THE first four-star of the British eventing season at the Thoresby Spring Carnival of Eventing attracted current Olympic and European champions as competitors put their head down in the lead-up to next month’s five-star Badminton Horse Trials.

At the end of three days, it was Britian’s Piggy March who led the way from start to finish with the 13-year-old John Mulvey-bred gelding Brookfield Inocent (Inocent x Kings Servant). From 106 starters, March opened her account on Friday with a dressage score of 23.9 which couldn’t be beaten.

The cross-country caused minor problems but the time allowed was the toughest task and just five managed to get it. Two – March and Bubby Upton – finished on their dressage scores. That bumped Upton and her Badminton-bound Cola III up to second place, finishing on 26.1.

They leapfrogged Tokyo Olympic gold medallists Laura Collett and London 52 who were second after the first phase (24.8) but added two time penalties across the country to finish in third on their very first outing since that trip to Japan.

Britain dominated the top 10, allowing just one other nation sneak in – that was Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti who finished ninth with Swirly Temptress (31.7). The line-up also featured the current European champions, Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin, in seventh (31.3) and Kentucky-bound Pippa Funnell and Maybach in 10th place (31.9).

Best of the Irish contingent after a classy dressage test and two great rounds was Joseph Murphy with the 11-year-old gelding Calmaro, who is owned by the rider, Claire and Charlie Maybe and Annette O’Callaghan. The combination opened with a score of 32.1 before jumping a perfect clear over the show jumps and storming across the cross-country to add just 2.4 for time, finishing on 34.5.

In 36th place was Sam Watson with his cross-country speed machine Ballybolger Talisman (Puisance x Ali-Royal) who was among just five horses to made the time. Two fences down in the show jumping meant he finished on a total sore of 45.4. Owned by his wife Hannah ‘Sparkles’ Watson and mother Julia Watson, and bred by Rosemary Ponsonby, Talisman is on the waitlist for Badminton.

Murphy picked up 12 jumping faults and 15.6 cross-country faults with Cesar V (67th), while both Clare Abbott (Jewelent) and Susie Berry (John The Bull) had 20 penalties across the country.