29 Mar Olympic hopefuls top the bill at Lincolnshire Horse Trials
Thousands turn out to see the Who’s Who of equestrian eventing
Nearly two thousand riders and visitors converged on Lincolnshire Showground for this year’s Horse Trials. The three day event attracted Olympic hopefuls from across the world, together with all the top local riders.
World renowned rider Mark Todd narrowly pipped local rider Nicola Baguley to win the Open Intermediate T section. Competitors from Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the USA joined the cream of British riders, including Olympic hopefuls William Fox Pitt, Laura Collett, Piggy French, Ruth Edge, Oliver Townend and Nicola Wilson.
A top pack of local riders were also put through their paces, including Ros Canter and Gina Ruck, who led through the dressage, dropping into second place overall following cross –country time penalties.
And the up and coming Emilie Chandler from Stathern in nearby Leicestershire, fulfilled expectations with two wins in the OI and novice sections, attributing her success to winter-based hillwork with her horses.
Competitors take part in dressage, show jumping and cross country over the three days at pre novice (BE100), novice and intermediate levels.
This year the course was redesigned by Horse Trials director and course designer Charles Hood, drawing praise that was reported in Horse & Hound’s review of the event, saying “Riders continue to travel the length and breadth of the country to compete at Lincolnshire – the entries list reads like a Who’s Who of the sport. It is a well deserved reputation and one that was upheld again this year.”
ENDS
- Photographs are available. These may be used only in relation to reporting of the Lincolnshire Horse Trials 2012, and any pictures used must acknowledged the photographer Julia Shearwood. Lo res versions supplied, please request any for usage as these are large files in high res version, and we cannot share via usual route of Flickr for copyright reasons. Please email your request
- A link to full results: http://www.bdwp.co.uk/lin
- Biographies and further information about British Olympic hopefuls available on the British Eventing website: click here
- Interviews with riders can be organised through Nina Lloyd-Jones at British Eventing Tel. +44 (0)2476 698855 email: Nina.Lloyd-Jones@britisheventing.com