EQUESTRIANISM: Whitaker's whirlwind signs off

EQUESTRIANISM

GENEVIEVE MURPHY

reports from Windsor

Michael Whitaker's top mount, Everest Midnight Madness, made a winning return from injury in the Lancaster Landmark Grand Prix at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. This was the 12-year-old's first show since injuring a tendon at Berlin in November and he jumped a whirlwind clear round for a commanding victory over Marie Edgar on Everest Aladdin.

Midnight Madness will be one of the horses that Whitaker takes to Germany this week for an extended tour of Continental shows.

Whitaker will make a brief trip home next month to ride the stallion, Elton, on the first two days of the Nations Cup meeting at Hickstead. James Fisher gained his third success of the meeting when riding Tiptoe to the only clear round in the jump-off for the TNT International Trial. Tomorrow Fisher will be leaving for Italy, where he is riding in a show at Cervia before joining the British team for the Nations Cup meeting in Rome.

Despite his stylish and sympathetic riding, Fisher could manage only third place in the Land-Rover British Horsemaster in which four competitors rode their own and each other's horses.

Geoff Glazzard (whose own partner, Sulcom Dillonald, was at his most uncooperative with the other riders) received the first prize of £3,300 and a Rover car.

Results, Sporting Digest, page 32