Andrew Nicholson is another step closer to claiming his first-ever Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials after holding on to his number one slot following an exciting day of cross country this morning, with five Kiwis in the top 10.
Jock Paget and Clifton Lush (owned by Lucy Allison and Frances Stead) sit in fifth, with Nicholson up from 12th to seventh aboard his own Calico Joe, Sir Mark Todd moving from 15th to ninth on Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden and Peter Cattell), and Paget slipping from sixth to 10th on Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead) after picking up time faults. Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Selwood.com) sit just out side the top 10, shot up from 30th to 12th after their brilliant clear round inside time, while his wife Jonelle was also on the move with The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, Tim and Jan Morice and Selwood.com), leaping from 33rd to 15th. Her little pocket rocket mare Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards) was as game as ever and her clear round inside time saw her power up from 60th to 25th, with Lucy Jackson and Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson) slipping from 14th to 27th after picking up time faults. Todd and Oloa (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Pip McCarroll) also had time faults to finish in 43rd at the end of the day.
Caroline Powell and Craig Nicolai were both eliminated in the cross country after falls.
The top five all held on to their positions, going clear and inside time, so there remains nothing in it, with a single rail (four faults) covering them all.
Nicholson and Nereo finished a second inside the optimum time in a real master class of riding over the Guiseppe Della Chiesa’s designed track.
“It was superb. I made a conscious effort to make sure I jumped every single fence this year,” said Nicholson, who guided both his horses home clear and inside the time allowed.
He and Nereo had a little moment coming out of the water complex, but Nicholson says it was just the spurt both of them needed.
“That little chip up the bank coming out of the water helped me a lot.
It got him very switched on to making sure he was jumping everything in front of him. He might not be as fast as most horses, but he is very fit and doesn’t stop.”
Nicholson said the horse was usually a very good showjumper, and he didn’t see why Nereo would lose that ability overnight.
Paget made up for his time faults on Clifton Promise to finish bang on optimum time with Clifton Lush.
“He (Promise) went out there and did his best for me and I think I let him down a little,” said Paget. “I feel maybe I didn’t give the time enough respect in the middle . . . I blame myself, I have a fast horse and should have made that time on Promise.”
Todd – who the commentators likened to Peter Pan, because of his timelessness – was rapt with Leonidas II.
“He was amazing the whole way around,” said Todd. “He is a very good jumper. I thought we were going to get time but I probably took a few too many pulls into those white gates at the end. It rides big out there, but is not as technical as last year I think. The good horses will make it look quite easy.”
Todd predicted 15 would be clear and inside time, and he wasn’t far off. Thirteen kept their slates clean, and five of those were Kiwis. Of the 78 starters, 62 completed. The problems were spread throughout the course, but it was time that played the biggest factor in today’s course.
Tomorrow is the showjumping, which gets under way at 2pm (UK time), with the top 20 starting at 2.45pm(UK time).
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s top dressage combinations had their last night of competition at the Sydney CDI 3*, where Julie Brougham (Palmerston North) and Vom Feinsten finished sixth in the Grand Prix Freestyle on 69.38%, with John Thompson and Bates Antonello eight on 68.7% and Penny Castle (Ashhurst0 on Magnus Spero 10th on 67.38%. The class was won by Judith Dierks and Diamond Star with their 72.78% test.
Brougham said the atmosphere was huge at the high-ranked show.
“The Grand Prix Kur (freestyle) came in after the showjumping – it was late, cold and so noisy, which put Steins (Vom Feinsten) into over-trying mode,” she said.
That produced “brilliant” passage, piaffe and canter pirouettes, but meant they also had a few disagreements over other moves.
“We recovered our composure and he continued on to finish with style.
Riding so late at night in that atmosphere is just another league again.”
Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials results (after dressage and cross country phases) - Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar) 37.8 penalty points 1, William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Chilli Morning 39 2, Oliver Townend (GBR) Armada 39.6 3, Ingrid Klimke (GER) Horseware Hale Bob 40.2 4, Jock Paget (NZL) Clifton Lush (owned by Lucy Allison and Frances Stead) 40.8 5, Paul Tapner (AUS) Indian Mill 41.9 6, Andrew Nicholson (NZL) Calico Joe
43.5 7, Bettina Hoy (GER) Designer 10 44.4 8, Sir Mark Todd (NZL) Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden and Peter Cattell) 47 9, Jock Paget
(NZL) Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead) 47.6 10, Tim Price (NZL) Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Selwood.com) 48.1 12, Jonelle Price (NZL) The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, Tim and Jan Morice and Selwood.com) 49.5 15, Jonelle Price (NZL) Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards) 54.9 25, Lucy Jackson (NZL) Willy Do (owned by Gillian Greenlees and Jackson)
56.1 27, Mark Todd (NZL) Oloa (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Pip McCarroll) 70.7 43, Craig Nicolai (NZL) Just Ironic (owned by Anne, Hedde and Craig Nicolai) and Caroline Powell and Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Powell) eliminated on cross country.
