Picture
by
Peter
Nixon
EVENTING
LonginesFEIJumpingNations
CupofGreatBritainatthe
LonginesRoyalInternational,
AllEnglandJumpingCourse,
Hickstead,WSussex
A BLISTERINGroundbyNicky
Hillandthe“tiny”Kilrodan
SailorettesecuredtheMSAmlin
eventers’challengewinforthe
pair—denyingPaulTapner
andBonzaKingOfRougestheir
back-to-backtreblebythe
narrowestmargin.
Nicky,27,andthe15.1hhIrish-
bred“definitionofa chestnut
mare”weredrawnfirsttogo.
Despitelosinga shoeafterthe
Derbybank,“Truffles”madeshort
workofthecourse,finishingina
lightning-quicktimeof121.65sec.
“She’sawesomebutsheis so
bold—toobold.I wasn’tsureif
shemighttrytojumpfromthe
top[ofthebank]soI cameinto
it andthought,‘Right,youcan
go,butdon’tdothat!’”saidNicky,
whoheardupdatesonherrivals’
roundsviaherparentswhile
Truffleswasreshod.
Theonlyblipsheencountered
was the four-second penalty for
Apairoffirst-timerssailtoa winfrom
first draw in a super-quick time
loweringthesecondpartofthe
devil’sdyke.
“Icheckedhertoomuchand
shouldhaveletherrunintoit as
sheis careful.Otherthanthatshe
wassostraightandbold,”said
Nicky.“She’swickedfuntoride.”
Thesamerailsplasheddown
forPaul,whoputupa strong
challenge.Thecrowdcheeredas
theylandedoverthelast,but
asthe 2010 Badmintonwinner
lookedbackatthescreen,the
cheersturnedtosighsashisfinal
placingflashedupandshowedhis
timeas1.15secslowerthanNicky’s.
GemmaTattersallandthe
stunningChicoBellaP looked
totallyintune,wastingnotime
tofinishthirdin125.03sec—the
fastest of the clear rounds.H&H
ByLUCYELDER
‘Wicked fun’
mare scores
RESULTS
Eventers’challenge.—1, Kilrodan
Sailorette(NHill)121.65;2,BonzaKing
OfRouges(PTapner)122.8;3,Chico
BellaP (GTattersall)125.03.
Nicky Hill and Kilrodan Sailorette snatch eventers’ challenge glory
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