Gatcombe joy for expectant Berkeley

Daisy Berkeley won her first British Open eventing title at Gatcombe Park – and then revealed she is expecting a baby early in the new year.

The 38-year-old, a member of Great Britain's Olympic bronze medal-winning team two years ago, triumphed in impressive fashion on the evergreen Spring Along.

The consistent 17-year-old, third at Badminton in May, picked up just 0.8 cross-country time faults to deny New Zealander Joe Meyer on Sanskrit.

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Young Sussex-based prospect Gemma Tattersall, riding Kings Gem – a horse bred by British Olympian Mary King – was third, while King had to settle for fourth spot on Apache Sauce.

A bumper crowd would have relished a cross-country showdown between the last two Badminton champions Oliver Townend and Paul Tapner – lying first and second after showjumping, just 1.1 penalties apart – but it was not to be.

Yorkshire's Townend, who has entered Ashdale Cruise Master for the prestigious Burghley four-star event in just 25 days' time, withdrew the grey, while Tapner did likewise with his World Equestrian Games-bound Inonothing, this year's Badminton winner.

Nicola Wilson, part of the British world championship team in Kentucky next month, was another non-starter as 27 from an original 38-strong field were left to fight it out.

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Berkeley, who is based just 20 miles from the Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire, will now call time on this season.

"The baby is due early next year and I will pack up after next week," said Berkeley, who has also withdrawn from the British team's non-travelling reserve list for Kentucky.

"It was about riding positively today and the horse really made it a fairytale for me.

"I believe he has now got more ranking points than any other eventing horse (in history) now and it means so much to win here.

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"British Open champion is a lovely title to hold, and to be honest, Spring Along has really made my career in eventing. I've been riding him since he was five.

"I was thrilled when he won at Barbury last year and it is just great to have him on those rolls of honours, winning here and the third place at Badminton. It means a lot."

Three of the four combinations that finished below Berkeley went quicker around Captain Mark Phillips's cross-country course, with Meyer and fifth-placed Caroline Powell (Lenamore) going clear inside the time. "My heart sank when I saw Caroline get the time, and then Joe did it as well, while Ollie Townend set off like the wind on Imperial Master," she added.

"But Spring Along was pretty much faultless throughout, he felt amazing today."

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Townend went well on his second horse Imperial Master until a refusal at the Countrywide Mushrooms fence dropped him from contention, while Tapner finished seventh on Kilfinnie II and King's two other hopes – Imperial Cavalier and Kings Temptress – were 13th and 15th respectively.

Consistent Cumbria-based rider Ruth Edge won the supporting British Intermediate Championship aboard Applejack II.

Edge, who previously captured the intermediate class in 2002 and has also won three British Open crowns, held a comfortable lead following the dressage.

But although she had one showjumping fence down and saw three combinations record quicker cross-country times, her final score of 34.1 penalties proved sufficient.

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Cheshire's Paul Sims (Power of Dreams) took second place, ahead of New Zealander Caroline Powell (Thornfield Jones), while Townend and ODT Sonas Rovatio finished fourth.

"He jumped superbly," said Edge, of Applejack's display.

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