London 2012 | The Greatest Eventing Show On Earth

Mark Todd | One Second Away From Gold After Cross Country

The Cross Country Phase of the London 2012 Olympic Eventing competition will surely go down as one of the greatest events the sport has ever seen, and probably the most exciting day the London Games is likely to witness. 74 horses jumped out of the start box, and fifteen did not make it through to the finish, a number of which surprised everyone. Four nations held firm, to maintain team scores that have a chance of putting their team on the podium, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand & Sweden.

London 2012 | History In The Making & Dream Headlines

Sadly No Fairytale Headline For Neville Bardos, But Perhaps A Medal & An Underwear Deal For Boyd

One of the legacies I'm left with after five years of living with a broadsheet journalist is the little game of "Guess Tomorrow's Headline" we played as we waited for the morning papers, each paper adding their own particular style (or lack of it in the case of the tabloids) to the big story of the day. Every single Olympian must dream of winning one of those shiny metal medallions, and speculate over the headlines in the national & trade press the following morning. 


This year's Olympics, more than any other I can remember, gives rise to so many dream headlines depending on the winners, losers, lovers and sinners from the eventing world stage. Just run your eyes over the long list of horses and riders in the line up for the eventing at Greenwich and it's not hard to image what any number of headlines, littered with superlatives, might read given the number of hugely popular combinations dreaming of making history in the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

Barbury 2012 - CIC*** Cross Country | #EventingLive At It's Very Best

Andrew Nicholson & Avebury | Lead The CIC*** From Start To Finish

The New Zealanders owned Barbury CIC*** from the very beginning, and very nearly gave it all away in the closing minutes of the competition. After phase 2, the showjumping, all three top slots were occupied by much fancied NZ team selections; Andrew Nicholson, Jock Paget & Mark Todd.

Jock Paget | The Long Walk Home

Barbury 3* always finishes with the cross country phase, and run in reverse order, creating the perfect climax to the weekend of sport. Jock Paget, in second place and second last to go, left the start box cruising through the first part of the course on Clifton Lush with very little to do in order to prove his worth, but tipped up at the first water, not a difficult fence, but one that perhaps required too little effort to ride through. They were reunited for the long walk home but of the competition. Fellow kiwi, Mark Todd was already on course ahead of him, and seconds later eliminated himself by missing out a fence.

Andrew Nicholson & Quimbo | 2nd in the CIC***

This left current leader, Andrew Nicholson, with an 8 point advantage over this other horse Quimbo before leaving the start box. Nicholson left nothing to chance and cruised around the course under the optimum time on Avebury to secure 1st and 2nd slot.

The New Zealand Team are announcing their riders tomorrow, in a pub, not too far from me! Even with Mark Todd's senior moment, and Jock Paget's ducking at Barbury, it would be hard to imagine good reason why either of these two won't be joining Andrew Nicholson on the team.

Barbury 2012 | The XC Style Council

Sinead Halpin

Whilst going through my photos from today's epic action at Barbury Castle Horse Trials I've been thinking "I wish I could ride like that!"

So before I gather my thoughts on all that I've witnessed today at Barbury in a wrap up, here's a few photos of the most stylish riders I've watched glide round the Wiltshire hillside. If I could ride one side of a horse as well as this group I'd die happy!

Barbury 2012 | Friday - Kiwis, Colletts, Coat Tails & Cross Country

Mark Todd & NZB Campino | Olympic Selection Contender - 5th After Dressage

The New Zealanders pretty much owned Barbury Castle Horse Trials today in the final day of CIC*** dressage, probably the largest, and most competitive 3 star class we've ever seen. With a truly international field of 110, four nations dominate the top ten, New Zealand (4), Great Britain (4), Australia (1), USA (1). The next ten tells a similar story with just Ireland's rising star Camilla Speirs on Portersize Just A Jiff in equal 15th, adding another nation into the mix.

I missed the rainy start to the day, and sadly also Phillip Dutton's ride on Mystery Whisper. I was however very pleased to have caught Mark Todd's ride on NZB Campino, probably his best team selection candidate for the London Olympics. Campino's test today might not have been the most exuberant & stunning we have seen over the past few days, or perhaps as good as his Houghton score in warm sunny conditions, but this was a very nice relaxed, athletic and correct test to score 44.0, just 2.4 marks off Andrew Nicholson's leading score of 41.6 on Avebury. I think Mark's horse has every chance of finishing on his dressage score here.

Barbury Dressage | Is Going To Be Interesting (No Really, It Will!)

Laura Collett & Rayef | Last Year's CIC*** Dressage Leader

 Barbury Castle Horse Trials is, along with many of the other European events, as the cliche goes, not a dressage competition. Last year, one of our rising stars, Laura Collett lead the dressage (and showjumping) on a sub 40 mark, one of only two, the other being eventual winner Pippa Funnell. Laura dropped to third after 6 time penalities on Cross Country - but I doubt a few time penalties was her key concern with European selection on the cards at the time. Rayef has continued to prove a strong performer in the CIC/One-day classes, only last week notching a 13 point advantage at Salperton. 

Barbury 2012 | Officially Time To Get Your Games Face On

Barbury Castle Horse Trials | The Place To Be This Weekend

Wonder Horse Neville Bardos

Barbury Castle Horse Trials is about to become host to the most exciting pre-Olympic warm-up event ever seen. The Olympics being held on home turf has attracted the world's biggest names to camp in the UK during the build up to the games. The Australians & New Zealanders were first to arrive a year ago, joined by a smattering of other nations, including America's Tiana Coudray, who laid many a ghost to rest when coming second at Blenheim last year. She is now joined by the entire American Olympic shortlist, the latest contingent to arrive for their final selection trial at Barbury this coming weekend, including the two US wonder horses, Neville Bardos & Mystery Whisper.


Barbury has grown in stature over a very short space of time, and since the demise of Savernake Horse Trials, is my most local, and one of my favourite events in the calendar. Taking a look through the entry list for the CIC*** it's really hard not to get excited about the Olympics - it reads like a who's who of eventing, and pretty much anyone that is missing from this list can be found in the 3 CIC** sections, along side many of the horses that made Salperton so memorable.

Reasons To Be Cheerful.....(and one or two to groan about)

Spring Is Here | Time to Unwrap Badminton

The first week of March brings more promise, inspiration and a buzz back to my life. I feel like a sleepy bear awakening from slumber, but probably look more like a hedgehog!

The UK eventing season is imminent and I'm champing at the bit! And apart from the re-insurgence of exchanging blows views with Mark Phillips, albeit via his column in Horse & Hound and my blog, due to the sheer volume of air miles we are collectively racking up, this first week of March sees two other great milestones.

Badminton Horse Trials entries have closed, and that means we'll very shortly know the extent of the foreign invasion beach-heading in Gloucestershire in preparation for London 2012. The second great milestone is the launch of Apple's iPad 2, a major leap forward from the first iteration and very nearly perfect as a laptop replacement.