IN STARK contrast to the drenching competitors suffered last year at the Hopetoun Horse Trials, the 2010 event was held last weekend in glorious sunshine.

And, a day of rain a day or so before the competition made the going considerably better than many competitors had expected, following the prolonged dry spell which was feared would make the going extremely hard.

Whilst last year’s course was regarded as having been distinctly ‘beefed up’, small changes made to all three of the courses for this year were, on the whole, welcomed by riders who no longer had to face the talisman trakhener in the novice classes, although there was minor disquiet amongst BE100 competitiors who once again had no alternative option to their trakhener at the far end of the deer park.

Deer sightings were few and far between for the cross country duration, although a number of riders were plagued later in the day by a ‘celebrity sheep’ the whereabouts of which commentators in XC control took great delight in sharing in its progress around the course!

Returning to Hopetoun to win for the second year on the trot was Michelle Chalmers’ 11-year-old mare, Bandoshea, which lead the open novice section on its dressage score of 32. Having won the novice there the year before, Bandoshea came back having been third in the one-star class at Burgie, and now with 30 points to her credit, will campaign towards a CIC** by the end of the season.

Michelle’s other 2009 Hopetoun winner, Donnerhall Princess, also came up with the goods to progress from her 2009 BE100 win, to take second prize for novice section D, equalling the score of the winner, but ending further from the XC optimum time – with 6 time penalties to add to a 25.5 dressage, to end on 31.5.

Donnerhall Princess, which now has 18 points, won the novice at Aswanley last year and also topped Brechin earlier this season. She will be aimed for the one-star at Blair Castle.

“Its nice to see that the course has changed quite a lot from last year, which means that Hopetoun is never just a dressage competition,” said Michelle.

Pipping Princess to become the winner of novice D, ending on his dressage score of 31.5 by stopping the XC clock one second under the optimum time, was Cleveland’s James Adams on the six-year-old gelding, Kiltealy King.

Formerly ridden by Piggy French and now in its second season eventing, this son of Kiltealy Spring made the step up to novice this season at Hexham where is was place second, taking it now to 11 points.

In the morning’s BE100 classes, another 2009 Hopetoun winner returned to do the double by winning again, taking home the red rosette from section A. This was Alnwick’s Jill Blackshaw who brought Hugo Light back to the course to end on their 34.5 dressage score.

“Its a really good course,” said Jill, who so far this year has also been placed at both Hexham and Hutton, and who, last season added top five placings at Witton, Hunwick, Strathallan and Cumwhinton to her Hopetoun win on this horse which she bought as a four-year-old.

Aberdeenshire’s Douglas Edward rode Charlies Echo to the top of section B, having just rubbed a showjumping pole and gone one second over the optimum time cross country to add to a 31.5 dressage.

“I was delighted with how he went,” commented Douglas of the horse which he got last September, and which had only done three intros before coming to Hopetoun.

Leading section C was the 11-year-old gelding More Mischief, owned and ridden by Adele Maciver. “He gave a super test in his dressage, and the cross country was super. The going was great and the course asked a good few questions early on,” said Adele, who plans to take the horse to Strathallan for its next outing, where it won in 2007.

And ‘super’ their dressage was, giving them a score of 29, to which they added only 2.0 time penalties cross country to lead and end on 31.

This consistent horse won at Scotsburn and Kirriemuir, was second at Aswanley in 2008; and won at Aswanley, was second at Strathallan and was third at Scotsburn last season. He was fifth at Scotsburn this year.

Amongst the winners of the intro sections was Alex O’Mara, piloting Morag’s Mr Incredible II. The pair had also won at Oatridge this year, but have also been out competing regularly at dressage. He was open reserve champion at the Pony Club Dengie winter final in March, and the pair have also been selected to ride for the BYRDS Scottish team at the Inter Regionals in July. They finished on their 31 dressage.

Another rider to win at Oatridge, Annabel Sall this time brought out her youngster, Nordic Diamond Dan, to win section section F on an impressive 24.5 dressage, while Rebecca Boswell rode Connie Dale’s Euro Rocks into first position in section G. They rolled a pole after a 36.0 dressage to end on a score of 40.0. This was only their second outing.

LEADINGawards:

BE100 A – 1, Hugo Light, J Blackshaw, 34.5,0,0,0=34.5; 2, Lucky Charm, G Burns, 40.0,0,0,0=40.0; 3, Into The Blue II, G Turnbull, 37.0,4,0,0=41.0. BE100 B – 1, Charlies Echo, D Edward, 31.5,4,0,0.4=35.9; 2, One Day Fly, P Prior, 38.0,0,0,0.4=38.4; 3, Misty Magic, V Gow, 31.5,0,0,7.2=39.7. BE100 C – 1, More Mischief, A Maciver, 29.0,0,0,2.0=31.0; 2, Wira, J Adams, 30.5,0,0,0.8=31.3; 3, Trendy Roc, J Christie, 32.0,0,0,0=32.0. Novice D – 1, Kiltealy King, J Adams, 31.5,0,0,0=31.5; 2, Donnerhall Princess, M Chalmers, 25.5,0,0,6.0=31.5; 3, Kirkton Hugo, W Cochran, 29.0,4,0,0=33.0. Open novice E – 1, Bandoshea, M Chalmers, 32.0,0,0,0=32.0; 2, Boomtown Beanie, 35.5,0,0,0=35.5; 3, Monster Impact, R Wilson, 30.5,0,0,6.0=36.5. BE90 F – 1, Nordic Diamond Dan, A Sall, 24.5,0,0,0=24.5; 2, Anytime Now, J Ryder, 30.5,0,0,0=30.5; 3, Just About Jimmy, K Brewis, 24.5,6,0,0=30.5. BE90 G – 1, Euro Rocks, R Boswell, 36.0,4,0,0=40.0; 2, Mr Guy, C Guy, 37.0,4,0,0=41.0; 3, Witchcraft II, A Cox, 41.5,0,0,0=41.5. BE90 H – 1, Mr Incredible II, A O’Mara, 31.0,0,0,0=31.0; 2, Bellindene Norman, S Finlayson, 28.5,4,0,0=32.5; 3, Tuidam, M Wilson, 33.5,0,0,0=33.5.