WITLSHIRE DUO WIN AT HARTPURY INTERNATIONAL Wiltshire had two winners at the 2009 Mitsubishi Motors Hartpury Horse Trials, an international event back to top form after two testing years.

Hartpury, which sits above the Severn Valley close to Gloucester, fell foul of the weather in 2007 and then suffered the sad fatality of Emma Jonathan last year.

This time it had a trouble free run and competitors were mainly greeted by balmy sunshine and light breezes on cross country day, where Eric Winter’s course sorted out the wheat from the chaff.

Devizes based 22 year old Coral Keen performed consistently throughout the CCI** (two star 3 day event), winning the title on her ‘lucky find’ Chain Reaction.

The chestnut gelding, now 11, was spotted by Coral’s father Steve, when he was constructing an indoor school at a private yard in Hampshire five years ago.

“He was the first horse I bought after I decided I’d event full time,”

Coral explained. “He has taken time, as he’s had n iggling back problems, but has done five events this year and won three of them.”

The duo started with a ‘lovely’ dressage test that earned them a thumbs up from Olympic dressage rider and trainer Jennie Loriston-Clarke as they came out of the arena.

“It was great to get that congratulations and I was very pleased with the test, though in the end Carly Reid just got .2 of a mark ahead of me,” Coral continued.

The pair then faced the 26 fence cross country course where the Mitsubishi Lake at fence 7, the Equimat Drop five fences later, the Saracen Splash and the narrow Tree Stumps close to home were among the obstacles they had to face.

“The two water combinations were both strong – I took the long route at the second as I know my horse is a huge galloper who covers the ground well,” Coral commented. “He really made up the time and we came home three seconds under the optimum time.”

The show jumping fence was a tense affair for many, held in the vast outdoor arena where the packed banked grandstand that overlooks the venue created a buzzy atmosphere.

“I didn’t watch what the other riders were doing on the last day, but just concentrated on what I was doing,” said Coral. “There were only nine clears out of close to 80 starters. I didn’t realise I had a fence and a half in hand – I had one down and it wasn’t until the crowd started cheering that I realised I’d actually won! This really is the highlight of both mine and my horse’s career.”

The win netted Coral the £1,000 first prize and Chain Reaction will now have some time ‘relaxing in the field’ before ending the season with a couple of intermediate one day runs.

Coral also finished 26th in the step lower CCI* section on the ‘inexperienced’ six year old dark bay Aphrodisiac, who would have finished sixth but for two down in the show jumping phase.

“I also took Opposition Real Deal in the top CIC*** (three star international one day event) but I went steady cross country and picked up 18 time penalties,” Coral concluded. “It was a good confidence boosting run and Hartpury is a lovely event with great facilities, which is why I keep going back there.”

The CCI title was won by 2007 Junior European team and individual champion Laura Collett, who is now riding from Phillip Walker’s yard near Marlborough.

The 19 year old won by over two marks on the Eventing Partnership owned seven year old Vancouver, who completed on his dressage score of 43.3.

“He started with a really nice dressage test – he liked the big event atmosphere and rose to the occasion, although he had never seen anything like it before,=E 2 said Laura. “He was quite green to start with cross country but got better as he went on and then jumped a good show jumping clear, over a big track where the related distances were catching many out.”

West Littleton’s Harry Meade was sixth in the CCI** on the seven year old Tinka’s Time, who came home clear and inside the time cross country on his three day debut. Young Swindon rider Tom McEwen finished 11th on the ex-Rodney Powell ride Major Sweep, who added just four show jumping penalties to his dressage score.

Tytherton Lucas’s Chris King was 9th in the top CIC*** section (international one day event) on Jane James’ 11 year old Rudolf III. The horse has proved a model of consistency this year, finishing second at the Houghton Hall 3 day event and gaining five top four placings.

------------------------------------ Bradford-on-Avon’s Charlotte Addis claimed one of the first titles up for grabs at the National Pony Club Championships, which run over several days at the new venue of Draycott House in Derbyshire.

The Championships are the highpoint of the Pony Club season and gaining a place there is many a young riders dream, which has led on to an Olympic career for some.

Charlotte, 18 and a member of the Avon Vale Hunt branch, was in action in the Open individual show jumping championship, where she faced over 50 challengers in an intense two round competition.

Her partner was Philip Bevin’s 15.2hh chestnut gelding Lagavulin, who is currently up for sale.

The pair was one of just four combinations to jump a double clear over the two rounds, set at 1.15m and 1.20 in height, which took them on to the jump-off against the clock.

“I was first to go in the jump-off and the plan was to go as fast as I could, hoping the others would pick up faults trying to catch me,”

explained the teenager, who is hoping to read Geography at Durham University next term. “That plan hadn’t worked all year but this time it did, with the other three all getting fences down. Lagavulin is an absolutely cracking little show jumper, so careful and so quick.”

The win is a superb achievement, in a competition often dominated by Irish riders, who this time had to settle for second.

“The course was particularly testing, with a massive triple bar followed by a double of uprights causing problems for many,” Charlotte added. “I went slighter wider here and one rider was tighter but had the triple bar down. I didn’t take a pull anywhere and came in really tight to an oxer with water under, which is what I think won it for me.”

Charlotte’s Avon Vale club mate David Doel, 15 and=2 0from Lacock, was sixth in the same championship. He had just one fence down in the second round of the main competition on the 16.2hh seven year old Vivre La Vie B, owned by his mother Maggie Doel and who has also evented successfully.