Alex was in the lead after the dressage, until reigning world champion Michael Jung’s test on FischerTanikou bettered their test. A steady clear across country was then the priority with four-star completion ensuring them qualification for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton’s Horse Trials next spring, eventing’s premier competition. He said:
“We collected 12.4 cross-country time-faults in part due to the horse losing both front shoes. It meant I had to set him up for the turns, more than the actual fences so that he didn’t slip.”
Heading into last Sunday’s showjumping, Alex was in ninth position but after a beautiful showjumping clear, they went up to fifth place.
Alex, 36, took up eventing 12 years ago having played semi-professional rugby. His wife Simmone was pregnant and needed someone to ride her horse so he took up the challenge and has been hooked ever since.
He explained:
“I loved it but as I am very competitive, we decided if I was going to event we’d do it properly, so we set up a competition yard and I became a professional rider and now shoe horses part-time.”
Pau was Alex’ second attempt at four-star competition having ridden two horses at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in September. He completed on Redpath Ransom but parted company with Zagreb across country. This time there was no mistaking their intent and with superb performances in all three phases.
The father of three said:
“Zagreb was brilliant. I always knew he had a very good test in him, and we’d been working hard on making improvements and adjustments in the lead up to Pau, and then he was absolutely superb, producing the test of his life and throwing us to the top of the leader board. Our score was only topped by Michael Jung, but it was still good enough to win.
“However, with a completion at the back of my mind, I didn’t want to risk making any mistakes cross-country, so where we could have taken strides out in a couple of places, and gained on the minute markers, I rode a calculated round. He was then fantastic in the showjumping, coping with the atmosphere and the dazzle of the arena like an old pro to jump a beautiful clear.”
Zagreb will now have a holiday before preparations begin for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in May.
