Great Britain lands the 3* Nations Cup of Portugal in a tense three-way jump-off
Monday 20 November 2023
Great Britain stood top of the podium in the CSIO3* Nations Cup of Portugal to conclude the VillaMoura Champions Tour on a high. But it was not without tension as three nations jumped off for glory with Mark Edwards the star of the show.
“It’s been great team spirit all week,” said Mark, who supplied a vital double clear to put Great Britain in the frame.
Fourteen teams originally contended the 12-fence 1.50m track set by Italy’s Elio Travagliati with Britain in a strong position at the halfway stage on four faults to stand at the top of the leaderboard with Belgium and Switzerland.
Great Britain was drawn second out of the starting gates and Mark Edwards and Flying Tinker II got the ball rolling for the team with a great clear. Olli Fletcher followed suit on Hello William to strengthen the team’s position and Adrian Whiteway looked to be jumping a great round on Chacco Volo but just tapped out the front rail of a midway oxer to finish on four faults. Anchor James Smith brought relatively new ride Tayvale Hunky Dory forward but a pole down and a foot in the water meant they were the discard score with Britain touting a halfway mark score of four.
Switzerland fell by the wayside in round two but Belgium maintained the pressure and The USA stepped up their game to post a zero round two score to finish on a total of eight.
Mark came out full of determination to return a magnificent double clear on Marlene Edwards’s 12-year-old Flying Tinker while Olli looked good on his promise to join Mark but the top rail on the final fence dropped to put the 11-year-old Hello William on four faults. Adrian and the Chacco-Blue 10-year-old stallion Chacco Volo came out fighting and pulled a clear round out of the bag to keep Britain in the running.
It was down to James and Tayvale Hunky Dory – a clear would hand Great Britain victory – four faults or more would force a three-way jump-off with Belgium and The USA. It was not to be. A rail on the floor and a foot in the water put them on eight. A jump-off would decide the top three.
The on-form Mark was elected as Britain’s representative and a fine choice he was.
The USA’s Zayna Rizvi on Exquise Du Pachis was the first out and had Team GBR holding their collective breath as she delivered a fast and furious round. But a crucial rail hit the floor to leave the door open.
Belgium came up next in the form of Jeroen Appelen and he posted a much-needed clear to set the target on Monte Blue PS, albeit some two sec slower than The USA.
With countless wins recorded on this tour, including the 2* Grand Prix with Royale Tale 24 hours earlier, Mark was out to win for his team.
“I knew what was needed to win and Flying Tinker came out in the jump-off like the little superstar he is,” said Mark, who posted a sizzling jump-off round, Flying Tinker matching his fervour to beat their nearest rival, Belgium, by a handsome 1.82 seconds.
“Today’s win makes it all the more special, jumping treble clear on a home-bred,” said Mark, who sold the gelding to current own Marlene Edwards but kept the ride.
Mark has notched up countless wins on this tour and scored a victory double earlier in the week.
Royale Tale stepped up for Mark in the 2* Grand Prix on the penultimate day. A tough 1.45m track tested to the max and the 66 starters were reduced to only five for the jump-off. Mark maintained his winning form to gallop into the top spot on the Montreuxs Tale 8-year-old mare by 2.48 sec.
Brits filled the top four places in Thursday’s 3* 1.45m speed, Mark leading the way on Flying Tinker.
Seventy-eight competitors tackled this world ranking speed class but Mark proved the quickest of the lot, the Tinkers Tale 12-year-old galloping into the top spot by just 0.13 sec. Olli Fletcher steered the Emilion 9-year-old BP Pocahontas into second with Graham Gillespie on the 15-year-old Veneno in third ahead of Adrian Whiteway and Floris in fourth.
VillaMoura Champions Tour, Vilamoura, Portugal
CSIO3* Nations Cup 1.50m – 19 November, 2023
1st Great Britain 4/4/0 33.30 seconds (Chef d’Equipe Stanny van Paesschen)
Mark Edwards & Flying Tinker II – 0/0/0 - 33.30 seconds
Olli Fletcher & Hello William – 0/4
Adrian Whiteway & Chacco Volo – 4/0
James Smith & Tayvale Hunky Dory – 8/8
2nd Belgium 4/4/0 35.12 seconds
3rd USA – 8/0/4 33.04 seconds
Image Credit - Moura Tours
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