Memorable year gets better as Fox-Pitt clinches second Classics title in three years

Fox-Pitt – world team gold medallist and individual runner-up in Kentucky five weeks ago – reclaimed the Classics crown he lost to rival Oliver Townend last year, riding his Bramham 2008 winner Navigator.

The Classics series rewards the most successful rider across eventing's five annual four-star events – Kentucky, Badminton, Luhmuhlen, Burghley and last weekend's finale in Pau, France.

Fox-Pitt had already won at Kentucky in April with Cool Mountain and was runner-up at Burghley with Seacookie, which contributed to a five-point overall lead over his principal challenger Andreas Dibowski, from Germany.

Fox-Pitt held the lead at Pau, riding Navigator, following an impressive cross country round but it ended up being a tense finale in torrential rain.

He could afford to have two showjumping fences down and still finish above Dibowski, who went clear on FRH Fantasia.

The pressure mounted when the British combination clocked up eight faults just three obstacles into their round and then had a further fence down. The Pau top spot went to Dibowski but a second-place finish proved enough for Fox-Pitt to take the Classics title by two points.

Last year's winner Townend, riding ODT Master Rose, had been in sixth place after the dressage phase but had a refusal on the cross country section, as did Ruth Edge and Sharon Hunt. It is the second time in three years that Fox-Pitt has won the title.

"If someone had told me I would be second here at the start of this week, I would have thought it was a dream," said Fox-Pitt.

"It's the first time I've had a clear cross country round at Pau.

"The rain meant it wasn't much fun but we were laughing out in the warm-up area because it seemed so unbelievable."

When Fox-Pitt won Bramham International Horse Trials in 2008 with Navigator it was a surprise as he was expecting the other horse he was competing on, Kaleidoscope, to have the edge.

Afterwards he said: "I've produced him slowly because he's a big framed horse and I've always thought he was a horse for the future."

New Zealander Caroline Powell, this year's Burghley winner, was third in the final Classics table with Mary King fourth and 2010 Badminton champion, Swindonbased Australian Paul Tapner, fifth.

THIS year for the first time, two Yorkshire branches of the Pony Club, the Rockwood Harriers and the Badsworth, qualified for the final of the Prince Phillip Cup at the Horse of the Year Show.

They were joined by teams from Oakley, Devon and Somerset, Berwyn and Dee and Orkney.

A few weeks on from the excitement of the event, they are still enjoying the memories of the competition.

"All the children, in what proved to be a tight competition, had a superb week," said Alma Brambles, trainer of the Rockwood Harriers.

"Both Yorkshire clubs won one or more sessions and had the

experience of leaving the arena under spotlights."

Both Yorkshire clubs made it through to the final on the Sunday evening with the Rockwood Harriers finishing third and the Badsworth fourth. The members of the Rockwood Harriers team were: Noah Brook, Ben Wright, Becky Morris, Peter Downs, Harriet Locke and Nicola Wright. The Wadsworth riders were: Bethany Clayton, Faye Holgate, Charlie Thornton, Ben Rastrick, Jordan Dewey-Nager and Andrew Thornton.

For more details about mounted games and the Pony Club go to www.pcuk.org.

ONE of the final tournaments of the season at the White Rose Polo Club in East Yorkshire raised 320 for charity.

The money will go to Cancer Research UK and MacMillan Nurses.

The women-only Stimpson Ladies' Tournament involved six visiting teams as well as a team from the home club.