NZB Land Vision - Return Of A Champion

Badminton 2011 Winner NZB Land Vision Back To Winning Ways After A Two Year Absence

NZB Land Vision returned to the eventing scene at Gatcombe today with all the familiar hallmarks of a Badminton champion despite over 2 years away from the scene due to injury. The two Open Intermediate sections were full of 4 star performers and a number of winners, including Andrew Nicholson's extra special horse Quimbo, winner of Rolex Kentucky 3DE.

The day however belonged to Sir Mark Todd & NZB Land Vision. It's no secret that I am partial to a grey horse, but this horse I have followed in earnest since seeing him for the first time in the flesh at Highclere Horse Trials a few years back. He is tall, sleek, elegant & powerful with a fabulous temperament. His perfectly balanced self carriage exudes such presence and power that I could spot him amongst 3 greys in the dressage warm up from 200 yards away.

Badminton 2013: In The Shadows Of The 3 Kings Of Cool

$350,000 Rolex Grand Slam Contenders Andrew Nicholson & William Fox-Pitt

The sport of eventing is made up of three 'tests' covering three very different disciplines, and requires a horse and rider to perform in perfect harmony in order to win at this level, and as we all know where horses are concerned there are no guarantees, so can we really dismiss 90% of the field going forward for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials Trophy?

Michael Jung - Grand Slam Spoiler?

There is no doubt the "three kings" (Andrew Nicholson, William Fox-Pitt & Michael Jung) are in the very best form of their careers. They've all won medals at the last World & Olympic Games, They've all won 4 star events in the last 2 years. All three are the coolest characters under pressure and nothing short of Murhpy's Law could possibly predict an alternative outcome other than one of these three lifting the trophy in a week's time. But we've seen major upset and the unexpected at championships & 4 star level before - The Germans at WEG 2010, The Brits at the Europeans, and Andrew Nicholson has had 32 attempts at Badminton without luck before. Pippa Funnell, currently, the only winner of the Rolex Grand Slam seemed invincible and then saw her hopes dashed of a follow up win at Badminton one year, falling from both her entries. So anything that can happen, could happen.

The Many Faces Of Cross Country

Happy & Relaxed On Cross Country

As any eventing fanatic can tell you cross country is the phase that stirs the endorphins, gets the adrenaline pumping, and brings out all sorts of emotions depending on how your cross country ride goes. Searching through my photos recently for a winter project, I came across a number of photos of riders with the full range of  facial expressions captured, many of which you expect but several of which are quite surprising, and sometimes unintentionally comical.

Pippa Funnel - Expressive Rider

I've alway found Pippa Funnel one of the best to watch on cross country, not only because of her experience, but she is also a very expressive rider, which illustrates the talent needed to tackle some of these courses. At the other end of scale watch Andrew Nicholson or Andrew Hoy, and they barely use any of the 52 muscles in their face out on cross country, they're just fixed and focused from start box to finish line. In between you'll find a full compliment of emotional displays from frustration to elation.

Still photos capture a mere fraction in time of these emotions, but allow you to study those in more detail and I always find are more dramatic, more so than watching video (eg. watch the sequence of William Fox-Pitt at the 2011 European Championships) This can often leave you thinking "I wonder how that felt?" or "I wonder what was going through their mind at that point"

Here are a few photos to illustrate my point (I'll leave you to think up your own captions):

Wellington Horse Trials 2012 | Looking For The Next Fence

Bill Levett | Looking For The Next Fence

Intermediate day at the inaugural KBIS Wellington Horse Trials provided a real treat of cross country action and plenty of great riding from a mixed group of riders.  I'm not sure if it was just that I noticed it more today, or they were all on form, but just about every rider I watched today jumping was 'looking for their next fence' as they flew over the obstacles - almost no one was looking down as you can often find. It makes for a great photo!

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 | 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!

Salperton Horse Trials: Rayef, The Kings & The Olympics

Laura Collett & Rayef | Open Intermediate Winners on a score of 25.0 (Dressage 21.4!)

Young Laura Collett illustrated that with all the stars aligned, and in the right circumstances she & Rayef are unassailable. With a dressage score any German would be envious of (a staggering 21.4) they led from the get go, winning their OI section by an equally staggering 13.3 point advantage finishing on a score of 25.0 ahead of the even younger Emily King (a surname that was to haunt me all day).

Salperton is hosted by Rayef's owner, Jason Houghton, on the most wonderful undulating parkland of magnificent, clover rich pasture. Walker Logistics, another Patron of Laura's were sponsors at the event, making this very much the Collett Eventing Team Show.

Chris King Racing Home To Take 2nd In AI Section F On Idol Hero

This being the heart of the Cotswolds, the course has plenty of steep inclines and descents on the way round, making it easy to bowl along on the forehand or run out of steam if not careful, but Laura & Rayef just sailed round, as did another of the leading Kings of this sport, Chris King. He rowed home one second over the optimum time looking every bit a NH jockey as he thundered past me on Idol Hero to finish second on a score of 28.9 behind yet another King, Kitty King, who won AI Section F on her dressage score of 27.9 aboard the fabulous little mare Zindante. By the way all of these King's are unrelated, and with so many of them being announced (Mary [King] also made an appearance)  I incorrectly tweeted earlier today that Chris had won this section. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of these two horses and the Kings later this season (weather permitting).

Chatsworth 2012 | The Olympic Quest Continues

Mary King & Imperial Cavalier On The 'Badminton Bypass' To Chatsworth

Over the coming few days we'll learn more of the back-up plans for many riders for whom a main pre-Olympic run was brought to an abrupt halt by the cancellation of Badminton earlier this week. Statements of how little impact this has had, have been dotted around all over the news in the last few days, even though Badminton's profile and position in the eventing calendar makes it a very useful event as a Key Performance Indicator in Olympic year, not to mention one of the best qualifying events to tackle for European based riders.

All that aside, many of the elite were already heading to the Peak District for Chatsworth Horse Trials and a slightly less demanding Olympic prep run to showcase their fitness and agility in what often provides one of the best indicators for competitive form.

Belton - Perfectly Pitched

Laura Collett | Getting Some Intermediate Cross Country Practice In For Tomorrow's CIC*** Which She Leads

It's very easy to see why almost all the UK based entries for Badminton are here at Belton. It has everything you want want from an early season competitive run at Advanced in preparation for the spring four stars. I haven't walked the full extent of the cross country course yet, which doesn't look as strong as some that you'll find later in the season, but that's exactly what you'd hope for.

A Peek Round The Corner To 2012

My Daughter & I Playing Peek-A-Boo With Our Cameras

The holidays are coming to an end, and that means everyone's thoughts turn to New Year's resolutions, turning over a new leaf, or the excitements for the year ahead. For the first time that I can remember I don't really have a new resolution I feel a burning need to fullfil, but having just had the most wonderful holiday with my children in the relative peace and tranquillity of the Welsh valleys, enjoying the simple pleasures of family life, I probably will seek to simplify my personal life next year, if only because my professional life has been so hectic this year, and that looks set to continue throughout most of 2012.

2011 was a cracking year for me eventing wise (sadly only as a spectator). Despite some logistical hiccups I managed to get to most of the big events that I intended to in the UK plus a few abroad, and even managed to snap some golden moments for my sporting year book. 2012 brings probably the most exciting Olympics, for this sport, there has been since the games were last held in London back in 1948. It was, after all, those games that gave rise to Badminton Horse Trials, the foundation of our sport, and Great Britain is widely acknowledged as having the best eventing circuit in the world, so with the eventing elite on our doorstep what better place to enjoy Olympic Eventing!

Pau 2011: Sunday's Action | The Winners, The Losers & The Great Grey

Mary King Takes Home The Big Money Winning The 2011 HSBC FEI Cassics™ Series

I'd just started writing my love letter to Pau and lamenting about having to leave when I suddenly remembered I should at least briefly recap Sunday's goings on and post some pictures as yet unpublished. Saturday's cross country phase left many a sore leg on a horse, giving grooms and riders plenty to do overnight. As I left the event around 11 pm that night horses were being inspected for soundness on the tarmac roadways in preparation for the morning's trot up.

Pau 2011 - Dressage ✔ Done

Andrew Nicholson & Mr. Cruise Control | The Horse To Take Home From Pau

The sun here in Pau is still shining as the dressage phase finally draws to a close. Two Aussies, Clayton Fredericks & Chris Burton, sit neck-a-neck on 43.7, with William Fox-Pitt and Oslo half a point behind.

Pau 2011 Friday | Mary King Scores 51.0

Mary King & Imperial Cavalier Score 51.0

The more I watch dressage, the less I understand it. OK it wasn't a stunning test, but it was better than a lot of those ahead of her in the leader board.

Pau 2011 Friday | More Sunshine - More Dressage - More of Everything

Ruth Edge & Nick Of Thyme

Whilst I grab a quick bite to eat and prepare 2 videos, take a look at a few more magnificent horses out schooling this morning:

More Photos

Pau 2011- Day One: There's Something About Mary

Mary King | Current Leader 

Mary King is currently leading the CCI**** here at Pau, with both William Fox-Pitt & Andrew Nicholson in her slipstream. Something, someone said at dinner this evening, made me think there really is something about Mary that sets her apart from the rest; she always has a smile and hello for everyone, always willing to help out, and as I said in a previous post she's the eventer most young riders admire, and Thursday at Pau belongs to Mary.

Pau Is Where It's At

Mary King & Apache Sauce

I've literally only just arrived at Pau CCI**** in South West France, after a short detour following endless yellow signs for "The Stars Of Pau", and finally giving in and phoning the press office, who beyond the call of duty came out to find me and lead me by the nose to the entrance, which incidently I would never have found under my own steam. I even had trouble finding the media centre. I did manage to find the lorry park, the warm up area, a bunch of friendly Aussie riders from back home, and one of the central stars of this year's event, Mary King, out on Apache Sauce.

Segway | Transport of Choice

The plane on the way over was full to the gills with owners, supporters and general eventing fans, plus a certain Press Officer from Badminton, Julian Seaman, who is helping out here for the week, and is making me work for my accreditation by holding pre-Badminton meetings with some of the representatives from HSBC. Nothing like early planning!

Even though we have great weather here, this event has a great end of summer feel, where everyone is relaxed, smiling, tanned, soaking up the atmosphere, and plenty are zipping around on Segways. This is shaping up to be a good week.

Anyhow, now that I've managed to find my base for the week, I'm off to get my bearings, some photos, and see what's generally happening, before getting a guided course walk with a few of the riders.

I'm so excited I can't think straight!

More from Pau very soon.....

Battle Of The Kings & A Little Last Minute Dot Com

Will He Win?

So here I am sat in my sister's house again,  a few minutes up the road from Gatwick Airport, only days after the last impromptu stay on route to somewhere that sounds so much more glamourous than it really is.

The eventing season (in Europe at least) is drawing to a close, and that means Pau CCI****. It's already all over the news that there is some serious $$$$$ at stake courtesy of the HSBC FEI Classics Series, and William Fox-Pitt needs to win Pau in order to snatch the bonus right from underneath Mary King's nose.

Burghley, As Only Burghley Can

This year's Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials cross country day, lived up to all my expectations as the best Burghley for many years. Probably the most international line up of any CCI**** I've ever seen, with horses and riders having travelled from as far afield as Australia, California, and of course Europe.

I've spent most of the day out on the cross country course, partially succeeding in fine tuning my camera skills, although I have to confess to being a little ill prepared by not having a course map with me until I blagged one from an official, but not before I'd walked far more than I needed to.

Germany Leads, But Andrew, William & Mary Still Own Burghley

Dressage Leader | Simone Dietermann

With only 6 points separating the top 10, and a much needed clear run over tomorrow's Land Rover Burghley cross country course, the current leader Simone Deitermann, has quite a task ahead of her if she is to maintain her lead. A fast clear round, even with a few time faults should still aid her primary aim of gaining an olympic qualification after a few disappointing runs at 3 & 4 star recently.

This pair were so impressive at Badminton in 2010, only to have an unfortunate tumble, crashing literally into the last fence at the WEG in Kentucky last autumn.

The next 5 horses in the pecking order are all ridden by previous Burghley winners, with William Fox-Pitt less than a point behind the leader, and no doubt eager to make an historic 6th win to equal Lucinda Green's record at Badminton. Andrew Nicholson, Mary King  and William all have two chances in the top ten, and last year's popular winner, Caroline Powell with Lenamore is poised in equal fifth. It is possibly these riders who know Burghley like the back of their hand and where to shave that vital second or two that will own this competition.

Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event - Officially Fabulous

RK3DE 2011 "Officially" Over

As Nigel Casserley might say over the loudspeakers of the Horse Park “Official Rolex Time is over for another year”, the scoreboard is finalised and with it my own Grand Slam, having at last visited Lexington for the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event. [interesting how this is titled a “3 day event’ yet Badminton & Burghley are titled as “horse trials”, historic I guess?]

So far it’s been a great year for big four stars, in terms of top class competition, Badminton produced one of the best competitions for many years, and benefited from the best weather it’s seen for some time. Rolex hit a few milestones too. Mary King took the top 2 slots, a first at Rolex, she’s the oldest woman to win a 4 star, and, and, and….