Overnight leader of the TopSpec CCI4*-S Laura Collett and London 52 retain their leading position with 19.8 at Bicton International Horse Trials. “I’m absolutely chuffed with London 52 and Dacapo. They both did really nice tests and jumped beautifully round the show jumping. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, I think it’s a great track and hopefully it will set them up really nicely for Luhmühlen in a few weeks’ time,” said Laura. In the last three years, out of 25 runs, this horse has only ever picked up cross country penalties on one occasion – at the Worlds in Pratoni. This makes the 14-year-old gelding the one to watch going into the final day of competition tomorrow.

Beaming as they came through the finish line, retaining the lead in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L, Gaspard Maksud was thrilled with just 0.4 time penalties on Chantilly Amatullah. He remarks on his new partnership with this horse, “I haven’t had Tilly very long, so it is always a bit of an unknown, but she was very good, she tried very hard. When I asked her to get up at the last, she was still full of running which is brilliant.” Originally from Laval, France, Gaspard began his riding career at the tender age of 11 and began his success by winning the French Junior championship at just 16-years-old. The pair go into the final day of competition, show jumping tomorrow with one penalty in hand.

Another combination to keep the top spot going into show jumping is Finn Healy on Treamble in the CCI3*YR-L. The pair went clear jumping across country with just 0.8 time penalties. 18-year-old Finn has seen plenty of success so far in his career, winning team gold at the 2022 FEI European Junior Eventing Championships at Hartpury on Fathers Compromise and double gold at the 2019 FEI European Pony Championships at Strzegom on Midnight Dancer. They go into tomorrow with a margin of three penalties ahead of second placed Barnie Brotherton on DHI King Nelson. Finn says “I’m over the moon with her today, she was absolutely amazing, it was a really tough track. I thought that the undulations and the hills made it a really big stamina test as well as some really tricky questions, but she made it feel really effortless. She really showed her class – she loves the cross country phase, so she makes my life really easy. Tomorrow is a new day – we will focus on the trot up and then when the track is built, we will have a look. We are trying to take it all one step at a time and hopefully we will jump a good round.”

The CCI2*-L Empire Coach Builders is the only change in leadership for the day, where Kitty King and Ogue Verdi re-took the lead that they held on day one after their dressage, pushing yesterday’s post-dressage leader Dani Evans into second place. Kitty has represented GB at the Olympics and is the first British event rider to have represented GB at Pony, Junior, Young Rider and Senior European Championships. Adding nothing to their dressage score of 27.6, the eight-year-old Irish grey gelding owned by Lindsay Caldwell and Sue Brendish made nothing of the Helen West designed cross country course today.

Laura Collett keeps the lead with London 52 in the TopSpec CCI4*-S

Gaspard Maksud & Chantilly Amatullah retain leadership in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L

Finn Healy & Treamble lead the Chatham CCI3*YR-L

Kitty King & Ogue Verdi retake the lead in the Empire Coach Builders CCI2*-L

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