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Benson makes changes before focusing on Olympics
The drama of the cross country section of Bramham International Horse Trials gets underway today following two days of dressage, and this year it has a new look.
Fifty per cent of the course will run on fresh ground because so much of the route was damaged last year during the Leeds Festival when the weather was so appalling.
Course designer Sue Benson has re-routed much of the course away from woodland and across open parkland.
The start and finish remain the same as last year and the first four fences are virtually the same.
The first new combination fence comes after the Dickinson Dees Pond, followed by another combination and then uphill onto new ground at fence eight.
The 26-fence course is the last one to be designed by Benson who will be concentrating on the 2012 Olympics.
Olympic rider Daisy Dick went into the lead in the main CCI three star event yesterday on a score of 41.6 riding Springbok IV.
Yorkshire's Nicola Wilson, who had been leading, now lies in second place with Sir Robert Ogden's Master Banks.
Pippa Funnell on Ensign is third and New Zealander Andrew Nicholson is fourth and fifth with The Light Fandango and Nereo respectively. Lucy Holliday from Thirsk, riding High Times, stayed in the top 20 in 15th place.
Dick was delighted with her horse's performance in the dressage ring.
After a year off she says he is back "on cracking form" and she is hoping the ground will suit him in today's cross country where there will be a lot of galloping and timing could be tight.
Three events are taking place at Bramham this year: the CCI three-star; the Bishop Burton College Under-25 Championship, and a CIC three-star event which could not be run at Chatsworth due to bad weather.
The Kiwis grabbed all top three places in this section with Andrew Nicholson first on Epic (44pts), Neil Spratt second on Upleadon (46.6) and Joe Meyer third with Ariki (46.8). In fourth place is Harry Meade riding Dunauger, owned by Tracy Garside from Spofforth.
Harriet Morris-Baumber from Everingham, York is in eighth place riding Sultao de Valada and Gary Parsonage from Beverley is joint 10th with Fernhill O Dea.
American rider Jennifer Brannigan, 21, is in the lead in the Bishop Burton Under-25 Championship with 42.8 points on Cooper.
She has flown over from her base in Pennsylvania to compete here with funding from a training grant.
In second place is French rider Maxime Livio, 21, who is competing for the first time in this country. Gemma Tattersall from West Sussex is third riding Nyali Beach.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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