‘How could this fiasco have happened?’

Mark Phillips on an extraordinary situation and who impressed at Bramham

- Pippa Roome

A number of Brits travelled to France for Royal Jump, with courses designed by Eric Winter, two weeks before Bramham.

Little did they know what surprises lay ahead.

The CCI4*-L was a middle of the road track, but many were able to slow down early and finish 20 seconds under the time, so those that went for a minimum eligibility result for Aachen got a cheap qualification.

In the CCI4*-S, after rider complaints the course was remeasured and came up 247m shorter than published, so the time was altered, but not all the riders got the message. Storm Straker was expected to be the winner, only to be demoted to fifth when the time was put back to that originally listed.

In the end, the FEI reversed the decision, something I’ve never heard of before, and Storm was deservedly reinstated as the winner. The FEI determined that it was the riders’ responsibility to have attended the riders’ meeting and understood the revised timings and so favoured the results with the remeasured time from the two sets signed off by officials onsite. Well done to eventing director Molly Day and the FEI.

But how could this fiasco have happened with so many senior officials present?