Clare Abbott and the Irish Sport Horse Euro Prince produced one of the stand-out performances over the Cross Country course at Badminton Horse Trials on Saturday to climb an incredible 40 places to 11th heading into Sunday's Show Jumping final.
Abbott and the 14-year-old gelding, owned and bred by Cormac McKay, came home with a clear jumping round and just fractionally over the optimum time, leaving them on a total score of 60.1.
Another Co Down rider, Joseph Murphy, also made a huge jump on the leaderboard after he finished with just 9.2 time penalties with Sportsfield Athello (ISH), rising 57 places to 18th.
Ireland’s Jonty Evans had been in third place after Dressage with Cooley Rorkes Drift (ISH), however 20 jumping penalties for a run-out along with a 21.2 time, saw him drop to 25th, one place ahead of Austin O’Connor and Kilpatrick Knight (ISH) (TIH).
Twenty-year-old Cathal Daniels from Galway stormed round the Cross Country course with Rioghan Rua (ISH), jumping clear in one of the fastest times of the day and lies in 33rd.
German riders now fill the top two places on the leaderboard. Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale Bob hold the lead on 39.6, with Olympic champion Michael Jung less than one penalty point behind in second aboard La Biosthetique Sam.
New Zealander Andrew Nicholson is also less than one fence behind the leader with Nero.The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials will come to a conclusion following Saturday’s final Show Jumping competition.
