July 2015
EVENT NEWS: Bramham Horse Trials
Brits Top the Table at
Bramham!
B
ramham Horse Trials has
always been an action packed
event, and this year proved
no exception with three
international event classes and a host of
show jumping classes for spectators to
enjoy. This year’s trio of British winners
will certainly give the Team GB Eventing
selectors a lot to think about before this
year’s European Championships in Blair.
written by Amy Bennett
Flora Flies in the CCI
Wiltshire based rider Flora Harris
further cemented her cracking season
this year with a text book cross country
round and a rare show jumping clear
over Di Boddy’s technical course to
remain on her leading dressage score of
36.8 penalties on board the stunning bay
gelding Bayano. “I try to keep each phase
a separate competition in my mind and
I’ve tried not to let being in the lead
affect me,” she said of her pole position
from day one, but the 27 year old kept a
cool head and proved what a star she is
going to be.
“It’s such a prestigious event, I feel
a bit inexperienced to win it!” she
remarked of her biggest ever success”
The pair are perhaps a year too
early to be proper championship team
Flora Harris (GBR) riding Batano
Image credit Mike Bain
Kitty King riding
10 year old
Persimmon Image
credit Mike Bain
contenders in my view, as Caroline
Harris and Rebecca Salt’s promising
young horse is only nine years old and
lacks consistency and experience at
the big events. However, Flora must
certainly have given the selectors
enough to scratch their heads about,
and could possibly be in contention for
one of the extra individual slots Team
GB have as host nation, which would
give the combination the much needed
experience to stand themselves in good
stead for the road to Rio next year.
The runner up in this class however
looks to me as a certainty for squad
contention, and if I were a gambling
girl I would put my money on Kitty
King and the 10 year old Persimmon
to be included. The promising gelding
has been quietly improving out of the
limelight but I know just how much
Kitty thinks of this horse and what he
is capable of, “He’s been knocking on
the door of a really good result,” she
said of their second place, and she was
equally pleased for her main rival in the
competition, “I’m thrilled for Flora after
her terrible week at Tattersalls [where
Bayano had two run outs at a corner
early on] where I won so I’m glad she’s
6
Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 22 • July 2015
gone well here.”
There were comments heard that Ian
Starks’ infamous cross country course
was somewhat softer this year in
“The runner
up in this class
however looks to me
as a certainty for squad
contention, and if I were
a gambling girl I would
put my money on Kitty
King”
Amy Bennett
comparison to previous tracks, with
three quarters of the field jumping clear
in the CCI cla