No Chance Encounter for Beale King in Millstreet

PHENOMENAL was a word used freely by the USA’s Gillian Beale King following her first experience of competing at the Millstreet International Horse Trials last week and it was a phenomenal effort on her part to ride five horses in the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI3*-S, finish in the top 10 on three and win on her dressage score with Chance Encounter VII.

On 28.7 penalties, Beale King and Chance Encounter were only in eighth place following the dressage phase judging of the ground jury of Britain’s Angela Tucker (C), Poland’s Slawomir Pietrzak (H) and Ireland’s John Lyttle (B).

Irish riders filled the top four spots at this stage headed by Co Dublin’s Ian Cassells on Millridge Atlantis (26.4), followed by Adam Haugh on Carsonstown Cruise (26.7), Ella Boyle with Grafenstolz Distinction (26.9) and Suzanne Hagan riding OBOS Take One (27.3).

The show jumping phase had a major influence on the result with clear rounds moving Haugh up a place into the lead, followed by Britain’s Ailsa Wates on Ophelie van Prinseveld (28.1) with Beale King now taking closer order into third on Chance Encounter.

Four riders had an early finish to their cross-country rounds, Ireland’s Dominic Furnell retiring Horlepiep following two refusals at fence 19. Three riders were unseated: Katherine Duffy (Thaddias Brown), Sarah Lang (RNG Vantage Point) and Karen Dixon (Master Smart).

Haugh picked up 20 jumping penalties at fence 11 on the cross-country course. Wates jumped around clear but 8.8 time penalties saw her finish 12th on 36.9.

The top four on the final leaderboard were all clear within the time. Beale King moved up to first on Chance Encounter (28.7), Meath’s Sarah Ennis improved from 15th after dressage to second on Action Lady M (31.2), while single fences down show jumping didn’t prove too costly for either Hagan on OBOS Take One (31.3) and Britain’s Daniel Alderson with Miss Matana (32.4).

As ever, Beale King paid tribute to her support team at Millstreet and also to Sarah and Kate who remained at Belline Estate Equestrian.

“Richard and Tanja (Ames) were there for me all the time as was my other half, Daithí Linehan,” enthused Beale King. “All the girls who ride and work with me at Belline – Max, Laura and Mia – were phenomenal on cross-country day as I was out every 25 minutes and they made sure I could give each of my horses plenty of time to warm-up.

“Richard has owned Chance Encounter since he was three or four so this win meant a lot to him as it did to our headgirl Max who adores him so I gave her the winner’s ribbon. He has come on a lot since I came to Belline and I couldn’t be happier that he won.

“The atmosphere in the main arena for the show jumping was different from anything else I have experienced here in Ireland. The track was quite technical and I think the flowers, large screen and music might have been too intense for some – I loved it!

“When I first walked the cross-country I knew it would take some riding as there were some proper questions on it.”