‘Sensitive' Hartacker beats big field

Izzy Taylor’s promising ride sets the record straight, as the jumping phases prove influential across all classes at “Thoresberton”

- SUE POLLEY

IZZY TAYLOR and Hartacker protected their dressage score of 25.7 to win the 113-strong CCI3*-L at the penultimate British international of the season.

Camilla Behrens’ eight-year-old Hartacker, still only in his second year of eventing, has been knocking on the door in all his runs this season, so the Italianbred son of Spartacus and Izzy were always going to be a force to be reckoned here.

A copybook performance across country saw the pair hold the advantage going into the showjumping, albeit with less than a fence between them and the chasing pack of the next 13.

In winning, Hartacker set the record straight after he was denied victory in the young horse class at Burnham Market by a run-out cross-country, having led the first two phases.

“He’s very sensitive and very much needs a security blanket around him, but he has a beautiful brain and wants to do everything right which is what makes him so lovely to work with,” said Izzy. “He’s so much stronger than he was 12 months ago and he finished well here in tough conditions, so I’m delighted.”

Piggy French piloted last year’s Osberton seven-year-old winner, Sportsfield Top Notch, into second place in his first CCI3*-L. The pair also kept a clean sheet and completed on their dressage score of 26.6. By Harlequin Du Carel, the Michael Hanrahan-bred gelding looked to have grown in confidence since last year’s win.