Successful conclusion to Blair Castle

Four days of top class equestrian competition drew to a close at Blair Atholl yesterday, with the event being hailed as one of the best in recent years.

This was the 21st anniversary of the Blair Castle International Horse Trials and director, Alec Lochore said, “We are delighted that attendance has been up over the four days this year and we have had some very positive comments about the new layout.”

Over 1000 horses and riders competed over the long weekend with everything from ridden Clydesdales to Shetland Ponies and Eventers to Showjumpers, while the 200 trade stands did a roaring trade with visitors from far and wide delighted to shop for everything from food to fashion.

The nominated charity for Blair this year was Macmillan Cancer Support and over £20,000 was raised from an abseil off the highest point of the castle, collections and an auction. First off the top on Friday was head trustee of Blair Castle Estate, who said it was not as terrifying as she thought it would be. She was joined on Saturday by local model and keen horse rider, Danni Menzies and in total about 75 people took up the challenge and raised £18,500 for Macmillan.

The star lot at the auction on Friday night was bottle number one from a unique run of 236 bottles of 21 years old Single Malt Whisky which has been bottled by sponsors  The Scottish Liqueur Centre to celebrate the event.

The Single Cask bottling of a rare cask from 1989 Braes of Glenlivet Distillery was unveiled this week and will be available only from the sponsors Bruadar stand at the Horse Trials, A. Robertson’s, the Pitlochry whisky specialist  and by mail order from The Scottish Liqueur Centre.

The auctioned bottle sold for a fantastic £750 to Geoff Sinclair, the Australian Technical Delegate for the event and overall the auction raised over £2500.

The remainder of the bottles are priced at £55 for a 70cl. They are individually numbered and feature a commemorative label and are almost certain to become collectors items.

The three day event itself attracted a world class field with selected British team members for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky next month featuring in the prizes.

In the flagship CCI*** class William Fox-Pitt won for the third time, this time riding the Hall’s and Skinner’s nine-year-old roan gelding, Neuf Des Coeurs, the combination were 2nd at Chatsworth and 5th at Brahmam this year. He added 6.4 cross country time faults and four showjumping penalties to his dressage score to finish on 58.4.

Gaby Cooke and her own Sir Roscoe moved up from fourth after dressage to second on her score of 62.4, while Wills Oakden from Fife and his aunt, Frances Hay-Smith’s Jo Brown came third and best of the Scottish riders.

In the CIC ***, which is the Scottish Championship event, team member Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz moved up from second place after dressage and showjumping to claim first place on a score of 46.8.

Dropping to second from his overnight position of first place was William Fox-Pitt and Oslo. He had a good showjumping round with no penalties but had 12.4 time faults on the cross country to finish on a score of 56.2.

Gemma Tattersall was thrilled with her Kings Gem which was in tenth place on Friday evening with a score of 57.2 but moved right up to third after going clear within the time in both showjumping and cross country.

Matthew Wright made it two years in a row by winning the CCI** yesterday with Charlotte Cole’s Hugginstown, the same horse he won on last year. He jumped a foot perfect clear round to stay on his dressage score of 46.4.

Second was Nicola Wilson riding Aristoteles II in their first season together, she added just 2.4 time penalties to her dressage score to finish on 48.2, while Caroline Powell and Thornfield Jones moved up from fifth overnight to third to stay on her dressage score of 50.

Best of the Scots in this section was seventh placed Harriet Baird and her own Persian Coin, she finished on her dressage score of 55.8.

A delighted Emma Humphrey won her first CCI* with C Embrey’s black gelding, Ushouldbsolucky which had been 7th at Upton House in July. She led from start to finish adding nothing to her dressage score on Saturday and even one showjump down allowed her to finish one penalty point ahead of Oliver Townend on a score of 39.9.

Oliver Townend was riding Carden Imp which has won two novices this year and finished on his dressage score of 40.9, while Irish rider Orlaith Delamere and Millridge Keano came third on 42.3.

Wills Oakden, whose family run Dunbog Farm near Newburgh in Fife was again best placed Scot in 7th with Debbie Whalley’s Merikano, while best placed Perthshire rider was Stephanie O’Neil from Auchterarder with Just by Chance V who finished in 19th place.