Olympics 2012: Royal Zara Philips picked for Team GB (Irish Independent, 12/06/12)
Bred in Co.Wicklow by William Micklem. By Master Imp ex High Dolly.
ZARA Phillips has been picked to represent Great Britain at this summer's Olympic Games in London.
The Queen's granddaughter described her selection to the eventing team as "awesome".
Phillips, the 2006 world champion, is following in the footsteps of her parents, who both rode in the Olympic Games for the country.
Her mother, the Princess Royal, competed at the 1976 Montreal Games, while her father Captain Mark Phillips was a team gold medallist at Munich in 1972 and then won silver in Seoul 16 years later.
Phillips, who is married to former England rugby captain Mike Tindall, said: "It's awesome to be given this opportunity.
"I am really excited and can't wait to kick on and get him there. Hopefully, we will make it this time."
The eventing star will ride High Kingdom at Greenwich Park next month. Her hopes of an Olympic place in 2004 and 2008 were dashed by injuries to her world title-winning horse Toytown.
She added: "High Kingdom is a pretty cool, very relaxed kind of guy.
"I was really happy with him at Bramham as he had obviously grown up and is improving all the time.
"He's pretty pony-like, a nippy little jumper and easy to manoeuvre, so hopefully it will suit him well in Greenwich.
"High Kingdom is owned by Trevor Hemmings, who has been one of my earliest supporters. He has owned a lot of my horses and has been so supportive, I couldn't do it without him."
Phillips been chosen alongside William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Piggy French and Tina Cook for London 2012.
She clinched her spot with a third-placed finish in Sunday's Bramham International CIC three-star class after posting a personal best dressage score, and then jumping clear in the showjumping and cross-country phases.
Fox-Pitt records hat-trick in Meath (from Irish Times, 04/06/12)
BRITAIN’s WILLIAM Fox-Pitt recorded a hat-trick at the Tattersalls international horse trials when landing The Irish Field CCI*** class on Bay My Hero, which he partnered to victory at 1½-star level at the Co Meath venue in 2010 and 2011.
Bred in Wexford by Bryan Maguire, Catherine Witt’s nine-year-old Cult Hero gelding lowered one show jump in yesterday’s final phase but, on a penalty score of 48, still had four points in hand over local rider Sarah Ennis and Miriam Cunning’s home-bred mare Sugar Brown Babe. A very expensive time penalty over the coloured poles saw Britain’s Polly Stockton drop a place to third with Cork owner Arthur Comyn’s Westwood Mariner (52.2).
Stockton’s sister-in-law, Ireland’s Aoife Clark, riding the Lily White Syndicate’s Master Crusoe (49.2), finished second in the George Mernagh Memorial CIC*** to fellow Co Kildare native Camilla Speirs and her mother Bridget’s Portersize Just a Jiff.
The 12-year-old Crosskeys Rebel gelding competed all three phases on his dressage score of 41.4.
On a day when the Irish team won the new Dubarry Boyne trophy, fellow Olympic hopeful Captain Geoff Curran had to settle for third place with The Jump Jet having picked up 0.8 of a penalty for time in yesterday’s cross-country phase (49.6). Mark Kyle (Coolio), Joseph Murphy (Electric Cruise), Elizabeth Power (September Bliss) and Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure) kept their Olympic hopes alive with good performances.
Sadly the Australian horse Sugoi suffered a broken neck in a fall at the 17th fence. Chris Burton, who moved to England from Australia over a year ago, made his first visit to Ireland a memorable won when winning two of the senior CCI classes.
First up, he landed the Eventing Ireland two-star class with Underdiscussion, which finished the three phases on his flat work mark of 37 penalties. There was a strong international field for this class with New Zealand’s Tim Price taking second with Wesko (40.7), Britain’s Lucy Wiegersma placing third on the stallion Wish Upon A Star (45) and Sarah Ennis finishing third with Westwinds Hercules (48.7), one of three rides she had in the class.
In Land Rover CCI* class, Burton led from the outset to win on his dressage score of 37.5 with the Irish-bred gelding Graf Liberty. Britain’s Oliver Townend took second (44.4) with another Irish-bred, Cooley Master Class, ahead of compatriot Chris King and Billy Bounce (45.6). Local rider Ciaran Glynn was best of the home defence when fourth with Killossery Jupiter Rising (46.5).
Also in fourth, Katie Nolan riding Kilbeg Cool Diamond (60) was best of the Irish in the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI** for riders under 25. Here, Britain’s Isabel Djivanovic riding Billy Buzz (43.2) finished well clear of compatriots Caroline Harris (The Undertaker, 57.9) and Georgie Norton (Hearne Lass, 58.7).
Ballymena’s Tori Dixon won the Tattersalls Autumn Festival of Eventing one-star class for junior riders with the 17-year-old thoroughbred Shadow Light. Although slightly slower across the country, Co Kerry’s Katie Moffatt also show jumped clear to finish second on Pick And Mix II (48.1), while a pole down yesterday saw Britain’s Camilla Hope drop to third with O The Bill (48.2).
Co Cork’s Gavin Smiddy led from start to finish to claim the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa national pony two-star class with the German-bred stallion Mr Hale Bob.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0604/1224317206156.html
Ireland scoops team prize at Tattersalls (Horsetalk.co.nz, 04/06/2012)
The Irish team of Mark Kyle, Liz Power, Mike Ryan and Camilla Speirs snatched the Dubarry Boyne Trophy from the Brits as Kildare’s Camilla Speirs romped home in first place in the final cross country phase at Tattersalls International Horse Trials in County Meath.
Ireland narrowed the gap on the British lead in the Boyne team competition with clear rounds in show jumping from Speirs, Mark Kyle and Mike Ryan, but a sizzling zero score performance on the cross country track yesterday from the 22-year-old Speirs and the Irish Sport Horse Portersize Just a Jiff clinched the trophy.
Ireland’s Aoife Clark and the Irish Sport Horse Master Crusoe were second in the class, ahead of Captain Geoff Curran on yet another Irish Sport Horse, The Jump Jet.
Two British team members failed to finish, with dressage leaders Ruth Edge and Two Thyme retiring on the eighth fence, and Millie Dumas and Action Packed eliminated on the fourth jump.
All of Ireland’s Dubarry Boyne Trophy team were top ten finishers.
Sadly, 2008 New Zealand Olympic horse Sugoi, ridden by Laura Wallace, stumbled and fell after jumping the 17 obstacle and broke his neck. Wallace sustained a broken wrist in the fall. Sugoi, a 15-year-old thoroughbred gelding by Coral Reef, was ridden by Heelan Tompkins in Hong Kong. He was owned by Glenn and Laura Wallace.
And US rider Logan Rawling’s horse Watch Italso had a bad fall at the same fence. Screens were brought over but after a 20-minute delay the horse ambulance departed with Watch It, who appeared to be OK, according to reports.
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/06/04/ireland-scoops-team-prize-at-tattersalls/
Portersize Just a Jiff (Camilla Speirs) - Go for Gold International Horse Trials Winner 2012
Rich Fellers
Rich Fellers guides Colgan Cruise to the only clear round of the $60,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by EQU Lifestyle Magazine.
Rich Fellers
