IT is important to open what follows with some short health warnings. The first must be that 2021 has been a very difficult year for the sport of eventing. With doubts about will it or won’t it be happening, most horses started late. With many big events cancelled, there is little doubt that the results may not be as they might have been.

The second warning is that the season is not yet half way through; the Americans have had six months but the UK just three. All the figures used here are for the results for events up to the end of May this year.