Ian Stark promised the new cross country design at Blair Castle would prove influential on the inter national leaderboards, and his fresh take on the traditional course certainly did exactly that.
With the tracks flowing in a clockwise direction and a number of jumps making a significant impact including the now downward steps, sunken road turn to skinny arrowhead and multiple water complexes the new layout gave an exciting
glimpse into what will follow next year when Blair welcomes the European Championships.
With 2015 very much in mind, the CCI three-day-eventing classes contained more than their fair share of international riders, with competitors from across Scotland and the UK vying for the top spot against those from countries including France, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland,Australia, New Zealand and even India.
The greatest level of entries as ever could be seen in the CCI* [international novice] contest, with 79 horse-andrider combinations.
Cross country faults were peppered around the course, but the new hanging log to corner combination early on at fence seven claimed its share of prisoners.
Toward the end of the track the skinny downhill hedge at 17 and Malcolm Lochan at 19 also took a toll.
Leading the class from pillar to post, the overall win went to Emily Young-Jamieson and Gortmore Tommy T, who held their nerve to jump clear in the final showjumping test to complete on their dressage score of 43.7.
Emily, who has always held horses as her lifetime passion, has been at Lucinda Frederick’s yard since the day she left school progressing first from a working pupil position, to the post of head girl and is now based in her own right as Lucinda’s second rider.
She has owned Tommy T, her main ride, for the last three years, having stumbled across him as a four-year-old in Ireland at the Monart Sales.
“He is just amazing and he genuinely has the best attitude,” she said.
“I’ve never been in the position to win a one-star, but luckily on the whole he’s a really clean jumper. We certainly helped each other out, though.”The partnership previously finished third in the five-year-old championship at Osberton and were placed again there the following year for the six-year-old champs.
They aim to return there in the hope of maintaining their record, now for the seven-year-old contest.
Their trip to Blair was their first step up to CCI* and also their first venture north of the Border.
“I wondered how the course at Blair might suit him as it is so hilly, but he was totally incredible. He was up on his minute markers all the way although he did leave a leg at the first water which made my heart stop for a moment.”
Top Scottish rider in the CCI was Fife’s Wills Oakden, who had already achieved second overall in the CIC***.
His top ride in the one-star, finishing in eighth spot overall, was Annabel Sall and Mike Bain’s nine-year-old upstanding grey, Nordic Diamond Dan.
Dan, which was produced by Annabel from BE90 level, moved to Wills’ yard at Dunbog, Newburgh, last season and they quickly forged a successful partnership, taking four wins from five runs and moving up easily to novice level.
Now into intermediate points, Dan and Wills have been third on two occasions this year, at Hopetoun and Burgham.
Receiving a double of awards for both the highest placed Perthshire rider and for the competitor to make the greatest improvement on their dressage position, Rosie Allen and Big J moved up the leader board by a staggering 37 places.
Their double clear jumping effort saw them progress from 53rd after dressage to 16th place overall.
Rosie and Jay took an early win this year in the open novice section at Central Scotland Horse Trials at Dalkeith en-route to their combined one-star qualification, and this was their first outing at international novice level together.
Clear showjumping rounds proved few and far between within the CCI** [international intermediate] contest, but jumping a beautiful round to take the win at Blair for yet another season was Matthew Wright and seasoned campaigner Hugginstown.
They progressed from eighth after the dressage phase to nail the win for the third time in their joint career of nine years.
Borders-based young rider Isabella Innes Ker, from Roxburgh, took the plaudits for the highest placed Scot on the CCI** leaderboard.
Producing a beautiful dressage test to complete the first phase in joint second, time penalties across the country and an unfortunate rub in the showjumping arena meant she slipped to fifth overall with her ride Carolyn.
Isabella heads to Portugal, having been selected for the 2014 Askham Bryan Young Rider Eventing squad, representing Great Britain at the FEI Young Rider European Eventing Championships, at Vale Sabroso.
The final competition at Blair Castle drew to a close with the conclusion of the CCI*** [international advanced].
Here, French rider Astier Nicolas rode Quickly Du Buguet to top the podium.
With 26 horse-and-rider combinations coming forward to the final phase of the three day event in reverse order of merit, it was edge-of-the-seat action until the final moment.
Again, clear rounds were as rare as as hen’s teeth and Astier’s penalty-free showjumping round saw him move into the lead from seventh position, with the leaderboard changing dramatically.
He praised his mare for her performance: “She is an amazing jumper and really competitive.
“She is very fast on the cross country and I heard that Blair Castle was like the Tour de France in the mountains so we thought it would suit her, it had a great atmosphere above the trees.”
He added: “It was also a good idea to come to Blair this year in preparation for the Europeans next year.”
equestrian@thecourier.co.ukResults
CCI* (79 entries)
1 Emily Young-Jamieson, Gortmore Tommy T, 43.7,0,0,0=43.7; 2 Hendrik Degros, Crackerjack, 44.4,0,0,0=44.4; 3 Lesley Webb, Kilpatrick Lord, 44.7,0,0,0=44.7.
Also completed: 8 Wills Oakden (Fife), Nordic Diamond Dan, 46.3,4,0,0=50.3; 14 Avril Johnston (Moray), Shanbally Chillout, 47.6,4,0,1.6=53.2; 16 Rosie Allen (Perth), Big J, 53.8,0,0,0=53.8; 18 Elsbeth Jamieson (Ayr), Dassett Cooley Designed, 50.2,4,0,0=54.2; 30 Catherine Watson (Berwick), Stonehatch, 54.5,8,0,0=62.5; 39 Annie Broad (Perth), Lyme Park, 60,4,0,2.8=66.8; 40 Wills Oakden (Fife), Diamond Sam, 52.2,12,0,3.2=67.4; 41 Harriet Baird (Aberdeen), Sportsfield Dashing Bay, 53.8,13,0,1.2=68.0; 45 Tabitha Baird (Aberdeen), Howick Stealth, 50.2,16,0,3.2=69.4; 52 Scott McLellan (Ayr), Attitude, 50.6,20,0,7.2=77.8; 53 Jane Clark (Borders), Castlefield Quality, 57.7,23,0,0=80.7; 56 Harriet Baird (Aberdeen), My Marley and Me, 47.3,34,0,3.2=56; 57 Angus Macara (Ayr), Bonne Chance, 58.7,16,0,13.6=88.3; 59 Alison Gray (Caithness), Zion II, 63.3,8,20,7.6=98.9.
CCI** (39 entries)
1 Matthew Wright, Hugginstown, 47.8,0,0,0.4=48.2; 2 Sarak Parkes, Ballandeer Durban Hills, 48.3,4,0,0.4=52.7; 3 A Boiteau, Sutan De La Motte, 50.9,0,0,3.2=54.1.
Also completed: 5 Isabella Innes Ker (Roxburgh), Carolyn, 45.5,4,0,6.4=55.9; 19 Giorgia Burns (Stirling), Miss Repertoire, 64.8,4,0,7.8=19; 25 Daniel Scott (Stirling), Dwina De Cavron, 59.8,4,0,35.6=99.4.
CCI*** (31 entries)
1 Astier Nicolas, Quickly Du Buguet, 50.2,0,0,0=50.2; 2 Flora Harris, Amazing VIII, 45,4,0,2.0=51; 3 Louise Harwood, Whitson, 46.7,4,0,1.2=51.9.