Britain’s Laura Collett scored an impressive victory in The Howden Way British Eventing seven-year-old national championship at Cornbury House Horse Trials (10-14 September) in Oxfordshire.
Riding Cooley Iceage, owned by Diana Chappell, Teresa Stopford-Sackville, Gillian Morris-Adams and Carolyn Taylor, Olympic gold medallist Laura showjumped clear this morning to finish on 35.5 penalties.
“He was amazing. He’s an unbelievable horse and he’s still quite weak and isn’t the finished article yet, but he’s got so much talent,” said Laura of this son of Alicante, who is out of a Le Tot De Semilly mare. “He can’t quite carry himself yet, but he’s got all the jump and a great brain.
“I was chuffed with how he was across country yesterday, because he’s never run in ground like that, and when he wasn’t sure, he reacted in the right way. The only concern I had in the showjumping today was that I might get jumped off!” .
Tom Bird capitalised on a speedy double clear to finish second with his own and Fran Bird’s Claddagh Ohio Sebastian (Kroongraaf x Ard Ohio). They were the only combination to finish inside the optimum time across country and completed on their 37.1 dressage mark.
Grace Taylor and Deloughtane Dingo (Elvis Ter Putte x Harlequin Du Carel) were third on 39.9, while dressage leaders Kitty King and Kilcoltrim Cooley were fourth on 40.2.
Laura Collett also finished runner-up to her British team-mate Tom McEwen in the Leading Rider rankings for the event. Tom won the coveted title – which comes with a £2,500 bonus, plus his weight in Hawkstone beer or cider and a Fortnum & Mason hamper – for the third time in four years.
Sam Gillespie won his first national title when victorious in The Howden Way British Eventing six-year-old championship. The Wiltshire-based 29-year-old added nothing to his 26.6 dressage mark on Laura Davis’ La Belle Au Bois, a British-bred mare by the CCI5* stallion Leprince Des Bois.
“I knew she could be competitive, but didn’t expect to win at all,” said Sam. “She’s still quite inexperienced. She only started eventing in September last year and she has got such a good brain that she takes it all in her stride.
“This is probably my biggest win to date and this kind of thing doesn’t usually happen to me! It’s also really lovely for her owner, who bred her. Her brain is incredible and the brilliant atmosphere here at Cornbury hasn’t bothered her at all. She’s a little mare with a big heart.”
Sam and La Belle Au Bois are members of The Howden Way Talent Academy – the national training programme founded by David Howden – so this success was even more special.
Storm Straker was runner-up to Sam on Abydos (Askari 173 x Diarano), owned by Victoria Straker, Lady Arabella Stagg, Julia Lukas and Sarah Daniell, while Lizzie Baugh was third on Tysons Upto Trix (Tyson x Corrado I).
Reigning British Young Rider champion Elizabeth Barratt took The Howden Way under-21 CCI3*-S on Barratt Eventing’s Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau. Elizabeth added 0.4 of a showjumping time-fault and 3.2 cross-country time-penalties to her dressage score of 30.4.
“I was hoping to give him a really good run here because he’s heading to the CCI3*-L at Ballindenisk in a couple of weeks,” said Elizabeth, who took on the ride on this 13-year-old gelding at Christmas last year after he finished 14th individually and picked up team silver at the Paris Olympics. “It was really nice to do a good test with him, which I know he’s more than capable of, and then to follow that up with a double clear was brilliant.”
Ireland’s Jack O’Haire rose up the ranks with a clear round inside the time to finish second on his dressage mark of 37.8 on Penelope Guinness’s Jamaica Rose, with Emily Worsdale third on Mary Moberly’s Rubi Star.
Alice Fraser, 14, won the Project Pony-supported Pony class on Erica Watson’s Bookhamlodge Pennylane, adding just 0.8 of a cross-country time-fault to their dressage mark of 25.6. Beth Coveney was second on Forans Daylight, with Daisy Fulton third on Macs Boy.
Bookhamlodge Pennylane – or Disney, as she is known at home – is an experienced pony and took Ibble Watson to the Pony European Eventing Championships in 2019, where they won team gold and individual silver. Alice has been riding 15-year-old Disney since 2024 and they competed at the Pony European Eventing Championships in Le Mans, France, earlier this summer.
“I messed up across country at the Europeans, though, so we came here to regain confidence, and so it’s great that we’ve managed to win, too,” said Alice.
“Disney is a real character and quite sprightly, but she is a great pony,” said Alice. “She’s brilliant to ride and train and I’m lucky to have her.”
At the conclusion of Cornbury House Horse Trials 2025, event president and founder David Howden said: “I must say a huge thank you to everyone who has made this week possible.
“Despite some pretty challenging conditions, we have run as best we can, with an extraordinary amount of relentlessly hard work from the amazing team we have here to keep the show on the road.
“Thank you so much to everyone for coming and for creating such a fantastic atmosphere – to all the riders, owners and grooms, to all our sponsors and partners, and to all our guests and visitors. Our wonderful volunteers have once again been brilliant – Cornbury House Horse Trials would not be able to take place without them. We look forward to seeing everyone next year in the sunshine!”
As well as superb equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities, all in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park..
All the cross-country action from Cornbury House Horse Trials can be watched via playback on Horse & Country TV’s streaming platform H&C+.
For more information, visit cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk