Royal Windsor: Thursday gets off to a flying start

Fourth to go, Tim Stockdale, set the early pace, jumping a double clear in a time of 29.85 seconds to finish eventual third, however it was Philip Miller aboard Unbelievable Lady who claimed the £1,200 winners prize. The chestnut mare, by Unbelievable Darco, jumped an immaculate round to secure victory, knocking 1.78 seconds off runner-up Trevor Breen’s time.

Further winners on the day were Katie Meredith and Zoralyn, who took the Land Rover Grades B & C Handicap from Nicola Wilson and Maja Burnell who galloped to victory in the opening International CSI-Am competition of the show riding the nine-year-old Crona Cr. The other jumping class of the day was the Olympic Star Spotters for six-year-olds, which saw 12 riders jump double clear to share equal first place.

His closest challengers are the three members of the gold medal winning Netherlands team at WEG two years ago – Ijsbrand Chardon, Theo Timmerman and Koos de Ronde. The winner of the last two years, Chester Weber from the USA, had to be content with fifth position as he prepares for the second phase, the cross-country marathon.

Exell, who is driving a team of mixed KWPN horses of varying experience, has a lead of some 7-penalties over the rest of the field; the next four contenders are bunched close together, separated by just two penalties. With Exell and Chardon, both multiple winners here over the years, keen to reclaim the title, Weber on his mettle to retain it and Timmerman and de Ronde looking to take it for the first time, Saturday’s marathon promises outstanding sport and great excitement.

The Leeman Family were compensated for their aborted journey yesterday, when their homebred two-year-old filly, Kellythorpes Spot The Difference, made her show ring debut to take the In Hand Coloured Championship. It was also co-producer Janay Leeman’s birthday and rider Frazer Atherden’s parents’ wedding anniversary.