London 2012 Olympic Team GB member Zara Phillips (GBR) was the best of the Brits over the weekend taking a closely fought second place riding Trevor Hemmings’ High Kingdom in the CCI4* competition at Luhmühlen in Germany. Luhmühlen is one of only six competitions in the World held at CCI4*, the highest level of the sport of Eventing.
Zara (32) put pressure on the winner Andrew Nicholson (NZL) throughout the event from the dressage phase, through the cross country right until the very end with a beautifully ridden clear showjumping round.
Commenting on Nicholson, Phillips smiled sportingly: “He was too ice-cool! Thank goodness he can’t ride at the Europeans!”
Phillips was clearly thrilled by the continuing improvement shown by her Olympic team silver medal winning ride, High Kingdom: “He’s getting better all the time,” she said.
Phillips’ London 2012 team-mate William Fox-Pitt’s two horses rose to third and fourth places with immaculate clear rounds. “It’s been a happy weekend,” said Fox-Pitt, who has now overtaken Jock Paget (NZL) in the HSBC FEI Classics™ to lie second on the leaderboard behind Nicholson. “It was great to have both horses jumping and galloping so well and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Final Luhmühlen results
1 Andrew Nicholson/Mr Cruise Control (NZL) 38.0 + 0 + 0 = 38.0
