Tom McEwen leads the Agria CCI4-L on The Fieldmaster and lies second on Brookfield Quality, separated by a tenth of a penalty, after a cross-country day in which the optimum time proved almost impossible to catch.
Blenheim’s cross-country rarely decides itself at the fences. On Saturday it was the clock that did the damage, and the rider who handled it best has ended the day holding both of the top two places in the Agria CCI4*-L.
Tom McEwen leads on The Fieldmaster, who picked up 1.2 time-penalties in a round of 10min 11sec to finish on 30.4. His second ride, Brookfield Quality, was 0.1 of a penalty behind on 30.5 after adding four time-faults to a dressage mark of 26.5. Both jumped clear, and either would be a popular winner on Sunday afternoon.
Oliver Townend was the only rider to beat the clock outright, bringing Sommersby home bang on the optimum for a zero-penalty round that moved the pair from well down the order into third on 34.0. On a day when the time was catching everyone, that round was worth more than any dressage mark.
Barrett’s lead unravels on the clock
Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar came into the day with a career-best 25.6 and the narrowest of advantages, and the Adelaide CCI5* champions jumped a faultless clear. But 19.2 time-penalties on a first visit to this track dropped the young Australian and his family’s 10-year-old from first to 11th on 44.8.
Jesse Campbell, second after dressage, went the same way in smaller measure — eight-point-four time-faults with Speedwell left the New Zealander fourth on 34.6. Gemma Stevens and Chilli’s Jester, fifth overnight, added 13.2 to sit ninth.
Ecroyd’s double and a familiar name in seventh
Sam Ecroyd is the other rider with two in the top ten, lying fifth on Bloomfield Manuscript (35.7) and sixth on Jackpot (37.6), both with clear jumping rounds and among the more efficient times of the day.
Zara Tindall and Classicals Euro Star sit seventh on 39.5 after eight time-faults, with Jack Pinkney and Monbeg Stone Town eighth and New Zealand’s Tayla Mason and Joopiter completing the top ten on Joopiter.
Agria CCI4-L — top 10 after cross-country
| Rider | Horse | Score | |
| 1 | Tom McEwen (GBR) | The Fieldmaster | 30.4 |
| 2 | Tom McEwen (GBR) | Brookfield Quality | 30.5 |
| 3 | Oliver Townend (GBR) | Sommersby | 34.0 |
| 4 | Jesse Campbell (NZL) | Speedwell | 34.6 |
| 5 | Sam Ecroyd (GBR) | Bloomfield Manuscript | 35.7 |
| 6 | Sam Ecroyd (GBR) | Jackpot | 37.6 |
| 7 | Zara Tindall (GBR) | Classicals Euro Star | 39.5 |
| 8 | Jack Pinkney (GBR) | Monbeg Stone Town | 41.9 |
| 9 | Gemma Stevens (GBR) | Chilli’s Jester | 42.8 |
| 10 | Tayla Mason (NZL) | Joopiter | 43.6 |
A testing day across the parkland
The attrition rate tells its own story. A long list of combinations retired on course, a dozen more picked up 20 penalties for a run-out, and there were falls and eliminations spread across the afternoon, including for Susie Berry and John The Bull, Christine Bates and Bloomfield Findon, and Emily Lochore and Gullith.
Among those to come home clear but slowly was Ben Way with Ditchford Explorer, one of the two siblings bred by Kate Willis and Mel Pritchard out of the former racehorse Winsome Wendy. The 10-year-old added nothing at the fences for 27th.
Sunday’s finale
The second horse inspection opens the final day at 8am, and with just 0.1 separating McEwen’s two rides and 4.2 covering the top four, a single rail will rearrange the podium. McEwen also leads the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-olds with Brookfield Danny De Muze, so Sunday could be a very good day indeed for the Olympic champion — or a very expensive one.
Watch the Agria CCI4-L showjumping finale and the 8/9 YO cross-country live on H&C+.