The main class of the day was listed as a 1.35m Ladies and Gents Open but as we have come to expect from David Cole it was a tough enough track and in fact several of the commentators and judges commented that they were coming back Sunday to watch the Grand Prix because they are all wondering, as are we, what he is going to do for that!

With 49 starters there 9 prizes on offer and 20 went through to the jump off - this was a great class to watch and we saw some wonderful International horses who are obviously here for the main Grand Prix on Sunday.

First to go in the jump off was Graham Lovegrove who qualified a few for this jump ogg but his first horse was Galant des Plains and they unfortunately had the first fence down and then followed up with the planks tumbling and taking out a tall vertical which was sitting at 1.40m finishing with 12 faults in 40.30secs.

Second out was Ben Maher riding Mercurius and they gave us a super clear round which was very careful but Ben and his horse covered the ground finishing with a tim eof 32.34secs setting the standard early.

Robert Maguire riding his own Mr Cawley finished with 8 faults in 39.70secs when they lowered the first and last fences on course. Lee Williams and his own Lacanda were another victim of the first fence which certainly caused the most problems on course - the riders had to get the approach correct to the first while being ready to "hang a right turn" to make the second fence. Lee finished with a time of 36.53secs.

Sophie Heaven and Jurius had a great round giving the first fence the right ride but sadly the second fence fell for them and they finished with 4 faults in 34.97secs. One of Britain's top riders was next out - Scott Smith and Cabri D'Elle and they also collected 4 faults at the second fence in the jump off finishing with a time of 33.57secs.
Right: Graham Lovegrove and Galant des Plains
Below: Ben Maher and Mecurius gave the crowd the first clear round.

Right: Mr Cawley under the saddle of owner/rider Robert Maguire - not to win today but this is a classy combination.

Below: Lacanda, owned and ridden by Lee Williams looking good over this fence but the dreaded first fence finished their chance of winning.

Tim Gredley was another rider who had a couple through to the jump off and his first ride was on Narina but the winners bow was not to be theirs this class when they lowered the first two fences on course finishing with 8 faults in 37.38secs.

Michael Whittaker was next to go on his own Redhill Manta but the fourth fence in the jump off course was the one they lowered finishing with 4 faults in 35.35secs.
Rebecca Walker and Flibuster Du Val dropped the planks to the ground finishing with 4 faults in a careful tim eof 40.37secs while Robert Maguire gave us a super display of jump off jumping on his second ride, Two Mills Showtime, an International jumper when they took the most amazing turn from fence 1 to 2 cutting strides out and asking the horse to jump from almost underneath the tall vertical and the horse answered the question with a resounding "yes" and then continued on through the curse making it look so easy - they finished clear in 31.32secs to take the class honours.

Left: Robert Maguire and Two Mills Showtime show their winning style over the second jump off fence.

Top British showjumper, Tim Stockdale, suported by Fresh Direct didn't have the dream round this time on board Colin Garrett's Fresh Direct Landed Gentry when they lowered the 3rd and 4th fences on this jump off track for a careful time of 43.87secs.

Peter Charles for Ireland and his own Rock Star

were the next combination to produce a clear jump off round and they did it in style in a time of 34.70secs which put them in the money today.(photo below left)

Lisa Phillips and Jessica du Warchet had a couple down finishing with 8 faults in 34.98secs and Nicole Pavitt and Daninos were another combination who had the first and last fences leaving the arena with 8 faults in 42.06secs.

Graham Lovegrove returned with his second ride for the jump off with Histoire Vesquorie and this horse on the prize for the biggest try of the class - they made a huge effort at the vertical which was fence 6 on the jump off course and just simply didn't have
enough room to make fence 7 which was a big oxer and so being so clean he stopped and asked for another chance at the fence which he was given - they finished with 8 faults in 46.35secs. (photo below right)
Vicky Young was next to go and she put up a strong challenge to leader Robert Maguire but their clear round in 31.89secs fell just fractions short of taking the lead with Corleone. (photo below left)
Fourth last to go was Tim Gredley on his second horse for this jump off, Omelli and they were going great guns definitely looking like a major placing until the dreaded last fence tumbled and they

finished with 4 faults in 36.51secs. International rider Scott Smith and Landwind took some super turns and looked like they were going to take the money but disaster struck at the last two fences when they both hit the ground finishing them off with 8 faults in 32.04secs.

Last to go in this class was British International rider Di Lampard and Mrs Friend's William Spirit and they pulled a super clear round out of the hat but not quite fast enough to take the lead - their time of 33.71secs put them in the money though for this class.

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