9).
BE100 sections were won by Louisa Lockwood on Malibu Sunset B and Dani Evans on Vital DK Z.
BE100 section N Danille Frost and Vev Idwj; Be100 section O Stephen Heal and Shannondale Casper; Nocice section P Harry Meade and MBF Outlier; Novice section Q Andrew Nicholson and Fenizio; Open Novice Under 18 Elizabeth Jeffs and Sonehavens Cloud; BEOpen100 Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Chelsea; five-year-olds Dani Evans and Summer Dancer; BEOpen 100 Under 18 Madeline Whitfield and Samson.
