The rain may have been a feature on day one at the Defender Bramham International Horse Trials but, in Yorkshire, it never spoils a good party. The dressage on display in the Defender CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L sections kept a dedicated crowd entertained, while the world’s elite battled it out for a score to give them an advantage in the weekend’s jumping phases.
In the showcase Defender CCI4*-L, it’s Britain’s Piggy March and MCS Maverick who lead the way, while in the Defender CCI4*-S, Alex Hua Tian and Manjushri hold the ascendency for China.
Defender CCI4*-L
As the formbook predicted, the early pace in the Defender CCI4*-L was set by the second-to-go combination of Yasmin Ingham riding Goliath du Loir, in the ownership of The Sue Davies Fund and Janette Chinn. French-bred ‘Gogo’ impressed here last year as a nine-year-oold and, a year on, he’s really matured, which showed with a score over four marks better than last year. The Ground Jury of Christina Klingspor (SWE) at C, Andrew Bennie (NZL) at E and Les Smith (GBR) at M settled on a final mark of 68.74% to give a penalty of 31.5 and set the benchmark.
Yaz held the lead for around an hour before Alexander Bragg presented his test on Team Joey’s Jaeger Master. Alex is a Bramham regular and makes little of the journey from Somerset to compete here and today proved why he enjoys his forays to Yorkshire. Jaeger Master and Alex have been together for just a year, but have formed a good partnership already, having finished as runners-up in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk. A polished performance gave them 30.2 penalties – a four-star personal best score – to snatch the lead from Yaz.
As the lunch break approached and with no clear let up in the drizzle, Selina Miles brought brightness to the arena with a fantastic display with William and Angela Rucker’s Cooley Snapchat. The duo clearly loves Bramham, having won the short section in 2023 and finishing just off the long section podium in 2024 on their dressage score. Today, they started strong, with marks generally trending around 6.5 to 7.5 out of ten and a few eights scattered throughout, building to a strong climax and final flourish. An aggregate percentage of 72.08 yielded 27.9 penalties for our first sub-30 score of the day and a new leader.
After a refreshing lunch, competition resumed with a bang – the next pairing in was Piggy March and the 2023 Bramham victor MCS Maverick, owned by the Maidwell Mavericks. When he won three years ago, Eric’ was partnered by Pippa Funnell, who passed the reins to Piggy in 2025. After a short ‘getting to know you’ period, Piggy and Eric, by the prolific eventing sire Mill Law, returned to Bramham but couldn’t quite defend the title, finishing eighth. So, they return in 2026 to give it another go and the judges were duly impressed. Plenty of seven and eights were delivered for some expressive work to land on a score of 26.4, to better Selina by 1.5 penalties.
It was a score that couldn’t be beaten as the afternoon unfolded. Former British U21 champions Ibble Watson and Aristoteles SZ – by jumping sire Arko III, who finished 10th individually at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games – gave it a great shot with a 29.7 to go third.
Sadly, Ibble’s podium place was short-lived because the next competitor, Daisy Berkeley with her own, Camilla Case and Caroline Dick’s Diese du Figuier just edged her out by a narrow margin with 29.5. The duo rerouted to Bramham after retirement on cross-country day at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials last month and this is their third time here – another combination making a third appearance in Yorkshire.
So, it’s Piggy who sits in pole position at the end of the day. Her thoughts on the test? “It was good, I was very pleased with him. I was a bit scared, with the rain and all of the umbrellas around the edge because the new layout is very close to the side. He’s an excitable horse, but he did keep it together and showed some really lovely work. He was a little bit cautious in the walk but other than that, very pleased with him,” she enthused.
Bramham is clearly a destination event for the duo and it’s great to have them back. “He was a new ride to me last year, and we went to Burghley in the autumn and I just rode him really badly. Badminton comes really quick in the year and I’m really keen to go back to Burghley, but wanted to practice somewhere that resembles it, or where you could get good terrain or fences that scare you, and there’s not many one days where you can get that feel. I was really keen to bring him here. I thought it was a really good practice to get our partnership together.
“I know he has won it before, but I am just staying in my sort of bubble and trying to learn and get together with this horse. He’s still only 13 and I think a lot of him. He’s a beautiful horse, very quality, but I just need to get on the same page and the right page with him. So, I’m here to learn and get the partnership better,” Piggy explained.
For the USA, Allie Knowles slotted into ninth overall on Thursday with Leo Santos, scoring a 32.4. She’ll return on Friday with Montpelier Scais, and Tiana Coudray will also join the competition with D’Artagnan.
We resume dressage in the Defender CCI4*-L section at 10:50 am BST / 5:50 am EST on Friday morning. With Caroline Powell and 2023 Badminton champion Greenacres Special Cavalier, 2025 Defender CCI4*-S winners Yasmin Ingham and Gypsie du Loir, and the current Defender title holders Bubby Upton and Its Cooley Time to come, will Piggy and Eric still be on top going into Saturday’s cross-country phase?
Defender CCI4*-S
Alex Hua Tian and Manjushri. Photo by 1st Class Images.
The 116-runner strong Defender CCI4*-S started with the sparrows at 8:30 this morning, with 56 on the running order to get through on this first day of dressage. First under the watchful eyes of our judging panel of Christian Steiner (AUT) and Annabel Scrimgeor (GBR) was Kirsty Chabert riding John Johnston and Carole Somers’ Classic VI. The duo is fresh from victory at the Bicton CCI4*-S Nations Cup leg, where they also helped Great Britain to take the team title, and they brought the form with them. A polished performance despite the rain made the judges take note and there was plenty to impress. An aggregate score of 67.29% gave 32.7 penalties, which was a good score to set the target.
Kirsty and ‘Betty’ sat atop the leader board for much of the morning, until Ireland’s Susie Berry swooped in riding Sue Wilkinson’s Stranford. Their 32.2 gave them a 0.5 advantage and the lead. Lunch came and went, with Susie looking secure at the top of the leaderboard. That was until Kitty King and her grey star Cristal Fontaine trotted into the arena. Kitty won here in 2024 with another legendary grey, Vendredi Biats, and is hoping for a repeat with ‘Louis’, who’s back in four-star action after a spell on the sidelines. With his French breeding, Louis excels in the dressage phase and is a regular sub-30 scorer. The grey and wet conditions weren’t exactly optimum conditions, but the duo secured a number of eights for some pleasing work in the arena to finish on 31.6 and take the lead.
After the lunch break, two-time Bramham winner Bubby Upton came close to toppling Kitty, riding her own and Caroline Owen’s Auckland 7 with 31.7, as did the next in Harry Meade, also a former winner here, riding Viscount Viktor for Ginny Rusher and Glynn Norcutt. This duo posted 31.8, so not quite enough to take the lead but it put them contention for a top 10 place at the end of day one.
Next in front of the panel was Gemma Stevens with a clone of three-time Bramham winner Chilli Morning – aptly named Chilli Morning IV and the 2024 Seven-Year-Old Eventing World Breeding Champion. A passion for Bramham is in the horse’s genetics and he clearly felt at home, with the sevens and eights flowing. A small hiccup in the final flying change in the penultimate movement meant that they couldn’t quite break the 30 barrier, but 30.4 gave them a comfortable lead.
It was a position that Gemma held for much of the afternoon but, as the day began to round out, there were a few names on the running order who could threaten her place.
That threat ultimately came in the form of ‘one in a billion’ rider, China’s Alex Hua Tian – another who’s topped the Bramham podium in the past. Alex has a penchant for dressage and really excels in the phase. He used that skill and favour aboard his own Manjushri, who is just a nine-year-old with limited runs at four-star level.
The horse’s record shows that he shares his rider’s liking of dressage, with a number of strong – and winning – sub-30 scores. Alex’s tall, elegant frame suits Manjushri and the picture in the arena was fluid and harmonious – thoughts echoed by the judges. It was a consistent test which flowed well, and the final centreline was one of the best of the day. A square halt brought a smile across the Cheshire-based rider’s face and a huge pat for his equine partner. Two +70% marks appeared – making them the only duo to break that magic 30 barrier – and the final penalty score was 29.4, which couldn’t be bettered.
A delighted Alex said: “I’m very happy. He’s a nine-year-old, Majushri, or ‘Buddy’ as we call him at home. He’s always been a been a competitive horse, but he is still pretty green at four-star. He ran at a couple of four-stars last year and this is only his second run this year. I’ve had a little walk around the cross-county and it’s big enough out there, so he is going to have to be quite brave on Saturday. But I am very happy with him. He got a bit behind my leg in there, but there’s more to come. He’s very scopey and very exciting.”
And his thoughts on Andy Heffernan’s cross-country track? “Bramham is Bramham. It’s an iconic event and he’s naturally a big, galloping, bold horse. I think the course will really suit him. The [main] water is not too big this year – there’s a big bounce in, but not very big drop in, so I think that will suit him. He’s here for development and education, and if we can be competitive at the same time, that would be amazing,” he concluded.
For the U.S. contingent, Jack Curtis is the top-placed on day one, sitting in 12th with Luska Candy Clover. Molly Duda picks up 16th and 18th with Disco Traveler (34.7) and Carlingfords Hes a Clover (35.2). Rebecca Brown earned a 39.5 with Fernhill Quite Frankly for early 35th. Tamie Smith will lead off the Friday competition with Lillet 3, and will later be joined by Molly Duda on her third horse, Jutopia, as well as Hallie Coon with two rides, Cassie Sanger, Grace Taylor and for Canada, Shelby Brost.
Cerys Macaulay and Kananaskis. Photo by 1st Class Images.
Running concurrently in the section is the British National Under-25 Championship and it’s Cerys Macaulay riding Wendy Coney and Richard Coney’s Kananaskis in the lead. Part owner Richard has been instrumental in the horse’s career, piloting him from Junior level up to five-star level before Cerys took over the ride in 2024. The Irish-bred gelding is now an evergreen 18 years old and this will be his, and Cerys’, first attempt at Bramham. Their 32.9 was the best of the under-25s and also gave them a top 10 place in the overall standings.
Hannah Marley riding Timothy and Zoe Rymer’s JSR Zebedee sits second on 34.7, while Alex Turnbull and part-Shire Harelaw Wizard, who was produced by former Bramham course designer Ian Stark and is owned by his son-in-law Charles Robson, complete the podium with 35.5.
It’s another 8:30 am BST / 3:30 am EST start in the CCI4*-S section on Friday, for another full day of dressage. With over 50 combinations from a global all-star cast still to come, it’ll be a nervous day for Alex to see if he will still hold the ascendancy come 17:15 tomorrow.
Both sections are being livestreamed by Horse & Country with a subscription, so you can catch every test online.
Looking ahead to Friday in the TopSpec Arena, it’s the turn of the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse classes for four- and five-year-olds. Many of the horses competing at Bramham, and many of the top events around the world, cut their teeth in this class. If you have an eye on the future, this is the arena to keep an eye on tomorrow.
Ending the day with the pop of champagne corks
After a long day of competition, the showground came alive with the traditional, and thoroughly enjoyable, Lycetts drinks party – complete with barbeque, dancing and plenty of champagne, courtesy of Pol Roger. Prizes were also presented for yesterday’s Hiho Silver best dressed and British Horse Feeds best turned-out competitions at the first horse inspection. These went to Selina Milnes and Tom Rowland, who thoroughly embraced the ‘touch of festival’ theme, and to groom Tash Bailey, who turned out Stephen Heal’s ride Hisco.
Bramham International CCI4*-L (GBR): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
