Horse & Hound – 01 August 2019

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

Tablet Edition

Search Horse & Hound

magazine in your

tablet’s store

ENJOY

H&HON

IPAD?

RATE&

REVIEW

TOLETUS

KNOW

Read Horse & Hound

wherever you are each

week on your tablet