Stars of the Paris Olympics shone at Cornbury House Horse Trials (11-15 September) in Oxfordshire today.
Tom McEwen, a member of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at both the Paris and Tokyo Olympics, won CCI3*-S section B riding Brookfield Quality, while Paris team reserve rider – and reigning world champion – Yasmin Ingham took section A on Rehy DJ. And New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone topped section C on his Paris Olympics mount Menlo Park. All three winning horses are aiming for the end-of-season CCI5* at Pau in France.
All three riders were delighted to win their own weight in Hawkestone beer or cider – a prize that every victorious competitor will be awarded during Cornbury House Horse Trials
Tom said: “Brookfield Quality was awesome. It was a great prep run for Pau, and it was brilliant to be able to do it in the atmosphere of Cornbury with a lot of things going on. The ground was absolutely perfect after last night’s rain.”
Both British riders completed on their dressage scores: Tom on 25.1 with Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry’s Brookfield Quality, and Yasmin on 25.6 with Janette Chin and The Sue Davies Fund’s Rehy DJ.
Yasmin said: “This was a great fitness test for Rehy DJ. It’s beautiful up-and-down parkland and he felt brilliant throughout, so we are pushing on for Pau now and it’s exciting.
“I always try to get Cornbury into my calendar for the season. It’s beautifully run, the courses are amazing and the ground is perfect. I find it really good preparation for both my older horses and the younger ones as well – it’s highly educational.”
Menlo Park, who added just 1.6 cross-country time-penalties to his dressage mark of 24.1, will be tackling his first CCI5* at Pau.
Clarke said: “This is a stepping-stone to that. He did a beautiful dressage and he jumped really well and the ground was fantastic, with an amazing prize, so I put my foot down today and scorched round. He is a really fun, cheeky horse and spooky sometimes, but he loves people and going places and is a horse that you just know really enjoys his job.”
There were some equine heroes in the ribbons in the British Eventing Open Intermediate sections, both of which were won by New Zealand Olympian and former world number one Tim Price.
Tim took section E on Sue Benson’s Falco IV, winner of the CCI5* at Pau in 2021, team and individual bronze medallist at the 2022 World Championships in Italy and sixth individually at the Paris Olympics – and second to him was Ballaghmor Class (Oliver Townend), twice a winner of Defender Burghley’s CCI5* and also winner of the Defender Kentucky CCI5*, as well as a team gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics for Britain.
Tim’s section D success came aboard Jarillo, owned by Lucy Allison, Clifton Eventers and Rachel and James Good.
He said: “Today was about getting Falco back into a competition environment -I haven’t done much with him since Paris, and today was the first time I have jumped him since the Olympics. The showjumping here is good with a different dynamic with the hill. The ground on the cross-country felt great ,and the course was a fair track and nice to bowl around with a bit of terrain, which puts some fitness into these horses for next time.
“Jarillo is adorable. He’s incredibly quirky and sharp and horse-shy – we have to be very careful with warm-up areas. But when he’s in the ring, that’s when he’s at his happiest; he’s on his own, he is relaxed and can perform.”
Cornbury House Horse Trials continues until Sunday (11 September) with the British Eventing Young Horse Championships, The Howden Way and Project Pony Youth classes and CCI2*-S and national intermediate sections.
As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.