Indie Vaughan-Jones and Cool Blue take a leap at the Saracen Horse Feeds Feed Cart
An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at Burnham Market International (1) - find out more here
While bad weather has plagued some events again this weekend, the Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International kicked off in sunshine today. Despite bad weather in the past few weeks and rain most of the day on Wednesday in this part of Norfolk, there was little sign of it as the BE100 and two Novice classes completed their event on fabulous going and some of the CIC2*, CIC3* and Advanced competitors did their dressage
Four sections of BE100 took to Alec Lochore’s new track, running in an anti-clockwise direction for the first time since the event began, with Fence 10abc, the Barefoot Living Water and Fence 13ab, the Suzuki ATV Hanging Log and Arrowhead proving the most tricky to negotiate
Indie Vaughan-Jones and Cool Blue, winners of the BE100 Section D survived a moment at the Saracen Horse Feeds Feed Cart with the 15.3h grey mare misreading the fence and almost banking it while Indie gamely hung on. However they re-grouped and galloped off to take the win, adding just 0.4 time penalties to their dressage score, finishing on 29.4. Indie also finished second in the BE100 Open Section F on board Cuffesgrange Diamond Echo but this class was won by Emma Corner on the interestingly named Iamwotiam
“Cool Blue was bred by his owner, Annie Borrett, and this was the mare's first run at BE100 level,” said 20 year old Indie. “The new cross country course rode really well, it was great to have different questions – although the water jump was quite tough, and there was a big table fence which surprised her a bit, but she will undoubtedly have learnt a lot today.”
Two of Indie's other rides had been bought by Indie unseen, Cool Choice as two-year-old from Newmarket. “She was wild when she arrived, but only cost me £1. Cuffesgrange Diamond Echo came over from Ireland and finished second today. I bought both when mum was on holiday, she just came home to find them in the field!”
Indie, who used to work for British team gold medallist Ros Canter, is in her last year of Young Riders and will be targetting her top horse, Quob Dynamic, at selection for this year's Young Rider Europeans. Failing that, she hopes to step up to Three Star level by the end of the season.
Bosco Turner and Loughnavatta Cedar
The BE100 Under 18 Section E was won by the Irish rider Bosco Turner on board Loughnavatta Cedar, a nine year old bay gelding who breezed through the troublesome water complex, finishing on his dressage score of 32.30 and Bosco also picked up fourth place in this class riding Terrence
The BE100 Section C was won by James Somerville on Master Ramiro with a score of 34.50, the same score as Aoife Clark on Homme D’Hotot M but James was closer to the optimum time on cross country
Riders in all of these classes picked up valuable points for the 2018 Tri-Star Eventing Saracen Horse Feeds Grass Roots Bursary which continues throughout the year at Tri-Star events
Sarah Way and Zosia, third in the BE100 Open Section F
