Sitting comfortably in third after dressage, Phillip Dutton was no doubt eyeing the number one spot as he took to the cross country course. The experienced team of Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive wasted no time on course, taking the direct options and galloping in to a faultless day two.
Marilyn Little, who led the pack after Day one aboard RF Demeter chose to retire on course after run-outs took her out of the hunt for blue. With Jacob Fletcher suffering a fall on cross country Phillip Dutton moved into the number one spot, also putting in a clear aboard Mr. Candyman to move his less experienced horse into the fourth position.
There was no room for error on show jumping day, the top three riders sitting just a few points from one another. Dutton showed his show jumping tact by taking both his horses around the course clean - meaning he had zero faults on days two and three with both his mounts.
Alexandra Knowles and Sound Prospect, who sat seventh after dressage, sailed into the number two spot with clean cross country and show jumping rounds. Interestingly, she and Dutton were the only riders to manage a clean and time-fault free rides on Ian Starck’s cross country track.
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett stole the third spot, slipping from 2nd place after dressage with a single rail in show jumping.
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