BRITAIN’s Gemma Tattersall had a day to remember at the Chedington Bicton Park CCI5* Horse Trials; she not only won her first five-star on her home-bred Chilli Knight, but at the winner’s press conference, her boyfriend seized the microphone to propose, and she duly said yes!
Tattersall led an all-female line-up ahead of Pippa Funnell (Billy Walk On) and Piggy March (Vanir Kamira) in second and third. She was the only rider to finish on her dressage score (27.9). “I can’t believe I’m sitting between these two legends of the sport,” the delighted winner said. “Pippa has been my heroine for ever and Piggy is just the best rider in the world.
“I never dared to dream. Before the show jumping, I tried to pretend that I was going into Ring 2 at Hickstead, which is my local event and where I jump day after day.”
Bicton was put on as a one-off five-star this year following the cancellation of Badminton and Burghley. That left Britain, the home of eventing, with no five-star for two years in-a-row, before Helen West and Andrew Fell of Bicton Arena stepped up and answer the owner/rider/fan demand to host a top-level event.
It was a baptism of fire for the venue that earlier in the summer stepped up to replace Braham Horse Trials. Captain Mark Phillips was drafted in as course designer and the team had just 11 weeks to prepare for the five-star event. Chedington came on board as sponsor and the generous prize fund offered £125,000.
In a year that sees both an Olympic Games and FEI European Championships take place, the field was understandably smaller than the vintage five-stars that fans are used to, but there was no shortage of quality in the 32 starters which included 2019 Badminton winner and Vanier Kamira and the 2018 Burghley winner Ringwood Sky Boy (ISH, Tim Price).
Funnell leads dressage
Pippa Funnell was the last competitor to perform the dressage test on Friday with Nick and Barbara Walkinshaw’s beautiful big gelding Billy Walk On. The 12-year-old by Billy Mexico, bred at the Billy Stud by Donal Barnwell, saved the best until last to take over the lead on a score of 23.9.
“Billy Walk On is a wonderful horse and I am delighted with him,” said Pippa, who earned a 10 for her final halt. “It’s brilliant that Bicton has put on this five-star for us. It takes so many years to get a horse to this stage and we’ve lost two years in the pandemic, so we’re just very pleased to be here.”
Funnell held a 1.6 penalty advantage over Piggy March and Trevor Dicken’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Vanir Kamira (Camiro de Haar Z x Dixi), who was bred by Kathryn Jackson. They had earlier scored 25.5.
“It’s such a fine line with her – she has a delicate temperament. She feels pretty ordinary at one-day events and then she rises to the big occasion. Today it feels as if our sport is back,” March commented.
Five-star first-timer Will Rawlin (27) found himself in third place after dressage, having produced a brilliant performance on his CCI5* debut, riding VIP Vinnie, to score 25.6. “It’s amazing to be in this place at the moment, but my main aim is to get around my first five-star,” he said. “I’m not expecting to be in this position on Sunday.”
Tattersall and Chilli Knight were ninth after the dressage phase on a score of 27.9.
Cross-country
However, Tattersall shot up the leaderboard after cross-country to second place when producing one of only two clear rounds inside the time over Captain Mark Phillips’ difficult track.
She brought herself to within 2.4 faults of March and Vanir Kamira who took over the lead with the only other clear. “She puts her snout down and off she goes. She’s all heart and guts. That track was by far the hardest terrain I’ve ridden, but it was probably made for her,” March said, full of praise for the mare.
Tattersall said: “It’s just the biggest relief and elation. He’s now become one of the best cross-country horses in the world. He feels like a little pony at home, but on the cross-country he turns into a lion.”
Funnell picked up 4.8 time penalties to slip to third with Billy Walk On. She was the only rider to go around the track twice and was lying eighth with Majas Hope; they had 15.2 time penalties.
After her ride on Billy Walk On, the 52-year-old said: “I’m elated. He’s not the fastest horse but my horses do a lot of hill work and it was nice to come here knowing that your horse is fit enough for you to ask the questions. I really enjoyed it. I came here thinking I should retire, but I’ve had a really good time!”
Just 19 combinations completed the cross-country; eight retired, four were eliminated and two withdrew beforehand, including Padraig McCarthy with Leonidas. The pair were 11th after dressage on 28.5 but McCarthy decided to save the 17-year-old for another day as he has been shortlisted for the European Championships.
McCarthy also rode five-star first-timer HHS Noble Call (Heritage Fortunas x Cavalier Royle) at the event and he was the first to complete the cross-country course, coming home on 7.2 time penalties to lie in seventh place at the end of the day. The grey was bred by Anne Hughes.
Joseph Murphy finished the course with 18 time penalities aboard Ali and Owen Brennan and Alice Stanton’s Goreshill Pearl (Hermes de Reve x Minstrel Bouncer) for 11th overnight, while Ireland’s only other starter, Sarah Dowley (Rubix Kube), retired on course.
The only other rider inside the time was Oliver Townend with Tregilder, but he had 11 penalties for breaking the frangible pins at the rail into fence 16abc.
Show jumping
Just 18 progressed to the final day’s show jumping phase and five of those managed to leave all the fences standing. When third-placed Funnell was clear with Billy Walk On she went into pole position (28.7) and heaped the pressure on Tattersall who did not have a fence in hand.
The 36-year-old held her cool and, despite a few rattles, also came home clear to finish on her dressage score (27.9) aboard Christopher Stone’s British-bred 11-year-old gelding who is by the Badminton winner Chilli Morning.
March then had to clear all the fences if Vanir Kamira was to win her second five-star and the pair looked to start well, but they knocked the oxer at fence six to hand the victory to Tattersall, before also faulting at fence eight which dropped her to third (33.9) behind Funnell.
It was the first all-female line-up since Funnell led Pia Pantsu and Jeanette Brakewell at Badminton in 2003. The reigning world champion Ros Canter finished in fourth place on Pencos Royal Jewel (42.7), and Funnell was also fifth on Majas Hope (46.6).
The men finally got a look in with Richard Jones, Oliver Townend, Padraig McCarthy and Tim Price filling sixth to ninth places, and Felicity Collins performed a beautiful clear round to rise two places to 10th and seal a perfect first five-star completion. Joseph Murphy was 12th (58.1).
It was a hugely emotional moment for Tattersall who said she never thought she would win a five-star with the home-bred gelding. The tears continued when her boyfriend, Gary Stevens, took the microphone during the press conference and asked her to be his wife.
Riders heaped praise on event director Andrew Fell and his team for producing such a beautifully presented competition at just 11 weeks’ notice. Funnell said: “I think I speak for all the riders when I say how much we appreciate being back competing in front of spectators. You have made us raise our game.”