Felix Etzel and Promising Pete TSF took the top spot in the CCI3*S class at Aston-le-Walls sponsored by Project Pony, coming home just one second over the 5 minute 30 second optimum time. Promising Pete is a 10-year-old Trakhener gelding, ridden by Felix since he was five years old.

Currently based at Chedington, Felix arrived in the UK in March for the season, a second stay here and he admitted, “I have been dreaming of returning for six years.”

Of Promising Pete he said: “He’s a super charming horse, my favourite in the yard. He’s super honest and has yet to have a cross-country fault; he’s also super-good at dressage and listens very well to me – we have a great partnership.”

Kitty King and Kantango had comfortably led the dressage on a 27.1 but a steady cross-country round dropped the pair to the runner-up spot, while Tom Jackson was in the money, piloting Cooley Cornasus to a dressage score completion.

Isabelle Cook claimed the remaining CCI3*S section. Partnering Espoir Landais, owned by Elisabeth Murdoch and by Top Gun Semilly out of Olympia Landaise, she finished on a 29.4 dressage score.

Half a penalty behind were Tom Jackson and Anne and Iain Slater’s Leamore After Hours, the horse contesting his first three-star competition and also keeping a clean sheet.

Heidi Coy completed the top three, just 0.1 of a point behind Tom, on MGH Jessica after adding nothing to their first phase score. Clare Bradshaw’s 10-year-old mare finished in the same position last time out in the Alnwick Ford CCI3*S.

Three novice sections also ran, with wins for Sam Jennings riding Billy Energetic, Isabel English on Jockeyhall Maximum Cruise and Ros Canter who had a great ride on Armscote Explorer.

General admission tickets can be bought here: https://astonlewalls.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/

For equestrian followers unable to visit in person they can follow all the cross country action on Horse & Country TV, our live-stream partner.

Release supplied by event.