TAYLOR IS IN CHARGE AT BELSAY

British rider Izzy Taylor has the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S at Belsay International Horse Trials under control: her three rides in the class occupy first, third and fourth places after the first day of dressage.

In the lead at the Northumbrian event with a score of 26.2 is the former racehorse Bayaanaat, a nine-year-old by the Derby winner New Approach owned by Izzy, Lavinia Taylor and Caroline Goodwin. Dassett Showman is third with 28.2 penalties, and Barrington Boy is fourth on 28.6.

“All three horses tried incredibly hard in tricky windy conditions,” said Izzy. “Bayaanaat is a massive trier who did me proud today. He’s really learning that he’s a good horse and is getting confident in himself. Dassett Showman is a relatively new ride and I was delighted with how his brain stayed with me throughout. Barrington Boy is a young horse and there were some great highlights of his test day, but he struggled the most of the three in the conditions.”

Scotland’s Wills Oakden slotted into second with 28.1 on Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s Mile Beach.

Indian rider Shashank Kanamuri delivered a cool performance in windy weather that meant the letters surrounding the dressage arena were blowing down as he rode his test. The 20-year-old, a second-year economics student at Loughborough University, scored 29 on Wellfields Casino Royale to lead the NIS Group Ltd/Encon CCI2*-S.

“This is only my third-ever ride on him – he’s very new to me – and I’m still getting used to him,” said Shashank. “He’s really scopey, and I think there is a lot of potential for us as a partnership.

“I was going across the diagonal in long-rein walk and some of the letters flipped down and we had to pick our way through them, but he was really focused. He’s got a super-positive mentality and he just gets on with whatever he is asked to do.”

Shashank has only 0.3 of a penalty in hand over Japan’s Yuya Segawa, second on Vegas De L’Elfe JRA with 30.2.

North Yorkshire-based Lucinda Atkinson is in pole position in the Barbour CCI2*-L on PRF Made In England with a mark of 27.4, ahead of Eliza Bell (Macgyver, 29.6).

In the British Junior Championships, sponsored by Lycetts, Lucy Standish is in first place on Global H with a dressage mark of 25.9. Second is Ella Howard (Marchwood, 27.8), with Oscar Fitzgerald third with 28 on Super Cillious.

Annabel Ridgway tops the Project Pony British Pony Championships after scoring 24.6 on Akim De L’Arquerie, ahead of Maisie Greening (28.1, Kilnaspic Lily) and Chloe Chan (28.3, Blennerville Rua).

While dressage for the CCI3*-S continues tomorrow (Friday, 30 May), cross-country for the junior and pony championships, the CCI2*-S and the CCI2*-L starts at Belsay at 9am. There is also a National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) show, and other activities and entertainment include a fun dog show. British Eventing national classes also start on Friday.

To purchase tickets for Belsay and to find out more information, please visit www.belsayhorsetrials.com.

All the cross-country at Belsay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be shown on Horse & Country TV’s livestreaming platform H&C+.

IMAGES: IZZY TAYLOR ON BAYAANAAT AND SHASHANK KANAMURI ON WELLFIELDS CASINO ROYALE © ATHALENS