EVENTING News


Kiwi Combos lead the Charge at Braham
Thursday, 7 June 2012


<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>Leading Kiwi eventers
Mark Todd, Jonathan Paget, Caroline Powell and Andrew Nicholson are among the
front runners at this week’s Bramham International Horse Trials in Yorkshire,
UK.</strong><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">But it won’t be an roll
over – more than 250 riders from 18 nations, including some of the best in the
world, will compete in this prestigious event which doubles as one of the last
Olympic selection competitions for many nations.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Being an Olympic year
and the UK having had a decidedly wet summer, it has meant many combinations are
still needing to impress selectors.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Included in the field
are the likes of five-time Bramham winner and current world number one William
Fox-Pitt (GBR), along with his bronze medal winning European Champs team-mates
Piggy French and Nicola Wilson.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Bramham contains both a
traditional long format three day event (the CCI3*) and a shorter format
‘CIC3*’, as well as a class for under 25 year old riders. The difference
between the more traditional three day event and the shorter format is mainly
in the cross country which while being of the same difficulty is less distance
and the event can be run over anywhere between one to three days.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">This weekend’s shorter
format CIC3* shapes as the most significant for New Zealand selection prospects
with leading Kiwi riders all running Olympic prospect horses.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Paget will be looking to
repeat his win last year in the CIC3*, which was also won by Neil Spratt on
Upleadon in 2009.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Paget will defend his
title on Clifton Lush, Nicholson has both Nereo and Averbury, Clarke Johnstone
has his world champs team bronze medal-winning horse Orient Express , Lucy
Jackson has both Animator II and Kilcoltrim Ambassador, Jonelle Richards has
Flintstar, Tim Price has Ringwood Sky Boy and Kate Wood goes on Easy Tiger.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">New Zealand also has six
combinations competing in the traditional longer format three day event - the
‘CCI3*’ - which has been won previously by Blyth Tait in 1994 aboard Aspyring,
and by Nicholson on Nereo in 2009. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Powell will give her
famous 19-year old grey gelding Lenamore his first run in recent weeks as well
as competing on Thornfield Jones. Todd is entered aboard Quantum Leap,
Nicholson has Tristar II while Lucy Jackson has Willy Do and Craig Nicolai
enters Just Ironic. Lizzie Brown competes in the under 25 event with Henton
Attorney General.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The 6000m cross country
course has been designed by former Olympian Ian Stark, himself a previous
winner of the event; organisers have allowed an extra 100-plus entries in all
the classes to help riders affected by the weather disrupted UK eventing
calendar. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Bramham gets underway
tomorrow (Thursday UK time), with the dressage running over two days. The cross
country for the longer format CCI3* is on Saturday with the shorter CIC3* cross
country running on Sunday. Showjumping for the CCI3* is on Sunday, with the
CIC3* showjumping phase on Saturday.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">More than 50,000
spectators are expected at the event over the four days.<br><br><em>Report by Diana Dobson<br>ESNZ Media Liaison</em></span><o:p></o:p></p>