Equestrianism: Murray moves up after cross-country

Jorg Bodenmuller, a Swiss veterinary surgeon, galloped his experienced Fancy Hill into the lead on cross-country day at the Brittany Ferries French International Three Day Event yesterday, writes Jennifer Harry from le Lion D'Angers. The 12-year-old mare, which won the Continental Cup at Compiegne in June, maintained a blistering pace round the 3 1/2-mile course to overtake the dressage leaders, Bettina Oversach and Green Cotten Blueberry, of Germany, who picked up 3.6 cross-country penalties. Britain's Lucinda Murray and her mare Lovell Lass, an eight-year-old making its three-day event debut, finished well inside the time of 10min 30sec to move up to fifth place ahead of Mary Thomson and King Basil. Thomson, sixth after the dressage, was intent on giving her seven-year old, competing for the first time since falling at the water at Windsor in May, a confidence-building ride and took the sharp corners carefully to incur 3.2 time penalties for fourth place.

(Photograph omitted)