IT has been many years since the Straker name appeared at the very top of the sport, but impressively following in the footsteps of her Olympian aunt Karen (Dixon), British rider Storm Straker landed the biggest win of her career in the feature NutriScience CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk.

Much to the very obvious delight of almost the entire Straker family, Storm and her mother’s Fever Pitch recorded a vital clear round on the final day, to head the might of the Japanese Olympians, as well as top British international Mollie Summerland.

This was no fluke either, as having held second spot with one of only two, sub-30 scores (29.6), Straker was convincing throughout to finally complete on a score of 30.0 – ahead of Ryozo Kitajima and the world championship mare Cekatinka JRA on 31.9.

Despite the emphatic score, the win was not without incident, as Straker explained. “It’s been quite a roller coaster of a week,” she said.

“Firstly, our lorry was badly damaged when unloading from the ferry and then, just before I set off across the country, we had a fall in the warm-up. Fever Pitch ran loose for a bit, and then I had to run to be cleared by the doctor – and then finally I dropped my whip half way round!”

Considering that the Straker name has been synonymous with eventing for decades, Storm did not event until she was given the ride on Well Designed, a horse previously ridden by both her brother Sam and sister Jaquetta.

The pair progressed to junior team level, but it is this German-bred Fever Pitch that has ricocheted her into the top flight again.

Bought in Germany as a four-year-old, the son of Tannenhofs Farenheight was initially not straightforward, but with progressive help from trainer Chris Bartle, the pair looked very slick in all three phases.

They enjoyed a good run at Boekelo last year and they are now on track for their first five-star outing at Luhmuhlen next month.

Squad stalwart

While Straker works full-time and juggles her eventing with her career, second placed Ryozo Kitajima is one of the stalwarts of the Japanese senior squad. His mount Cekatinka is a veteran of two world championships and now, at 17 years old, holds yet another Olympic qualification. The pair clipped a flag at the skinny at the eighth, but looking classy throughout, were otherwise foot-perfect. “Ireland is a lucky country for me,” commented the Gloucestershire-based Kitajima, who is a regular at the venue, as well as Millstreet. “I felt the track was long at this time of year, but there was lots of galloping and the ground was good.”

In contrast to the hugely experienced Cekatinka, Mollie Summerland was promoted from fourth to third with the 10-year-old CCI4*-L debutante Flow 7. An unseen, online purchase from Germany, Flow 7 is dressage-bred and, although not a natural jumper he is, according to his rider, all heart.

“He got to the seven-minute marker and had to take a deep breath, but finished well,” she remarked. “His jumping is improving all the time. He’s learnt to be careful and I feel, in terms of improvement, we’re still touching the surface. This is my first visit here and I shall return. The area surface is great and gives the horses every opportunity to compete to their best.”

Time faults

Although the cross-country fences proved largely uninfluential for the field of 10, time faults did prove expensive for dressage leader Yoshiaki Oiwa aboard the former Pippa Funnell Burghley winner, MGH Grafton Street.

Taking it handy to add 4.8 penalties to his first phase mark of 29.3, he consequently dropped to fourth, just ahead of his compatriot Kazuma Tomoto with the classy By Design JRA and also Ireland’s Robbie Kearns riding Richard Ames’ Chance Encounter V11.

As one of only two Irish runners, Kearns enjoyed a fabulous spin with the traditionally bred 15-year-old, adding just 1.2 penalties to his opening score.

The duo had enjoyed a good run in Kronenberg last month and, on the back of this fluent outing, may aim for Luhmuhlen and Aachen in the coming months. Having been initially sourced in Ireland by Greg Kinsella, the Robin Johnston-bred grey is by Creevagh Grey Rebel out of the thoroughbred mare Camedia (Lord Americo).

Well-related, he is a brother to the Giovanni Ugolotti-ridden European championship horse Noteworthy (previously ridden by Oliver Townend) and has been owned by Ames since a three-year-old. “Robbie gets on with him well,” said Ames. “They did have a mishap at Blenheim last year, but he’s a low mileage horse and has come back this season a very happy one.”

Having been copy book through the water, fellow Irish rider Joseph Murphy and Barberstown Castle Rehy were unfortunate to clock up 20 penalties at Defender Barrel Brushes, three from home, while also near to completion, the British pairing of Emma Hyslop Webb and Boleybawn Aristocrat added the same at the penultimate.