The very last competitor to head down the trot up strip on the final day of the final-ever Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials was Frenchman Astier Nicolas. Sporting full traditional Scottish dress, Astier and his CCI4*L partner, Dirty Old Town, flew through the final inspection, thrilling the Sunday morning crowds as they went – and setting the tone for the rest of the day to follow.
The CCI1* was headed up by Britain’s Max Warburton who led from the start adding nothing to his first phase score of 30.4 to clinch the Section E title with Mrs Karla Wheatcroft’s Monbeg Condor.
Following his win, Max said “I’m chuffed to bits with him. We saw him at a sales in Ireland at the end of last year and I called his now owner to say we had to have him. She bought him on the spot and he has come out this year, won three events and not added a single thing to any of his dressage scores. For a young one, he is the ultimate professional and absolutely loved the atmosphere and crowds here this week. The 1* was the perfect educational run for him, so to win is a real bonus!”
Going one better than her 2nd place finish in the same class last year, Daisy Cross (GBR) and her own DHI Nielson finished on a score of 30.5 to claim the top spot in CCI 1*S Section F.
Former HOYS show jumper Robe Park Bobby only began his eventing career 3 years ago when he joined jockey Sophia Elliot’s stable. Competing in both the pony and rider’s first ever 2*, the pair gave everything they had to jump clear and inside the time around today’s cross country to add nothing to their dressage score and climb from 5th to take the win.
Speaking after their win, Sophia said, “This is my first two-star and my first ever time at Blair Castle. I’ve produced Bobby from being a pure showjumper to being an event pony in three years. We’ve taught each other to be brave cross country, because he gives his rider a lot of confidence. I had my brilliant trainer Phil Brown with me and he helped us with really useful tactics for today so I could look after Bobby but still be quick and clear around the course. We both loved it!”
After his aunt Frances Hay-Smith won the first ever long-format 2* here at Blair in 1989, it was a fitting end to the final CCI2*L when Wills Oakden (GBR) jumped an immaculate clear round with Mr Daniel Ockenden and Mrs Stephanie Oakden’s Mile Beach to take the win today. Less than 0.4 points behind Wills was Matthew Heath (GBR) and his own and Mrs Clare Davis’ Sugar Rush TH who took second, with Max Warburton (GBR) and Brookfield In The Darco owned by Mrs Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry in third on 28.3.
Piggy March (GBR) led the CCI3*L from the start to top the podium with Mrs Susie Wood’s Cooley Goodwood on a score of 27.9 and by finishing 3rd on Andrew Nicholson’s Filipo on 38.1 replicated her 2018 results (the last time she travelled to Blair). Swiss rising star Nadja Minder arrived in the UK to base herself with Piggy a week ago, off the back of the Paris Olympics where she had the unenviable position of travelling reserve. Nadja finished a brilliant 2nd with her own Top Job’s Jalisco, adding just 0.8 to her dressage score.
The completion of the feature CCI4*L marked the very end of international eventing at the Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials and local lad Wills Oakden gifted us the cherry on the top of an incredible week of Scottish eventing. Together, with Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s Keep It Cooley, Wills won the CCI2*L in 2022, the CCI3*L title the next year, and today, they completed the hattrick, adding the CCI4*L title to their roster.
“It was really quite emotional. To come here and do what we’ve done three times in a row is very, very special because Blair was my late step-father’s favourite event and the horse is called Michael at home! I could not be more grateful to his incredible owners, Geoff and Elspeth Adams, who have been nothing but supportive and patient with us when we’ve been putting his season plans together, giving us all the time and space we need to get him here. We knew it would be special to add the Blair 4* title to our 2* and 3* wins from the last two years, but to actually execute this particular plan with this horse was amazing.”
Caroline Powell continued her 2024 run of success when she finished second in the CCI4*L, the final Blair Castle feature class, with High Time V, owned by Dr Ruth Armstrong, Mrs Serena Greenwell, Mrs Jo West and the rider. Mr Jack Thomas Watson and Mrs Pauline Strawson’s Jack Daniels ridden by Jack Mantel finished 3rd and in doing so have completed every available international level here at bringing their Scottish story to a near-perfect conclusion.
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