United States Eventing Association

Bettina Hoy rode a blistering cross-country round in the worst of the weather at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials to hold on to her dressage lead in the CCI3*.

Riding Seigneur Medicott, owned by Gerd-Hermann Horst, the German former European champion picked up 8.4 time-faults to add to her dressage mark of 32.9.

She said: “He was really fantastic. He gave me a wonderful ride; he’s just a little bit green still and would like to take a second to look at each fence, but you just can’t—you have to keep going.”

Hoy is on a score of 41.3, which gives her a show jump in hand tomorrow over second-placed Hannah Sue Burnett, who rode a terrific round for the USA on Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot and ends the day on 46.9.

Holly Payne Caravella is also in the top 10 after cross-country riding Bethann Groblewski’s Santino to a clean round with just 9.2 time penalties to sit in 7th place. Kurt Martin also moved up from 49th to 25th after cross-country on Carol Jean Martin, William Martin Jr. and his own Delux Z, after adding 15.6 time penalties.

The two other U.S. riders, Will Faudree riding Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables' Pfun, and Tamra Smith riding the Twizted Syster's Group Twizted Syster, retired on course.

Best Brit is local Oxfordshire rider Lydia Hannon, third on Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Harris’ My Royal Touch with a score of 48.5. Lydia picked up just 3.2 time-faults—the third-fastest round of the day.

Lydia was thrilled to find herself so far up the order, and said: “She’s a superstar. She was a really good girl. We did a good dressage test for her, and I didn’t want to waste it and knew I post a good time on the cross-country.

“I walked the course with Nigel Taylor, who told me to kick on and go straight!”

Quickest of all were the first combination of the class, Andrew Nicholson and his own and Philip Channer’s Teseo, who came home just 1 second over the time and are in fifth on 48.9—just behind Oliver Townend and Peter John Windus’ Dunbeau, who were second-fastest with two time-faults and slot into fourth place on 48.8.

Scores | Live Stream