It was the first time the 37-year-old rider has won this prestigious national final, and it marked a fairytale comeback for her winning ride Fruselli. Su and Gordon Hall\u2019s 16-year-old stallion has had a two-year lay-off, but since returning to the ring earlier this summer he has now taken four wins on the bounce.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether he would come back or not, we just didn’t know,\u201d said Holly, who was part of the British team at the Tokyo Olympics. \u201cWe dipped our toes with him a few weeks ago at Bolesworth and he was exceptional there, then we brought him here and he’s gone and done it again. It’s like a dream, and what a privilege it is to ride a horse with such experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holly and Fruselli were one of eight combinations to jump clear in the first round, with Holly the sixth to go against the clock. She was able to use Fruselli\u2019s long stride and wealth of experience to shave more than 1.5sec off leaders Ella Dalton and Ultimo NZ\u2019s time, to take the lead in 35.60sec.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuckily, we’ve got a big screen down in the warm-up arena, so I kept an eye on what people were doing and I had an idea of how fast they were,” said Holly. Fruselli’s a naturally quick horse, but you’ve got to get that balance of not going absolutely mad, but not leaving the door open for anybody else either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventer Gemma Stevens was the only rider to cross the finish line in a quicker time, but a fence down on Envoy Merelsnest Z dropped them to seventh.<\/p>\n
Runner-up Ella Dalton was awarded the Cindy Mead Memorial Trophy as the highest placed rider under-25, while former Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Harriet Biddick took third with Diamond Blue.<\/p>\n
This morning\u2019s 1.50m Royal International Trophy featured a stacked, 17-rider jump off. Twenty-three-year-old Belgian rider Mathieu Bourdeaud\u2019Hui made his Agria Royal International debut a winning one when he remained 0.58sec ahead of Rob Whitaker and Strike a Pose.<\/p>\n
Mathieu was riding Tony Olivier\u2019s British-bred nine-year-old My Kingdom, who was jumping his first five-star.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot in the jump off, so I knew I had to take some risk,\u201d said Mathieu. \u201cFor me it was perfect to have a jump-off where you need a lot of canter, my horse was very good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to come here, Hickstead is an amazing show. Every year I watch on the livestream at home and I\u2019ve been dreaming of riding here one day,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019ve definitely had a good first visit!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben Maher was matchless against the clock in the Unex Group Speed Classic, riding Jane Forbes Clark\u2019s versatile and talented 15-year-old mare Ginger-Blue.<\/p>\n
Faults count as time in this table C class but Ben was both fast and clear, undercutting another swift and clean round from Matt Sampson and Latte Macchiato by 0.23sec.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had her since a seven-year-old and she\u2019s won so many classes for us, I know her very well. We\u2019re very strategic now with where we place her and what we do with her as she\u2019s a little bit older but she\u2019s in probably the best form she\u2019s ever been in this year,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n
Ben helped the British team to triumph in yesterday\u2019s Agria Nations Cup riding Catelly and is preparing to contest tomorrow\u2019s Al Shira\u2019aa King George V Gold Cup with Enjeu De Grisien.<\/p>\n