Racing: Waygood is knocked out

RICHARD WAYGOOD enjoyed an all too brief moment of glory at the International Horse Trials here yesterday. Having started the day in second place after the dressage phase of this three-day event, Waygood and his mount, Crackerjack, moved into the lead over the 25-fence cross-country course only for the the 13-year-old horse to pull up lame, necessitating his withdrawal.

Bitterly disappointed,Waygood, a 35-year-old Household Cavalry equitation trainer based locally at Combermere Barracks,

had to put the setback behind him and set off again on his second mount, Fly By Night. Thrown at the last fence, Waygood was temporarily knocked out and the horse was also retired from the competition.

This left a slightly surprised Caroline Sizer in the lead on the tiny chestnut mare Barba's Star. Sizer took on the ride only last week, after her working pupil Kate Leslie, who owned and rides the mare, broke her ankle in a fall. A good dressage score of 48.0 inspired Sizer to attack the cross country and she, too, finished inside the time of 10 minutes 41 seconds.

This chance combination go into unknown territory again today when they tackle the showjumping phase. They are just 1.4 points ahead of Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand on King Leo. He picked up 2.8 penalties on the cross country.

Although 16 competitors completed the course inside the time in this section, Nicholson felt the ground was too rough and hard in places and did not push this big brown horse out of his natural rhythm. He them decided to withdrawn his second ride, Valhalla IV, despite being handily placed on 53.2

"He would have gone well but he's young and I'll save him for better ground," he explained. Others to withdraw included Janette Brakewell who did so well at Badminton recently, and Pippa Funnell who retired when What A Gem refused at fence 11, the first water complex. A total of 47 of the 61 to start on the cross-country course completed.

In the second section, Polly Clark added no jumping or time penalties to her dressage score and maintained her lead with The Tonka Toy, just three points six penalties ahead of last year's winner Lucinda Fredericks.