Britain’s golden pair Laura Collett and London 52 added yet another major title to their remarkable roll of honour by capturing the Houghton Country CCI4*-S at Belsay Horse Trials (May 15-17), sponsored by Barbour.
The Tokyo and Paris Olympic team gold medallists were fractionally behind recent Badminton winner Ros Canter and Izilot DHI after dressage with 24.1 to Ros’s 23.7. Extraordinarily, although both women showjumped clear, Ros’s single second over the optimum time for 0.4 of a time-fault levelled the scores, setting the scene for a genuinely thrilling cross-country showdown.
Ros and Alex Moody’s 13-year-old Izilot DHI, a dual CCI5* champion, went early in the 95-strong class and collected 10.8 time-penalties. But as the competition progressed, this proved surprisingly quick, and jumping faults peppered the scoresheet for course-designer Adrian Ditcham’s creative and challenging track. London 52, the now-17-year-old 2022 Badminton hero for owners Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott, was the penultimate horse to go, and the huge crowds enjoying Belsay in the spring sunshine clustered round the showpiece Barbour Water to watch this famous pairing.
Laura and “Dan” ate up the undulating course, coming home with just 4.4 time-faults to win the class on a finishing score of 28.5. Only Caroline Harris and D.Day, themselves CCI5* victors, were faster with 3.6 time-penalties for second place on 34.1.
Laura said with a big grin: “‘Dan’ was quite feral this weekend – he’s never been so strong. He was very keen, but amazing. He showjumped really nicely, and cross-country he was a almost a bit out of control! It’s so nice to have him feeling that well at this stage in his life. I went fast because I didn’t have any choice!
“To be honest, the ground was amazing – I don’t know when, in a dry year, we’re going to have ground that good again; there doesn’t look like much rain in sight, so I wanted to make the most of that. Now there’s no pressure, he doesn’t run again [before the World Championships, if the pair are selected for the British team] if the ground isn’t right. This was my first visit to Belsay, and it’s a cracking event – I’ve loved it.”
Runner-up Caroline Harris said: “I actually think that was the best D.Day has ever felt – in every phase. He was pretty epic. He will now head off to Luhmühlen for the CCI5*, and this was a great prep run for that.”
Ros, who was juggling looking after her four-month-old baby, Senah, with competing several horses, and Izilot DHI finished a very respectable third. They will also target the German CCI5* next.
Jago Jackson, 19, took the Forster CCI3*-S with Johnny Hornby’s Barrington Highlight K. They led the dressage on a mark of 25.8, but Jago was furious with himself for picking up 0.4 of a showjumping time-fault and letting both Pippa Funnell (Billy Walk On) and Tom McEwen (Brookfield Danny De Muze) ahead of him going into cross-country.
“Then Tom and Pippa got a few time-faults, and I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to kick on!’” said Jago. “The horse responded so well – he was amazing. It has been an absolutely fantastic weekend at one of my very favourite events; Belsay is just so beautifully run.”
Jago and Barrington Highlight K picked up just 3.2 cross-country time-faults and completed on a mark of 29.3.
Both Laura Collett and Jago are now the live contenders for the big-money Northumberland Challenge, supported by Belsay’s official hotel partner Matfen Hall, An Eventful Life and N.I.S Ltd, which unites the three Northumbrian international events (Belsay, Alnwick Ford and Burgham). While Laura’s next step in the £5,000 CCI4*-S Northumberland Challenge will be Burgham (30 July-2 August), Jago is determined to target Alnwick Ford as the second of three CCI3*-S legs, seeking that £5,000 bonus.
“The Northumberland Challenge prize-money is incredible and I’d really like to give it a go – the Young Rider final trial is at Burgham, as well, so hopefully I’ll be able to get to all three events.”
Second and third places in the CCI3*-S went to two horses owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry of Brookfield Equestrian – Brookfield Danny De Muze, second on 30.2 with Tom McEwen, and Brookfield Lando, third with a final score of 31.2 for Tom Jackson.
Co Durham-based Katie Magee triumphed in the Chaser Communications Advanced class on Sharon Parnaby’s Cushlas Indigo, and another northern rider, North Yorkshire’s Storm Straker, took Ad Gefrin Intermediate section G aboard Abydos, owned by her mother Victoria, Lady Arabella Stagg, Julia Lukas and Sarah Daniell.
Belsay International CCI4*-S (UK): [Website] [Scoring] [Live Stream Replays]
