Gatcombe
Park, Minchinhampton, Stroud, Glos.
August 5 -7, 2005
William
Fox-Pitt continued his winning ways as he won British Open Advanced Championship
at Gatcombe Park, with Moon Man. (William and Moon Man are pictured at the
right below jumping up onto the Bank at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****,
in 2004.) This pair finished on their Dressage score of 29.1 to lead Australia's
Andrew Hoy and Master Monarch (31.9 - .4 time faults XC) by 2.8 faults.
Mary
King and Call Again Cavalier finished 3rd on 32.2 with 3.2 time faults 
Cross
Country. Leslie Law and Shear L'Eau placed fourth with a score of 40.7 which included
8.4 time faults Cross Country.
Several
"name" horses and riders had Cross Country problems. Pippa Funnell retired
Primmore's Pride, her Badminton winner, while Andrew Nicholson and Lord Killinghurst,
fourth at Badminton, were eliminated. Among those withdrawn before Cross Country
were: Limestone Rise/Polly Jackson; Sammi McLeod (AUS) Enchanted; Leslie Law,
Coup de Coeur, second at Rolex-Kentucky: Kitty Bogis/ Five Boys; Matthew Wright/Park
Pilot; Zara Phillips/ Toytown; Bumble Thomas/The Psephologist; Polly Stockton/
Tangleman and Heidi White (USA) and Northern
Spy.
William
also won Advanced Section 2, at Gatcombe, riding Mr. Dumbledore (38.8) and placed
third in the same Section with Birthday Night (44.0). The ham in William's sandwich
was Daisy Dick, who rode Spring Along to a score of 43.4 and second place.
Cindy
Rawson (USA), who is prepping for the Burghley
CCI**** the first weekend in September, finished second in Advanced Section 1
with her father's and Robert Futh's Ashdale David's Way (45.1). (Cindy and
Ashdale David's Way are pictured at the left at the Wilton Horse Trials earlier
in the season.) This time Daisy Dick won the Section on Hope Street (42.9).
Fox-Pitt
has had a sensational season after placing second behind Pippa Funnell at the
Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****, in May. He won the Malcolm Group Burgie long
format CCI** on Diamond Manati and he won the CIC*** at the Maybach Barbury Castle
horse trials riding Ballincoola, who was apparently healthy after his heart fibrillation
episode caused him to be withdrawn during the steeplechase phase at Badminton;
