Page heads British Open Field
Saturday, 3 August 2013
Jonathan Paget is staking a claim for the British Open Championship at Gatcombe Park in the UK, with Andrew Nicholson just a smidgen behind him.
Paget, who recently won the Badminton International Horse Trials, and Clifton Lush (owned by Frances Stead and Lucy Allison) are at the head of the field after the first day of dressage with 37.3 penalty points.
World number one Nicholson, the defending title holder, is in third on 40.6 aboard Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar) and ninth on Avebury (owned by Mark and Rosemary Barlow and Nicholson), on whom he won the 2011 title – the last time the event was held.
Paget and Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead) are in 14th place, but the Badminton star will not be put through the cross country phase.. Sir Mark Todd and Ravenstar (owned by Paul Quirk and Team Rutledge) are in 28th equal spot.
But it's not over yet, with more of the field to complete their dressage tonight, followed by the showjumping and the always-eventful cross country later in the day.
In the advanced class, where both the dressage and cross country phases have been completed, Sir Mark Todd and Oloa (owned by Di Brunsden, Peter Cattrell, Pip McCarroll and Todd) are the best of the Kiwis in ninth spot, with Megan Heath and her own St Daniel in 11th, and Blyth Tait and Xanthus III (owned by Jane Lovell-Smith and Tait) in 15th.
The Festival of British Eventing, being held at the home of HRH Princess Anne in the heart of the Cotswolds, runs from August 2 through to 4 and is expected to attract around 45,000 visitors.
