WILTSHIRE’S eventing community has been somewhat subdued following the heavy fall and subsequent hospitalisation of Membury eventer Laura Collett at Tweseldown, writes NICKI STRONG.

However, there has been plenty of silent success during the period Collett has been recovering at Southampton General Hospital.

Kitty King had been competing at Tweseldown with Caeleste and Ceylor LAN who were making their Intermediate debuts.

Whilst both topped the leaderboard after the dressage with 23 and 25 respectively, she elected to withdraw before the final phase due to the hard ground. Later in the week she ran Bondi Beach in the Novice at Upton House to finish 11th overall, taking it steady across country to add some time faults to their dressage of 30.

Andrew Nicholson rode three at Upton House, all of whom finished without jumping penalties. His Novice horses Urma BK and Vicuna were both second in their sections, whilst British Eventing newcomer Swallow Springs went straight for Open Novice and finished 10th.

Badgerstown’s Tom McEwen partnered Toldeo De Kerser for the first time at Upton House. Their sub 30 dressage and a double clear was enough to earn them fifth place in a competitive BE100 section. He also had a good Novice run with Catch me if you can IV, but a pole in the showjumping and some time faults across the country cost him a place.

McEwen had a good week when selected for the Senior eventing team European Championships in Malmo with his self-produced horse Diesel whom he piloted to take the under 25 title at Bramham in June.

The news comes just weeks after McEwen made his senior team debut at Aachen with Badminton ride Dry Old Party.

Paul Tapner and wife Georgina had a real team effort at Upton with the youngsters. Each rode two in the five-year-old classes and Paul completed the Novice with It’s Complicated II. Georgina recorded two double clears, whilst jumping penalties proved costly for Paul.

Lucinda Fredericks also contested the five-year-old classes, both horses being the offspring of Lucinda’s superstar retired mare, Badminton and Burghley winner Headley Britannia.

Little Britannia performed best, coming second on her dressage score of 30. Fredericks was very competitive with new partner Latini in the Open Novice here, but a steady cross country phase meant they more than doubled their dressage score despite jumping clear, incurring hefty time faults.

Sir Mark Todd could not get among the placings at Brightling Park with a ride in the one and two star.