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After a day of fluctuating fortunes, Great Britain stand in gold medal position at the end of cross country day at
The FEI Blenheim Petplan European Eventing Championships team. British team debutante Zara Phillips heads the
leader board and has individual Gold in her sights. Former twice European Champion Pippa Funnell is in individual
Silver and William Fox-Pitt fourth, the pair split by flying Belgian Karin Donkers who is in third.

There was drama throughout the day and literally right to the last – final rider Harald Ambros for Austria had to sit tight at the final fence when his ride Miss Ferrari slipped and pitched steeply.

Initally after the first eight horses on course produced four clear rounds inside the time, including British team trailblazer Jeanette Brakewell and German team members Anna Warnecke and Twinkle Bee, it looked as though the day would be a formality for the German team and overnight leaders who had set off with a strong lead after the dressage phase.

It was not to be when second German team members Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo stopped at fence 13 – just one
of two refusals at the fence all day.

And then the rain came and from then on the day was disrupted by heavy downpours. Second team member William Fox-Pitt and a lively Tamarillo produced a bold clear taking all the direct routes. “He always gives me a fantastic ride. He felt very fresh and keen at the start but as usual made it feel easy
and the time is never an issue with him – which is a real luxury.”

By the time two team members had completed Britain had captured the lead and stayed at the top for the rest of the day.

The heavens opened just before Zara Phillips and Toytown left the start box. “I just had to go out and get on with it;
but, the crowds gave us fantastic support and Toytown was great the whole way – although I didn’t find it easy, there was
no chance for a breather; but, he finished full of running,” said Zara, who goes into tomorrow’s show jumping with one fence
in hand over Pippa and Ensign. (Pippa and Ensugn are pictured at the left above. Photo courtesy of the Blenheim Petplan European Championships.) Pippa was full of praise for her horse that she always planned to sell. “He has just exceeded
all expectations and gained enormous experience this weekend - I do think he has earned his place on the yard.”
Olympic gold medallist Leslie Law was the fourth and final team member. Another to survive a ‘hairy moment’ when
Shear L’Eau pitched on landing at the first part of the fence 19, he nonetheless made it home on a clean sheet albeit with
11.6 time penalties.

The British team now a lead of 27.4 penalties over Germany, who stand 9.3 penalties ahead of France. Unfortunately reigning European champion Nicolas Touzaint added to his European misery was the sole victim of the lake, falling off Hildago De L’Ile and is the discount score for France.

Sadly the team of young Portugese failed to complete the team just 23 year old Frederico Mexia and Pagaso the only ones to complete for the country

And Austria also failed to complete as a team when Christoph Heiden was eliminated after four refusals.

Zara and Toytown have the luxury of a fence in hand over Pippa Funnell and Ensign in order to retain the lead and European individual championship. There is no such breathing space for Pippa and the 10 year old Ensign who are just 0.1 penalties ahead of Karin Donkers, whose determined clear round with the Irish bred 13 year old gelding Gormley brought her six places up the leader board into a potential Bronze Medal position. “After all the rain, although the corners had cut up, the ground at the fences was still good,” said Karin, who first represented Belgium at senior level in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, where she finished 8th. “If you want to get ahead there is no other way than to go for it and take your fences straight. Karin has won European team bronze twice before, in 1999 and 2003, at Punchestown, where she finished 6th with this horse.

Editor's Note: 2:24 PM EDST, complete results are not yet available. We will try to provide them as soon as possible.

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Latest From Cross-Country Day - Zara Moves into Top Slot

British team rider Zara Phillips* has just take the lead at The FEI Blenheim Petplan European Eventing Championships.

Despite the dire conditions of torrential rain Zara and Toytown produced a bold display of galloping and jumping, settling into a rhythm to come home over the 28 fence course well inside the time limit of 10 mins and 29secs. (Zara and Toytown are pictured at the right - notice the rain drops in the picture. Photo courtesy of Blenheim Petplan European Championships.)

The competition became wide-open when overnight leaders Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo collected 20 penalties for a refusal at fence 13, Cameron’s Cottage, the house at the top of the hill before the first water. After two riders team GB have now taken the lead from Germany who have fallen back to third place. France is currently in second place.

British riders currently occupy the top three individual places. Despite Pippa Funnell making the comment that ‘Ensign was one of the least experienced in the field’ – the experience of his rider more than made up, the pair surviving a sticky moment at fence 7, to complete with a handful of time penalties and are now in second place. William Fox-Pitt and Tamarillo in third complete the British trio.

All eyes will be on the course in 30mins when young German team rider Frank Ostholt and Air Jordan leave the start box. Equal third with Zara at the end of dressage they are the only combination that can upset the British one, two, three although can only equal Zara and Toytown’s score.

(At the left Zara Phillips* and Pippa Funnell peruse The Fox-Pitt Eventing Club brochure. Photo courtesy of the Blenheim Petplan
European Championships.)

*For those who might not know, Zara Phillips is the daughter of The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) and her first husband Capt. Mark Phillips, who currently serves as the Coach of the US Eventing Team.

Blenheim 2005 DVD

An hour of cross-country sandwiched between the best of the dressage and the show jumping makes up this 100min programme.
Telephone 01730 892220 or go to www.equestrianvision.co.uk to purchase your copy.

* * *

CCI*** Cross Country Results

1 # Zara Phillips (GBR), TOYTOWN 38.0 (3T) - - 38.0 (DC/XC)
2. Pippa Funnell (GBR), ENSIGN 37.8 (2) 4.8 - 42.6
3. # Karin Donckers (BEL), GORMLEY 41.5 (9) 1.2 - 42.7
4. # William Fox-Pitt (GBR), TAMARILLO 43.3 (12) - - 43.3 (DC/XC)
5. Jean Lou Bigot (FRA),DERBY DE LONGUEVAL 44.4 (13) - - 44.4 DC/XC)
6. # Frank Ostholt (GER), AIR JORDAN 38.0 (3T) 6.4 - 44.4
7. Ingrid Klimke (GER), SLEEP LATE 45.2 (16) - - 45.2 (DC/XC)
8. # Didier Willefert (FRA), ESCAPE LANE *MILI 40.2 (5) 6.8 - 47.0
9. Piia Pantsu (FIN), YPAJA KARUSO 45.0 (15) 2.8 - 47.8
10. Andreas Dibowski (GER), FRH SERVE WELL 41.1(8) 7.2 - 48.3
11. # Arnaud Boiteau (FRA), EXPO DU MOULIN 40.9 (7) 7.6 - 48.5
12. James Robinson (GBR), COMANCHE 46.1 (18) 3.2 - 49.3
13. # Jeanette Brakewell (GBR), OVER TO YOU 50.2 (25) - - 50.2 (DC/XC)
14. Daisy Dick (GBR),SPRING ALONG 47.2 (20) 6.0 - 53.2
15. # Leslie Law (GBR), SHEAR L'EAU 42.6 (11) 11.6 - 54.2
16. Polly Stockton (GBR), TOM QUIGLEY 52.6 (29) 2.4 - 55.0
17. Matthew Wright (GBR), PARK PILOT 55.0 (39) 0.4 - 55.4
18. # Linda Algotsson (SWE), MY FAIR LADY 46.1 (18) 9.6 - 55.7
19. # Anna Warnecke (GER), TWINKLE BEE 56.1 (41) - - 56.1 (DC/XC)
20. # Magnus Gallerdal (SWE), KEYMASTER 48.5 (22) 8.4 - 56.9
21. # Hinrich Romeike (GER), MARIUS VOIGT-LOGISTIK 42.4 (10) 16.0 - 58.4
22. # Susanna Bordone (ITA), CARRERA III 40.4 (6) 18.8 - 59.2
23. Sarah Wardell (ITA), TEST FLIGHT 59.6 (47) 0.8 - 60.4
24. # Lukasz Kazimierczak (POL), OSTLER 53.9 (32) 8.8 - 62.7
25. Peter Flarup (SUI), SILVER RAY 59.6 (47) 3.2 - 62.8
26. # Mark Kyle (IRE), DRUNKEN DISORDERLY 59.6 47 3.6 - 63.2
27. # Bettina Hoy (GER), RINGWOOD COCKATOO 31.3 (1) 13.2 20 = 64.5
28. # Dag Albert (SWE), WHOS BLITZ 64.8 (57) - - 64.8 (DC/XC)
29. # Vittoria Panizzon (ITA), ROCK MODEL 53.9 (32) 12.4 - 66.3
30. # Viktoria Carlerback (SWE), BALLYS GERONIMO 61.1 (53) 7.2 - 68.3
31. # Raf Kooremans (BEL), TELSTAR 47.2 20 21.2 - 68.4
32. # Luisa Palli AXIA II (ITA), 70.2 (62) - - 70.2 (DC/XC)
33. # Pawel Spisak (POL), WERIUSZ 52.2 (28) 18.0 - 70.2
34. # Jonty Evans (IRE), CREGWARRIOR 51.7 (27) 18.8 - 70.5
35. # Gilles Viricel (FRA), BLAKRING *MILI HN 58.7 45 12.0 - 70.7
36. Katrin Norling (SWE), PANDORA EMM 56.7 (42) 14.8 - 71.5
37. Niall Griffin (IRE), LORGAINE 53.7 (30) 18.8 - 72.5
38. Tobias Gronberg (SWE),AMARETTO 59.8 (51) 12.8 - 72.6
39. Didier Dhennin (FRA), ISMENE DU TEMPLE 44.6 (14) 9.2 20 = 73.8
40. # Constantin Van Rijckevorsel (BEL), WITHCOTE NELLIE 54.3 (35) 19.6 - 73.9
41. Jaroslav Hatla (CZECH), KYRENEJENNALLAS BOY 57.6 (44) 17.2 - 74.8
42. # Michael Ryan (IRE), OLD ROAD 67.4 (61) 8.4 - 75.8
43. # Carl Bouckaert (BEL), RAMPANT LION 64.8 (57) 12.0 - 76.8
44. Oliver Townend (GBR), TOPPING 45.2 (16) 11.6 20 76.8
45. # Alberto Giugni (ITA), THE NIGHTFLIGHT 53.9 (32) 23.2 - 77.1
46. Jennifer Eicher (SUI), AGENT MULDER 58.7 (45) 20.8 - 79.5
47. # Harald Ambros (AUSTRIA), MISS FERRARI 54.3 (35) 9.2 20 83.5
48. # Harald Siegl (AUSTRIA), NEBELWERFER 59.6 (47) 28.4 - 88.0
49. Pepo Puch (CROATIA), BANVILLE D'IVOY 61.7 (56) 26.4 - 88.1
50. # Frederico Mexia (POR), PEGASO 77.6 (66) 11.2 - 88.8
51. Polly Jackson (GBR), TWO FOR JOY 54.6 (37) 14.4 20 = 89.0
52. # Susan Shortt (IRE), JUST BEAUTY QUEEN 55.0 (39) 16.0 20 = 91.0
53. Malene Moller (DEN), PATCH 53.7 (30) 25.6 20 = 99.3
54. Katerina Tumpachova (CZECH), INCHAGREINE 78.3 (67) 39.2 20 = 137.5
55. # Nicolas Touzaint (FRA), HILDAGO DE L'ILE 50.0 (24) 46.4 65 = 161.4
56. # Pawel Rutkowski (POL), FORDANSER 77.0 (65) 41.6 80 = 198.6
57. Nikolay Tomochko (UKRAINE), ELKASAR 61.1 (53) 61.6 125 = 247.7
ELIM: # Christoph Heiden (AUSTRIA), BALLYSCARTAN HERO 61.1 (53)
ELIM: # Matilde Stilwell (POR), JADEL DE FOJA 65.7 (60)
RETIRED: Kitty Boggis (GBR), FIVE BOYS 49.4 (23)
RETIRED: # Duarte Seabra (POR), ZEBEDEE VIII 71.5 (63)
RETIRED: Lisa Deghe (ITA), NARCISO 2 54.8 (38)
RETIRED: Andrey Grishin (RUSSIA), SKAMPOLO 60.7 (52)
RETIRED: Aistis Vitkauskas (LITH)HOJAGERGARDS CANDIS 71.5 (63)
RETIRED: # Jerzy Krukowski (POL), DONNA SARA 50.4 (26)
RETIRED: # Carlos Grave (POR), LAUGHTON HILLS 56.7 (42)
WITHDRAWN: Geoffroy De Jamblinne (BEL), IRIS W 65.4 (59)
WITHDRAWN BEFORE DRESSAGE: Andriy Senin (UKRAINE), FORSING

# = Team Member

Numbers in parentheses are placings after Dressage.

TEAM STANDINGS:

1. GREAT BRITAIN - 131.5

2. GERMANY - 158.9

3. FRANCE - 166.2

4. SWEDEN - 177.4

5. BELGIUM - 185.0

6. ITALY - 195.7

7. IRELAND - 209.5

8. POLAND - 331.5

DNF - PORTUGAL

DNF- AUSTRIA