Fox-Pitt claims victory in style
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Your support makes all the difference.Equestrianism
GENEVIEVE MURPHY
reports from Bramham Park
William Fox-Pitt retained his overnight lead to win the international section of the Toyota Bramham Three-Day Event yesterday, after the smoothest of clear show jumping rounds on Cosmopolitan II.
Fox-Pitt defeated New Zeal-and's Andrew Nicholson on Cartoon II, and the French Olympic rider, Didier Seguret, on Coeur de Rocker. A single mistake yesterday dropped another New Zealander, Victoria Latta on Broadcast News, from third to fourth.
Paddy Muir suffered the worst disappointment of the day when Archie Brown failed to pass the horse inspection. Muir had cross-country falls on each of her previous five visits here, so her fortunes had appeared to change on Saturday when her grey horse jumped most of the fast routes. His swift clear round had left Muir in third place until she was forced to withdraw.
Nicholson also had an anxious time with Cartoon II, who had bruised his near fore foot after losing a shoe four fences from home on the cross- country. The horse was held back after his first trot-up, but was passed when re-presented. Fox-Pitt knew how both riders felt, having been in the lead at Badminton until Chaka failed the horse inspection.
Chaka has now retired from three-day eventing, but Fox-Pitt has an obvious successor in Cosmopolitan, who will probably be aimed for Burghley in September. "He's a chunky chap, but he has a lot more class than his looks would suggest," Fox-Pitt said of the horse who moved into his Oxfordshire yard in February.
Lucy Kemplay, 18, also rode a clear show jumping round to win the Yorkshire Post British Young Riders' National Championship on Heron's Flight, defeating Sarah Cutteridge who had a single error on White Lights.
Kemplay is now based with Ruth McMullen, whose former pupils include Pippa Funnell, the winner at Windsor last month, and Terry Boon, who won the young riders' title here last year and was seventh in the international section yesterday.
TOYOTA BRAMHAM THREE-DAY EVENT (Bramham Park, Yorks) Final standings: International section: 1 Cosmopolitan II (W Fox-Pitt, GB) 42.4 penalties; 2 Cartoon II (A Nicholson, NZ) 49.2; 3 Coeur de Rocker (D Seguret, Fr) 58.4; 4 Broadcast News (V Latta, NZ) 61.6; 5 Seducteur Biolay (D Willefert, Fr) 62.2; 6 Sinderhope Merlin (S Lemon, GB) 65.8. Yorkshire Post British National Young Riders' Championship: 1 Heron's Flight (L Kemplay) 54.8; 2 White Lights (S Cutteridge) 58.2; 3 My Abalu (A Broad) 64.0. Land Rover FEI World Rider Rankings: 1 B Davidson (US) 311; 2 Nicholson 226; 3 M Ryan (Aus) 181; 4 M Thomson (GB) 146; 5 Seguret 122; 6 K Gifford (GB) 120.
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