‘He has scope for days’: jumping phase proves no obstacle for dressage leader in Blenheim’s young horse CCI4*-S

Samantha Lissington maximised on her dressage lead at the Agria Blenheim Palace Horse Trials with a stunning showjumping clear in the GFS Saddles eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S. This was aboard her third ride in this class, the High Flyers syndicate’s Quantas R.

“He’s pretty phenomenal,” said Sam. “He’s got scope for days, and it’s really about trying not to make a rider mistake. He’s something else.”

Sam also moved up from 10th to sixth with Lucas Stone, thanks to a fault-free round.

The showjumping was split into a morning and late-afternoon session, with an interlude of European Championships cross-country as the filler. Because of the championships, the showjumping took place not in the main Palace Arena but in a temporary ring in the park. There was a big atmosphere, with a packed stand and crowds three deep lining the ring as people stopped to watch on their way to and from the Europeans cross-country track.

The top two from the dressage were jumping on either side of the break, and it was Gemma Stevens who laid down the gauntlet with her brilliant jumper Cooley Park Muze in the morning. The Rex Syndicate’s nine-year-old has won a 1.35m Derby and the Eventers’ Challenge at Hickstead already this season and demonstrating all their pure showjumping experience, they added nothing to their second-placed dressage score of 22.9 to give Quantas R no breathing space.

“He’s gone from strength to strength having only started eventing two years ago,” said Gemma. “He’s a big, green baby but he has the most amazing brain.”

Sarah Bullimore’s Corimiro, third after dressage, was also clear inside the time to maintain her 24.8 score ahead of Sunday’s cross-country, while Fiona Kashel and her striking dark grey Monbeg Cazador added 1.2 time-faults but retained the fourth spot she held after dressage.

Tight time for Blenheim horse trials showjumping phase

It was noteworthy that the top three all jumped clear inside the time, as it gives the impression that the showjumping was straightforward. But although there were plenty of clear rounds, the time was very tight, and only 25% of the 86 contestants finished fault-free.

Sam’s clear with Quantas R was in the afternoon session after the course was doused with rain. She explained that she tweaked her style after knocking a fence down en route to Quantas winning at Royal Jump CCI4*-L in the summer, despite watching Gemma’s bold round with Cooley Park Muze.

“At Royal Jump, I took a stride out and had one down, so I didn’t want to do that today,” she said. “I made him do the conventional strides even though the time was tight, and had to find some extra places to make up the time. It added some extra pressure, but I think [a tight time is] good for the class to mix everything up.”

Gemma had full confidence in her expert jumper to take out the strides.

“He has a massive stride which is fantastic in some ways but it can make you a bit slow because you’re always waiting on a distance and it’s really tight in that arena,” she said. “But I left a couple of strides out and that really worked. He is the ultimate jump-off horse because he’s got such a good brain so it never fazes him. I can go flat out and next time just slow down – it doesn’t bother him.”

The cross-country starts tomorrow (Sunday, 21 September) at 9.30am with Gemma Stevens first out on David Evans’ track with Chilli’s Jester. The top 16 will run in reverse order, meaning Quantas R is due to run at 1.36pm.

Gemma said: “There’s a lot to do, but my horse is ready for the step up and I hope he’ll take it on, understand what he’s got to do and believe in me. Then he’ll have a holiday and be ready to do some really exciting things next year.”

CCI4*-S results after showjumping: top six

1. Samantha Lissington and Quantas R (NZL): 22.4
2. Gemma Stevens and Cooley Park Muze (GBR): 22.9
3. Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro (GBR): 24.8
4. Fiona Kashel and Monbeg Kazador (GBR): 26.2
5. Tim Price and The Highlander (NZL): 26.3
6. Samantha Lissington and Lucas Stone (NZL) and Phoebe Locke and Renkum Jitterbug (GBR): 29.5

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