Posted: 31st July 2015 | Back to news feed
New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson won the first Amlin Plus Eventers’
Challenge at Hickstead today (30 July), producing a polished clear to win on the
nine-year-old gelding Cillnabradden Evo.
Eventing was back at
the Longines Royal International Horse Show by popular demand, after the
cancellation last summer of the former Eventing Grand Prix. The new format class
was open only to event riders, instead of eventers and showjumpers, which meant
the cross-country course could be more technical and demanding.
Richard
Taylor’s course certainly asked a few questions, with only four of the 20
starters jumping clear. First to go, Tom McEwen set the pace with a good clear
on Cuarento in 126.16sec. But things quickly took some twists and turns, with
Charlotte Agnew missing out a fence to be eliminated, Tanya Kyle and Rose
Carnegie both taking a tumble in the lake and Anna Hilton opting to retire. Tina
Cook and Joseph Murphy both had dramatic falls on course, but fortunately both
riders and their horses were unharmed.
Tom – who is on the British squad
for this September’s FEI European Eventing Championships – held the lead until
13th-drawn Andrew rode in to the famous International Arena. The New Zealander
has a good record at Hickstead, winning the Eventing Grand Prix in 2002 and
finishing second in the class in 2012, and he’s been on a spectacular run of
form of late with a host of three- and four-star wins under his
belt.
His time of 124.94sec put the pressure on the remaining
competitors and, while Helen Wilson (Glendun) and Pippa Funnell (Billy The Biz)
both added to the tally of clear rounds, no one could come close to Andrew’s
time.
Only last drawn Elizabeth Power and Doonaveragh O One could take
the win and the horse obviously relishes the International Arena as he finished
third in the Eventing Grand Prix in 2012 and won the Speed Derby when ridden by
Elizabeth’s brother Robert. However, while the pair netted the quickest time of
the day, one fence down cost them the title and kept them in the runner-up
position.
“It made the class having Tom go first as he was very fast and
slick and I knew I couldn't waste any time or I wouldn't catch him,” said
Andrew. “It's very intense out there, and a lot of pressure, but I love coming
here.”
Elizabeth Power was a little disappointed not to emulate her
Grand National-winning brother Robert’s winning record at Hickstead. “There's
been a build-up of pressure for weeks and everyone’s been telling me I had
better win it!” she said. “He’s a quirky horse and only myself and Rob can get a
bridle on him, but he’s great.”
David Ashby, Managing Director of the
class sponsor Amlin Plus, said: “I would like to pass on our many
congratulations to Andrew Nicholson and all of the winning connections of this
year's Amlin Plus Eventers' Challenge. It was a great performance and a very
exciting class overall.”
The international showjumping classes got
underway today, with the first class of the day going to Ireland’s Trevor Breen
and Georgie D’Auvray Ec. The reining Equestrian.com Derby champion has a
fantastic record in the International Arena, having won many of Hickstead’s
major titles.
The feature class was won by one of the sport’s greats –
Britain’s Michael Whitaker. He won the Bunn Leisure Trophy on Quelbora Merze,
heading a 55-strong class and beating Germany’s Christian Ahlmann by just a few
hundredths of a second. Fellow Brit William Funnell took third with the homebred
Billy Angelo.
“You could see he had something in him, he has been
building up to it having been placed a few times - and it has all come right on
the day,” said Michael, who is on the British squad for tomorrow’s Furusiyya FEI
Nations Cup™ of Great Britain.
Britain has been drawn third to go in
this prestigious team competition. “I've been looking forward to this class,”
said the British chef d’equipe Di Lampard. “It looks great out there, the scene
is set. We had an early draw in Rotterdam [an earlier leg of the FEI Nations Cup
series, where Britain won], but it’s not the draw that wins the competition.
There’s some great opposition, but we'll certainly be trying to
win.”
The class gets started at 2.15pm, with Great Britain, Italy,
Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the USA, France and the Netherlands all aiming to
claim the Prince of Wales Trophy.
In today’s showing classes, top
producer Jayne Ross won the coveted Les & Nadia Edgar Supreme Hunter
Championship. She got the tricolour with Time 2 Reflect, while Oathill Take The
Biscuit stood reserve.
Tickets are on sale now and can be bought at the
gate or by visiting hickstead.
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