Nagura times win to perfection

An up-and-coming Japanese combination scores a poignant win in the feature class, while a British rider scores an international one-two

- ELLIE HUGHES

A SWIFT turn of foot ensured Japan's Kento Nagura and Vinci De La Vigne secured top spot in the CCI3*-S.

The pair delivered a classy, quick double clear, just a few seconds over the optimum, to finish on a score of 31.5 – more than eight penalties clear of the runners-up, Ireland’s Godfrey Gibbons and Cohiba By Picobello Z.

Their victory was particularly poignant as Kento, 26, is based with Pippa Funnell, who had stepped up to help her brother, organiser Tim Nolan, run the event this time – the first fixture to take place at the showground without their late mother, Jenny Nolan, at the helm.