JONTY Evans set a new record for an Irish event rider at four-star level when receiving a penalty score of 37.2 yesterday afternoon with Cooley Rorkes Drift at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The Gloucestershire-based 45-year-old, who last competed at the venue 10 years ago, was lying third overnight behind Australia’s Chris Burton and the Irish Sport Horse gelding Graf Liberty (32.9), a 12-year-old Limmerick gelding bred in Co Down by Brian Livingstone, and Germany’s Ingrid Klimke riding Horseware Hale Bob (36.4).

France’s Thibaut Vallette, who led after the first day on Qing du Briot (38.7) is now down in seventh place with the next-best Irish rider, Sarah Ennis, in 23rd spot on Horseware Stellor Rebound (45.4), just one place ahead of Austin O’Connor with Kilpatrick Knight (45.8).

In his media briefing, Evans stated: “It’s great to be here...I was never sure I’d get back again.

“When I got the ride on this horse as a young horse we weren’t sure how he’d progress but he’s progressed fantastically well and he deserves to be here. He was fantastic today.

“I’m just over the moon with him, he tried so hard, he was totally and utterly with me all through the test. He is a very special horse. What’s so amazing about him is that you know that if you turn up he will be there, and you can’t always say that about every horse.”

Evans was a member of the Irish team at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where he finished ninth with Cooley Rorkes Drift, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Courage II who was bred in Co Down by William McCarrison out of the Rachelle Comet mare Doon-A-Ree Lass.

Speaking to the Irish Horse World, Sally Corscadden, Horse Sport Ireland’s senior high performance director of the Irish eventing team, commented: “Jonty was absolutely brilliant and nailed it; he deserved the marks he got, if not more – especially for his walk. He really, really nailed the canter however and his marks reflected this.

“Most of our riders did as well as expected if not better, apart from poor Cathal Daniels (84.6) as his mare (Rioghan) Rua just froze with the crowd and couldn’t cope.”

Asked what the riders thought about the challenge set for today’s cross-country phase by course designer Eric Winters, Corscadden replied: “Well, they are very positive and they will have to be. This is a true four-star test and not for the fainthearted.

“It’s like a Badminton of old, big and bold, but with a modern twist. You’ve really got to get your lines right but have to keep the pace up. The questions really start at fence three (a table over a maximum width water ditch) right to the second last (the Rolex trunk which is approached through trees and has drop on the landing side).

“There’s really no let up at all with question after question and offset lines. Coming roughly nine minutes in, when horses are beginning to feel the pinch, the two white gates on a right-angle (24) will require accurate jumping – the second one is straight and tall.”

Earlier in the week, Irish amateur Zoe Kavanagh finished fifth in the two-day Mitsubishi Motors Cup 1m competition.

The Mount Merrion, Co Dublin, rider completed on her dressage score of 31.6 penalties with the 11-year-old Harlequin du Carel gelding Reminisce One as Britain’s Katie Hancock topped the leaderboard on the seven-year-old ISH mare Coddstown Pet (29.8).

Chief executive officer of the National Dairy Council and mother of one, Kavanagh had a big support team at Badminton which included her husband Andrew, father Dick McElligott, trainer Jane O’Flynn and fellow amateur riders Caroline O’Leary and John Joe and Jane Grace.

Bred in Co Wicklow by Don Hadden, Reminisce One started his competitive career as a show jumper and represented the ISH Studbook in Lanaken as a five and six-year-old.