Bettina Hoy Sheds Tears of Happiness at Cross-Country Lead

Bettina Hoy wiped away tears of relief and happiness as she retained her lead after the cross-country phase at Les Etoiles des Pau, the last four-star in the HSBC FEI Classics™ Series.

Hoy added only 7.2 time penalties to her Dressage score in a superb performance with Ringwood Cockatoo and does not have a fence in hand over her husband, Andrew, in tomorrow’s final jumping phase.

He is just 1.6 penalties in arrears after a masterful clear on Moonfleet, one of the fastest in a day when only two riders achieved the optimum time of 11.25 minutes. They were, unsurprisingly, the always speedy Nicolas Touzaint (FRA), who now moves up from eighth to third on Tatchou, and World and Olympic gold medallist Frank Ostholt (GER), up from 13^th to fourth on his Hong Kong horse Mr Medicott.

Both Andrew Hoy and Touzaint now stand to gain extra points, and therefore prize-money, by moving up the HSBC FEI Classics™ Series.

“Cockatoo was incredible,” said an emotional Bettina Hoy. “He was a really good boy, but we are like an old married couple now! It is always nice for a horse to come back from injury and show what he could have done.” The pair missed the Olympics through his injury.

“He enjoyed it and was fighting for me all the way, which was exciting. Whatever happens tomorrow in the show jumping, I’m just so happy about the cross-country.”

As predicted, Pierre Michelet’s cross-country proved influential, and the order has changed considerably after the Dressage phase. Andrew Nicholson (NZL) has moved up from 12^th to fifth with a fast (2.8pen) round on the good jumper Henry Tankerville, and he is also in eighth on Muschamp Impala, who has moved up 15 places.

Ruth Edge is now sixth on Mayhem lll, but had a stop on the cross country with Mr Dumbledore, who had been third after Dressage. However, they are still in 11^th place.

Twenty-four riders completed the course, with nine clear rounds. Mary King, fourth after dressage on Call Again Cavalier, had a refusal at fence 14, having nearly fallen off at 13, and is in 12^th place. A clear round tomorrow could just pull her up into the HSBC FEI Classics™ Series leaderboard. William Fox-Pitt, who leads the Classics, also had a refusal on Idalgo and is 13^th.

Clayton Fredericks was among the eliminated riders, having suffered a fall with The Frog at fence 11. Pippa Funnell, who was, unusually, only 16^th after Dressage with Ensign, retired early on the course.

There was a sad accident to World Champion Zara Phillips’s horse, Tsunami II, the mare was transported back to the veterinary clinic and diagnosed with a broken cervical vertebrae and then was euthanized as the result of a fall at fence 15. Phillips suffered a broken collarbone but is otherwise unhurt.

Tomorrow’s show jumping phase will be a nail biting affair, but the chances are that the name Hoy will be on the winner’s trophy.

Results after cross-country:

1 Bettina Hoy (Ringwood Cockatoo, GER) 33.7 + 7.2 = 40.9
2 Andrew Hoy (Moonfleet, AUS) 40.9 + 1.6 = 42.5
3 Nicolas Touzaint (Tatchou, FRA) 45.4 + 0 = 45.4
4 Frank Ostholt (Mr Medicott, GER) 48 + 0 = 48
5 Andrew Nicholson (Henry Tankerville, NZL) 47.2 + 2.8 = 50
6 Ruth Edge (Mayhem lll, GBR) 45.2 + 6 = 51.2
7 Pascal Leroy (Glenburny de Leou, FRA) 50.6 + 2.8 = 53.2
8 Andrew Nicholson (Muschamp Impala, NZL) 55.7 + 4.8 = 60.5
9 Frank Ostholt (Little Paint, GER) 42.8 + 28.8 = 71.6
10 Joanna May (Faere Vision GBR) 46.5 + 26.4 =72.9

The full results are available here. The fence analysis is available on this page. 

The second horse inspection will take place tomorrow Sunday 26 October 2008 at 8h00. The order of go is available here.

STANDINGS AFTER FOUR LEGS OF THE HSBC FEI CLASSICS (KENTUCKY, BADMINTON, LUHMUHLEN & BURGHLEY): 1. William Fox Pitt (GBR) – 40 points; 2. Phillip Dutton (USA) – 15 points (Differential Score – 41.70); 3. Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) – 15 points (DS – 48.70); 4. Rebecca Holder (USA) – 12 points (DS – 47.30); 5. Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) – 12 points (DS – 49.80); 6. Frank Ostholt (GER) – 12 points (DS – 51.40); 7. Stuart Tinney (AUS) – 10 points (DS – 52.20); 8. Missy Ransehousen (USA) – 10 points (DS – 57.30); 9. Mary King (GBR) – 10 (DS – 58.7); 10. Nic Wilson (GBR) – 10 (DS – 59.80); The HSBC FEI CLASSICS is a new FEI series linking the five 4-Star Eventing competitions currently on the international calendar.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2008:

1, Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA) 24-27 April; 2, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR) 1-4 May; 3, Luhmuhlen CCI**** presented by EON (Ger) 12-15 June; 4, Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) 4-7 September; 5, FINAL - Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA) 22-26 October.

POINTS SYSTEM:

Points will be awarded to the top ten riders at each event as follows:

1st: 15 points
2nd: 12 points
3rd: 10 points
4th: 8 points
5th: 6 points
6th: 5 points
7th: 4 points
8th: 3 points
9th: 2 points
10th: 1 point

USEFUL INFORMATION

For further information on the final leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ check out the event's official website.

PHOTO CATALOGUE - Photographs of the winning riders in high and low resolution can be downloaded from the FEI online catalogue. There is no reproduction fee, but please credit photographer (photographer's name will appear under each photo)/FEI. Usage is strictly for editorial purposes.