Equestrianism: Henkie debut delight

OWEN MOORE held an early lead on Gildernstern half way through yesterday's dressage phase of the Eventing Grand Prix at the Royal International Horse Show - with last year's winner, Pippa Funnell, close behind on Henkie.

Whereas Moore had been expected to gain a good mark on the former show hunter, Funnell seemed likely to be trailing on Henkie for this was the first time that the horse had appeared in a dressage arena. She had borrowed the bay from her show-jumping husband, William, after last year's winning horse, The Tourmaline Rose, went lame last week.

"I'm always telling William that he's a girl's horse - although he can be a bit strong I love jumping him," she said of Henkie, who was her mount when she and William won the Family Pair Relay at Olympia last year. She has, however, no idea how her mount will cope with today's combined show jumping and cross-country course of 28 fences which begins and ends in the international arena.

"I took him for a cross-country school at Tweseldown, so he has seen water," she said. Some of the other obstacles may, however, be totally unfamiliar and she is aware that her mount "could do anything".

Moore's mount, Gildernstern, retired from full-scale three-day events more than two years ago after several injuries to his near-foreleg. He was expected to retire completely but, to Moore's pleasure and surprise, the leg has held up well to less demanding tests of endurance.

At the same half-way point in the dressage, Sweden's Anna Hilton (the former Miss Hermann) was lying third on Home Run II, who had an extended holiday this spring while the rider gave birth to a daughter in May.

William Fox-Pitt, who missed this contest last year because he had broken his leg, is close behind Hilton on the grey, Western Reef. The horse jumped a double clear round to be fifth at Saumur this year and the Hickstead contest is being used as part of his build-up to Gatcombe later this month and the Blenheim three-day event in September.

Fox-Pitt now has Mark Todd's former mount, Stunning, in his Oxfordshire yard and he is hoping to compete with him soon.

Today's section of the Eventing Grand Prix includes cross-country-type obstacles which can be dislodged. It will be judged on time, with five seconds added for each fence that is lowered.

Looking back to last year's inaugural contest (in which Funnell's winning mount was the only one to leave all the fences intact) riders were inclined to think that they will aim for accuracy rather than flat-out speed.