BRITISH OLYMPIC BRONZE TRIO HEAD BRAMHAM INTERNATIONAL LIST
Three members of Britain's Olympic Team Bronze medal winning quintet top the strong entry of over 135 horse and rider combinations from 13 countries for this year's Bramham International Horse Trials 11 - 14 June 2009. William Fox-Pitt, aiming for his sixth Bramham title, Sharon Hunt and Daisy Dick all travel to Yorkshire with horses who could be in the reckoning for this year's top honours in one of the three classes on offer. The main CCI*** features some of the world's best up and coming horses while the Bishop Burton College Under 25 Championship is a showcase of the best young talent in the country at present. New this year will be the addition of a CIC*** competition as a result of the cancellation of Chatsworth in Derbyshire in May.
2008 winner William Fox-Pitt has a ride in each of the two senior competitions - his CCI*** contender is Cool Mountain, the 2007 British Novice Champion and a horse who William rates highly, while a new ride for William this season, Sonate V, will be his partner in the CIC***. Sharon Hunt also has a ride in each class and her Olympic horse Tankers Town will be one of the best each way bets in the CIC*** as they are keen to impress the Senior Selectors in their bid for selection for the European Championships this year in France. Ultimate Opposition will be her ride in the CCI*** who will be making his debut at this level but has some good spring form ahead of Bramham. Berkshire rider Daisy Dick brings her 2006 Blenheim CCI*** winner Springbok IV who is in flying form so far this season so is certainly one to watch.
Two-time Bramham winner (1992 and 2002) Pippa Funnell is always a crowd favourite and in Ensign and Blue Horizon has two good horses for the CCI*** class while 2004 Under 25 Champion Piggy French has two horse in the CCI*** and should never be discounted. She rides Lemington Lets Dance, a winner twice so far in 2009 and Some Day Soon who has never been out of the top nine this year. Bramham regular Andrew Nicholson, a winner in 2007, will be one of the busiest riders over the four days of competition with four rides - two in each section. In the CCI*** the New Zealander brings two nine year old horses, Nereo and The Light Fandango. Nereo has two Advanced One Day Event wins under his belt this season while The Light Fandango is a new ride for Andrew this year but in just four runs this spring, has three top ten placings. His two CIC*** horses are also in form and youngsters for the future in the form of Epic and Oplitas.
In the CCI*** two horses to watch are the stallions Chilli Morning, ridden by Nick Gauntlett and Jigilo II who is partnered by Lucy Weigersma (winner of the 1998 Young Rider Championship at Bramham) as they have both caught the eye this spring. They will also take part in the Revolution Stallion Parade on Friday 12 June at approximately 12:30. Local riders Nicola Wilson (Northallerton) and Penny Lawn (Garforth) will be looking for "home advantage" with their horses so make a note of their numbers! Nicola has two rides, Pricewise, number 184 in the CIC*** and in the CCI*** Master Banks (74) while Penny is just one behind, number 75 on Southway. There's also a local connection in the CIC*** with number 166, Dunauger, who was last year's CCI*** dressage leader with then rider Tracy Garside and is now piloted by Harry Meade from Wiltshire.
There may be just 25 in the Bishop Burton College Under 25 Championships but the winner could be anyone! Reigning Young Rider European Champions Emily Llewellyn and Pardon Me II would have to be the pick of this talented bunch but her Young Rider European Gold Medal Team-mates Ben Hobday (Uptons Who) and Georgie Spence (Skylight & Song for Gull) will be out to give her a run for he money! Other names of note include Gemma Tattersall, Olivia Haddow and Angus Smales.
The CIC*** gives spectators the treat to see one of the sport's maestros in action - Mark Todd who returned to competitive riding last year after retiring following the Sydney Olympics having lost his "inspiration" for the sport. After eight years away, the draw of the Beijing Olympics was just the tonic and he returned to the sport which has given him five Olympic medals including two Individual titles, two team World Championship Golds, five Burghley victories and 3 Badminton titles. He has returned to Britain to base himself for a campaign ahead of the London 2012 Olympics and will bring his Olympic ride, NZB Gandalf to contest the CIC along with ODT Mouse who was well placed in the CCI** at Hougton Hall just last month. Another Olympic combination taking part will be Ireland's Louise Lyons and Watership Down.
If some of the world's best event riders weren't enough, the BSJA classes, a Bramham tradition, have also attracted some top names for the eight classes over Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June culminating in the £1000 first prize Wetherby Skips Grand Prix which brings the curtain down on the four day extravaganza. Yorkshire's "home team", the Whitakers, have representatives including Ellen, Louise and William across the classes. One of Sunday's highlights will be the Mix & Match where event riders are partnered with a leading jumper for a fast and furious competition combining coloured knock-down fences and elements of the main cross country course - fastest time wins.
Bramham will also host a number of classes from the showing world on Thursday including Horse of the Year Show qualifiers for light, middle & heavy weight and working Hunters while Pony Club Mounted Games will feature in the East Arena on both Saturday and Sunday plus Pony Club Team Jumping on Saturday. Always with an eye on the future, young horses will also feature heavily with Bramham hosting a Burghley Dubarry Young Event Horse four and five year old qualifier for the prestigious Championship in September plus Event Horse Breeding and Young Stock Classes for foals to three year olds.
Daily tickets are available for purchase on the gate - prices start at £10 per adult, children under 12 go free and car parking is £5. And remember...Bramham is holding a photographic competition this year - your picture could feature on the front page of the 2010 event programme so get snapping during the event!