DAY three of competition at Millstreet International Horse Trials, where 320-plus horses are competing, gets underway today (Saturday) as the feature CCI4*-L takes to the wonderful Mike Etherington-Smith-designed cross-country track, and the winner of the CCI4*-S will be crowned.

As we went to press, dressage was underway in the feature class, while leading after the first phase in the CCI4*-S was Britain’s Kirsty Chabert with the 13-year-old mare Classic VI, on a score of 30.8. She led Australia’s Kevin McNab and Miss Pepperpot (32.9).

Best of the Irish in third was Ian Cassells with Kellys Quality (HSI), awarded a first phase score of 33.3 from judges Anne-Marie Taylor (GBR, president), John Little (IRL) and Joanne Jarden (IRL), who did not award any sub-30 mark.

Last month’s Badminton Horse Trials winner Laura Collett heads a field of 51 in the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI3*-L with a score of 28.3 on the eight-year-old Outback. Best of the Irish after dressage was Aoife Clark with Sportsfield Freelance.

Collett also has a youngster in the Eventing Ireland CCI2*-S for young horses, which was led after dressage by Ireland’s Meath Bolger on MBF Back To Back, and is among the favourites in the CCI4*-L with Dacapo. They were due to perform their dressage test on Friday afternoon as we went to press.

“The plan with Dacapo was always a CCI4*-L and I thought the track at Millstreet would suit him best,” explained Collett. “I’ve been here a couple of times before and I really like it. The course is beautifully built and the ground is amazing. There are lots of questions but nothing is trappy and it’s all in front of you.”