Equestrian round-up: Chinese star set for comeback at Barbury (From This Is Wiltshire)

Equestrian round-up: Chinese star set for comeback at Barbury

9:51am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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Alex Hua Tian, the teenager who was catapulted to fame when he became the first rider to represent China in the equestrian disciplines at the 2008 Olympic Games, is set for a return to the sport.

The 19 year old, currently based with Coral Keen at Little Cheverell, has completed his final exams at Eton College and is gearing for his first international competition since the Beijing 3 day event.

He will be in action at the 2009 Barbury International Horse Trials (July 9 – 12th), held at Rockley near Marlborough, where he plans to ride FBW Chico and Magenta in the CIC*** section, alongside many of the world’s top names.

“Alex has now moved to Coral’s yard although he is still close enough to the Fredericks, with whom he was previously based, to get help when he needs it,” explained his mother, British born Sarah Noble.

“He also has training from Bina Ford in show jumping and Olympic dressage rider Jane Gregory. He has just been keeping his top two rides FBW Chico and Magenta ticking over, wi th a couple of one day advanced runs.”

Alex is also riding the 12 year old chestnut gelding Jeans, with whom he has gone well at three star level and who came over from German rider Kai Ruder.

“Alex qualified for the World Cup after the Olympics, but decided not to go as he was too busy with his exams,” Sarah continued.

“His main aim now is the 2012 Olympics but there are also the Asian Games next year and the World Equestrian Games before then. He is going to study Aero Technology Engineering at Bristol University this autumn but will be close enough to commute back to ride.”

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Malmesbury show jumper Nicholas Hill has booked his ticket to a renowned national novice championship, due to be held at this autumn’s easibed Scope Festival, the largest show jumping event in the UK.

Every year thousands of show jumping fans visit the Festival, held at the Stafford County Showground in the Midlands, where several highly prized national titles are up for grabs.

Nicholas earned his place when he finished second in the KBIS Equestrian Senior British Novice second round at the Windsor Park Equestrian Club, held in HM The Queen’s glorious Berkshire parkland.

His partner was the five year old dark bay gelding Zibor, his only horse and his ride of less than one year.

“There were 11 in the jump-off at Windsor – I was drawn second so I knew I just had to go for it,” said Nicholas, who is studying at the Royal Agricultural College.

“We jumped one of just four treble clears and were only .2 of a second off first. It’s the first time I’ve qualified for the Scope Festival.”

Nicholas celebrated his 22nd birthday in style at the Hickstead Derby meeting last weekend, where he qualified Zibor for the prestigious Five Year Old Championship.

“I finished 7th in a big qualifying class in an outer ring, with 70 starters and 20 in the jump-off,” he remarked.

“Then I went on to the final in the main Hickstead Arena which was a phenomenal experience for both of us. Zibor found it a bit daunting and had a couple down, but I was really chuffed he completed.”

Nicholas has also qualified for the 1m and 1.05m finals at the Scope Festival, going well in qualifiers at Blewbury and the Hand Arena, and will be returning to Hickstead for the Royal International Horse Show later in July.

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Little Cheverell based Aussie Olympian Clayton Fredericks is keeping busy at events overseas.

The 41 year old, a member of the Australian Olympic silver medal winning te am in 2008 with wife Lucinda, took two horses into the line up at the Arville CIC** International in Belgium.

Clayton’s best result came with the seven year old Brookleigh, a horse he owns jointly with Nikki Brooks and who won the one star international at Fontainebleau earlier this season.

At Arville Brookleigh led after dressage but one show jump down, and 8.8 cross country time penalties, pushed the pair into fourth overall.

Clayton also had every reason to be pleased with the seven year old mare Erocia, finishing seventh with a double clear at only his second event with the horse.

Riders did have to contend with very hot weather, with distant thunderstorms causing floods 20kms away but missing the event site completely.

Clayton is now out in Germany for the Aachen International CIC** where he has entered The Frog and his 2009 Barocca winner Mr Miller. Lucinda Fredericks will also be in action, with her world famous triple four star winner Headley Britannia.

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Top names abound at the Shipton Moyne one day event (July 7 – 8th), run at Clayfield by Badminton secretary Jane Tuckwell and her husband Philip, over a cross country course built by the Willis Brothers.

Zara Phillips, Daisy Dick, William Fox-Pitt and Andrew Nicholson are just a few of the stars who have made entries in sections ranging from Novice to BE 90 (Intro).

Highlight will be three young horse qualifiers for 4, 5 and 6 year olds, which lead on to the British Young Horse Championships at Tweseldown this autumn.

Local internationals vying for contention will include Paul Tapner, Pewsey’s Roberta Fox, who has three entries, Under 21 star Georgie Spence, former Badminton winner Rodney Powell, Devizes rider Coral Keen and New Zealander Jonelle Richards.

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