New Zealand eventers will be looking to add another Kiwi to the roll of honour at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials this weekend.

Andrew Nicholson can lay claim to wins in both the CIC4*-L and CIC4*-S – the former in 1991 aboard Park Grove and the latter with Quimbo in 2012. Jonelle Price has twice won the CIC4*-S with Cloud Dancer (2015) and Faerie Dianimo (2014), and Sir Mark Todd aboard NZB took out the crown in 2010.

Andrew is the only one of that crew heading to the event this year. He has eight-year-olds As Is and Andrea BT4 on the CCI4*-L. As Is won the CCI3*-S at Barbury in his last start and was seventh in the CCI4*-L at Bramham this year. Andrea BT4 was fourth at her last outing in the CCI3*-S at Barbury.

World no.1 Tim Price has entered the CCI4*-L class aboard Falco, his 10-year-old Hanoverian who is having his first crack at a CCI4*-L.

Jesse Campbell has both Cleveland and Amsterdam on the card. Twelve-year-old Cleveland competed Badminton this year and has spent his entire international career with Jesse, as has his 13-year-old grey gelding Amsterdam who last year completed the 5* at Luhmuhlen.

The class has attracted 88 entries across two sections, with the first horse inspection on Wednesday (UK time) afternoon followed by two days of dressage, the David Evans-designed cross country on Saturday and the Di Boddy-designed showjumping on Sunday.

There are just a trio of Kiwis lining up to do battle in the 70-strong CCI4*-S eight and nine-year-old class. Samantha Lissington has entered Ricker Ridge Sooty who won the CCI3*-L at Taupo this year. This will be his first big start since arriving in the UK. Dan Jocelyn has Florencina R entered. The mare has had just a handful of starts to her credit and was fourth in the CCI3*-L at Hartpury in August. Tim Price is in aboard Senza Fine who only started competing with him this year but was fourth at Tattersalls in the CCCI3*-L in May.

The class gets underway with the dressage on Thursday and Friday, with the showjumping on Saturday and cross country on Sunday. Kiwi Andrew Bennie is on the ground jury for the CCI4*-L. There is £63,110 GBP up for grabs across the two classes – £48,150 in the CCI4*-L and £14,960 in the CCI4*-S.

The event will be livestreamed through the website and the Blenheim Palace Horse Trials FaceBook page.

WHAT: SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials
WHEN: September 19-22, 2019
WHERE: Woodstock, Oxfordshire, UK
MORE INFO: www.blenheimhorse.co.uk  
RESULTS: www.bdwp.co.uk 

The horse details:
Falco – owned by Sue Benson
Cleveland – owned by Kent Gardner and Jesse Campbell
Amsterdam – owned by Craig Campbell
As Is – owned by Deborah Sellar and Anna Weir
Andrea BT4 – owned by Andrew Nicholson
Ricker Ridge Sooty – owned by Pip McCarroll and Samantha Lissington
Florencina R – owned by Philip Hunt, Jo Preston-Hunt and Dan Jocelyn

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison