It was a very emotional Jonty Evans who lifted the 2018 Lycetts Grantham Cup. The Irishman hit the headlines last year when he successfully crowd-funded £500,000 to buy his Rio 2016 Olympic partner Cooley Rorkes Drift (aka ‘Art’) when the previous owner decided to sell – this is a horse who has, literally, thousands of owners.
“I’ve never even won an Advanced class, let alone an international. This is amazing. Art is the horse who has given me the most pleasure and the most grief in one go over the years. What people did for me in securing our partnership is unprecedented in our sport.
Runner up behind Jonty was Piggy French, also riding a Badminton bound horse, Vanir Kamira, on whom she took the runner up spot at Burghley last year.
“Given the results were so close, of course I wish I’d gone a bit quicker – she can easily go faster, but this was a prep run and with the spring we’ve had weather-wise, today wasn’t the day to push.
Flora Harris won the Polly Phillips Memorial Trophy, awarded to the highest placed British Rider who has yet to compete on a senior championship team. Flora finished fourth riding Bayano.
Due to the huge number of entries, a second three star section also ran, for less experienced horses. Tom Jackson and Billy Cuckoo won this with Austin O’Connor again in the ribbons, on Lucky Contender.
More information about Belton International Horse Trials can be found at www.belton-horse.co.uk, and about Bransby Horses, the official charity, at www.bransbyhorses.co.uk.