New world No. 1 Tim Price and Ascona M have retained their lead in the George Mernagh Memorial CCI4*-S at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials in Ireland with just the cross country to go.

The Kiwi combo added 1.2 time penalties from the show jumping to now sit on 27.1 penalty points with Kazuma Tomoto (JAP) and Vinci de la Vigne JRA still in second on 29.8 and Alexander Bragg (GBR) aboard Zagreb right behind on 29.9 – both were clear and inside time in the showjumping overnight.

In The Irish Field CCI4*-L, Dan Jocelyn and Black Thorn Cruise have retained their fourth place after adding just 3.6 time faults to their dressage score to sit on 32.9 penalty points. The cross country give the leaderboard a pretty good shake up with overnight leader Pippa Funnell (GBR) and MGH Grafton Street slipping to 15th and William Coleman (USA) aboard Off the Record moving from sixth to the lead after adding nothing to his dressage score.

The top three combinations, who all came from lower in the field, were all clear and inside time. There were just four in the 28-strong field to remain on their dressage scores. Seven combinations retired on course, with a further two eliminated.

James Avery and Aloha are still in second spot in the Eventing Ireland CCI3*-L after the cross country. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Georgisaurous remain in the lead on 20.5 penalty points, with James on 23.9.

Tim Price and Senza Fine have moved up a spot to fifth place on 26.4 with wife Jonelle and Grappa Nera also moving up to 12th spot on 29.2. Dan Jocelyn and Duke of Champions is I 22nd on 34.3 with James Avery and One of a Kind in 24th on 34.7, Tim Price and Spartaco in 40th on 40.2, Jonelle Price and Lime Rickey in 46th on 43.9 and Hollie Swain aboard Solo in 57th.

Twenty-four of the 59-strong field were clear and inside time in the cross country including James on Aloha, Tim on Senza Fine, Jonelle on Grappa Nera, and James on One of a Kind.
The Cooley Farm CCIYH2*-L has finished, with Tim Price ninth on Emotion II with a score of 32.5 penalty points, and 19th on Happy Boy with 34.6. The class was won by Isabelle Taylor (GBR) and Hartacker who snaffled the win in the showjumping to win on 28.3.

The event will wind up this evening.

The horse details:
Blackthorn Cruise – owned by Panda Christie and Dan Jocelyn
Ascona M – owned by Suzanne Houchin, Lucy and Ben Sangster and Sir Peter Vela
Solo – owned by John Bodenham
Duke of Champions – owned by Philip Hunt, Jo Presto-Hunt, Therese Miller and Joyce Snook
Aloha – owned by Hazel Livesey
One of a Kind – owned by Hazel Livesey
Senza Fine – owned by Therese Miller and Jo Preston-Hunt
Spartaco – owned by Tim Price
Grappa Nera – owned by The Grape Syndicate
Lime Rickey – owned by Constance Edmundson
Happy Boy – owned by Susan Lamb and Therese Miller
Emotion II – owned by Eventing First PLC

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By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Lorraine O’Sullivan