EVENTING News


Johnstone and Campbell Sitting Handy After Dressage
Friday, 6 May 2016


Clarke Johnstone and Jesse Campbell have started the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in fine style, with both inside the top 10 at the end of the dressage phase.

Both riders are on debut at Badminton, which is considered one of the toughest events in the world.

Johnstone, a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, rides his very well performed Balmoral Sensation, who has just one other 4* start to his credit.

The combination sits on 40.8 penalty points, just 6.4 adrift of leader Michael Jung (GER) on La Biosthetique Sam FBW who is seeking to become the first German rider to win Badminton and chasing the elusive Role Grand Slam by winning Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley.

Right behind Johnstone is young gun Jesse Campbell and his former racehorse Kaapachino who scored 41.1 in their dressage.

“What a superstar horse,” said Campbell, who came into the dressage arena right after Michael Jung. “Kaapachino was a legend. I have wanted to come here ever since I sat up all night to watch Mark Todd win on Bertie Blunt in 1996.”

Sir Mark Todd was very disappointed with the efforts of Leonidas II who scored 44.8 and sits in 17th spot.

“The horse worked in really nicely and is capable of doing a test in the mid 30s but he got in there and lost his concentration,” said Todd. “He saw himself on the big screen and that freaked him out a bit so we were battling a bit from there on in.”

Jock Paget and Clifton Lush are just behind them, with 69.89% in 19th place.

Tim and Jonelle Price are back to back at 30th and 31st respectively.

Tim the big atmosphere had made the difference for Ringwood Sky Boy.

“The horse is so much more capable than that . . . it is nice to try and better your personal bests in this game so happy but a little disappointed,” he said. “I think the atmosphere is the impact for him . . . but you can’t emulate that anywhere other than in the ring.”

Jonelle was “happy enough” with the efforts of her showy mare Classic Moet.

The very testing cross country is set to go overnight New Zealand time and riders are describing it as big, bold and long.

Jonelle Price is predicting some good rounds would be seen and she’s hopeful the time would be influential.

“It would certainly help my horse,” she said.

Todd said it called for concentration and accuracy.

“There is a big course out there to jump. It is a testing course and we have to hope we don’t lose any more ground,” he said.

Tim Price says the “huge” course suited his horse well.

“Suits him down to the ground. It will be a matter of placing him well and doing a good job and keeping a good rhythm for the clock. I like the track. It has a lot of challenges.”

Blyth Tait and Bear Necessity V are in 39th on 48.5, Megan Heath and St Daniel in 66th on 54.3, Dan Jocelyn aboard Beaucatcher in 72nd on 62 and Lucy Jackson on Bosun in 74th on 60.1.

In other news, showjumper Bruce Goodin and his World Champs horse Centina 10 won the CSI3* 1.5m Grand Prix qualifier at Munich Riem International Horse Show, while Rio dressage hopeful Julie Brougham and Vom Fiensten placed fifth with 68.627% in the CDI3* Grand Prix Special at the same show. Earlier they were 10th in the Grand Prix.

The horse details -

Balmoral Sensation (owned by the Johnstone family), Bear Necessity V (owned by Ronnie Bartlett and Blyth Tait), Kaapachino (owned by Jesse and Dr Craig Campbell), Beaucatcher (owned by Tanya Cleverly and Dan Jocelyn), St Daniel (owned by Megan Heath), Clifton Lush (owned by Frances Stead and Lucy Allison), Leonidas II (owned by Di Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd), Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards and Jonelle Price), Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Tim Price and Selwood.com), Bosun (owned by BGV Syndicate), Centina 10 (owned by Glen Nielsen), Vom Feinsten (owned by Julie and David Brougham).

For full Badminton results, head to https://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/index.php/dressage-results-2016/ .

For full results from the jumping in Munich, head to http://results.scgvisual.com/2016/eindhoven/

For full results from the dressage in Munich, head to
http://reitturniere-live.de/2016/muenchen/index_en.html