EQUESTRIANISM: O'Brien on course for victory

EQUESTRIANISM

O'Brien on course for victory

The New Zealander Paul O'Brien, riding Faceman, has an excellent chance of landing his first three-day event victory at the Windsor International Horse Trials, writes Mary Gordon Watson. He goes into today's final showjumping stage with a 10-point lead in the main Chubb Insurance section, ahead of Emily Mackenzie with Doubtless William and Lucinda Fredericks, a course specialist here, on Darasass. Dorset rider Mackenzie and the big, bold Doubtless William, stayed just one point ahead of her trainer Fredericks who was on the more experienced of her two rides. Both competed without jumping or time faults and profited from the misfortune of Clea Hoeg Mudd, second place after the dressage stage, who missed a flag on a first roads and tracks phase A with her promising seven-year-old Norton Nite-Flite. The pair completed phase B, the steeplechase, before learning they were eliminated. Faults were evenly spread around the course and, unlike at Badminton in May, the set times were easily achieved on this fast, dry ground.