West Yorkshire, England—June 11
Clark Montgomery had been leading after the dressage, but finished the ERM CIC*** at the Bramham International Horse Trials with second place aboard Loughan Glen after pulling one rail and then jumping faultlessly on cross-country. China’ Alex Hua Tin took the win on Don Geniro, moving up from second after the dressage with clean jumping rounds.
The tension built as the final 20 went cross-country in reverse order of merit and with both Montgomery and third-placed Jonelle Price going clear inside the time, the pressure was on for young Hua Tin.
Montgomery’s 4 faults in the show jumping in the morning meant he stood on 40.5 penalties after his double-clean cross-country performance, and Hua Tin had no room for error, standing on 40.1. “The course has shown that you could make time, so I didn’t necessarily think that Alex would go slow, but I thought there was a chance he could find it tough. It was all up to Alex after I went double-clear, and he went fast enough too,” Montgomery said.
Clark Montgomery on Loughan Glen. Photo by Libby Law
Hua Tin rode with great composure and tact, taking extra care to keep the confidence of the sometimes quirky “Don.” As they headed up the final pull to home, it looked like they had time to spare and once safely over the final fence, Alex punched the air jubilantly.
“I was very aware of the time,” Hua Tin said. “Don, due to some silly reasons over the last few weeks has missed some of his gallops, so I wasn’t sure he was up for making the time, but I got halfway up the hill, gave him a little cluck and he responded, so I’m thrilled with him.
“We were dead last at Chatsworth, and to be here and have won, it’s extraordinary. I’ve been very lucky,” he continued. “He’s been at this level for a year and he’s such a talent, so I’m excited to have won with him.”
It’s a massive victory for the young rider; eventing is a relatively new sport in China and this international win will really help to put the sport, and Hua Tin, firmly in the country’s eye with the Rio Olympic Games on the horizon.
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Hue Tin took home a handsome £16,000 first prize thanks to the innovative new series.
China’s Alex Hua Tin (center) celebrated his ERM CIC*** win over Clark Montgomery (right) and Jonelle Price (left). Photo by Libby Law
This was Montgomery’s last outing with Loughan Glen before the U.S. selectors names the team for the Rio Olympic Games on June 20. “If I get named, we have to fly home to the States and there’s a mandatory outing/preparatory event in Virginia at Great Meadow,” Montgomery said. “It’s nerve-wracking, but they have a job to do, talking it all out and deciding.”
Meanwhile, the Equi-Trek CCI*** culminated with local eventing hero Oliver Townend holding his lead on MHS King Joules. Adding nothing to his dressage score of 37.9, Oliver had a “fantastic” round on Tom Joule’s 11-year-old gelding.
“It’s a great position to be in,” said Oli, who is yet to claim the top position at Bramham despite coming to the event “for as long as he can remember.”
With only a fence between the top four, tomorrow’s show jumping is looking to be a tight affair. Australian rider Sammi Birch also maintained her second placed position with a clear across the country adding just 1.2 time penalties to her dressage mark. She had a confident round with her own 13-year-old homebred gelding Hunter Valley II. Speaking of Sunday’s show jumping, Sammi looks determined; “there’s more pressure when it’s so close but you’ve just got to concentrate on yourself. Anything could happen; it’s a different time on the third day so you never know how it’s going to go!”
Sammi’s third placed horse after dressage, The Court Jester, was retired at jump nine after a couple of stops. A wise decision it seems, “he’s felt quiet all week and didn’t want to play game today,” said Sammi. Andrew Nicholson consolidated his return to the top level speeding into third place, on the aptly named Jet Set IV, finishing on his dressage score of 41.
U.S. rider
In the competitive Bishop Burton College CCI*** Under-25 section, previous winner of the class in 2013, Tom McEwen takes the lead after cross-country on the relatively inexperienced 9-year-old gelding Toledo de Kerser, who is owned by Frank and Jane Inns.
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“He coped well, cruising round really easily after setting off at my own pace. I took the long route in the second part of the first water jump but finished super easy with plenty of jump left. It was a well-built course to attack and have a bit of fun,” McEwen said.
He added 2.4 time penalties to his dressage score to lead on 42.8 with only 5 penalties separating the top three going into the final phase.
U.S. rider Jenny Caras is in eighth after collecting just 7.6 time penalties on cross-country aboard Fernhill Fortitude.
Jenny Caras on Fernhill Fortitude. Photo by Libby Law
Holly Woodhead, just 22, put her past experience of the terrain, twists and turns of the Bramham Park to her advantage to finish the day in prime position in the British Equestrian Trade Association CIC***. Riding Heidi and Ian Woodhead’s DHI Lupison, whom she partnered to win the Bishop Burton College CCI3* last year, Holly cruised round to finish three seconds inside the time to post an unassailable lead score of 40.0.
U.S. rider Katherine Coleman moved up from 42nd after dressage to 14th with a perfect cross-country score on Longwood.
The rumors of dressage leaders Pia Munker and Louis M withdrawing proved true which duly handed the lead to Woodhead before a cross-county fence was jumped. Once the cross-country was under way, Aussie Paul Tapner set the pace early on with a classy clear on Yogi Bear VIII, owned by Amanda Burns. Just a few horses later, the in-form Gemma Tattersall stole the lead with one of the rounds of the class with Christopher Stone’s Chico Bella P, adding nothing to a dressage of 42.7.
Kristina Cook, another Brit in flying form, also rose up the ranks with a clear inside the time with Elisabeth Murdoch’s Billy the Red, by the renown show jumping stallion Balou du Rouet. Originally sixth after dressage, their faultless performance promoted them three places.
Woodhead said; “I’m extremely happy; my horse Luke was amazing cross-country. It was big and bold with a tight time; it was a highlight from start to finish. It’s a privilige to ride him round any of Ian Stark’s course. I’ve had to pinch myself when I see the riders I’m among—they’re world class. I hope he has his jumping shoes on in the morning!”
