March polishes her Halo

British contenders for the Europeans and under-21 championship hopefuls alike show their form

- BECKY MURRAY

“I WANT to put him in a position to try for championships; he was put on the planet for those classes,” said Piggy March, about Jayne McGivern’s fabulous 12-yearold stallion Halo.

The pair, who are among the 18 British nominated entries for the European Eventing Championships, set a new Burgham CCI4*-S finishing score record, topping the Project Pony-sponsored section on their 19.8 dressage mark.

Of the 75 cross-country starters, Piggy and Halo were one of five pairs to jump clear inside the 6min 25sec time over David Evans’ track.

“Halo loved it. I didn’t land from each fence and think ‘go’, I just had a strong rhythm and kept it,” said Piggy, adding that an inside line at the Cussins Homes First Test at fence 4abc saved her two or three seconds on the clock.

“I did three strides and two, and 99% of the field did four and two. When I told some of my fellow riders, they looked at me like I had five heads. But I know him - he’s small but so rideable and scopey that I could sit there in third-and-a-half gear and be very smooth.”

Wills Oakden and Keep It Cooley were runners-up for a second year, completing on their personal best dressage score at this level, 25.3.

Wills said Geoff and Elspeth Adam's 10-year-old gelding felt like his “true self”, after regrouping from pulling up at Luhmühlen on Keep It Cooley’s five-star debut, when a “lack of exposure” came into play.

“We think the world of him and it was brilliant to put all of that behind us now,” said Wills.