Stevens is Ice-Cool at Scone International Horse Trials

There was a glut of Olympic riders and gold medallists fighting out the podiums at Scone Palace International Horse Trials (27-30 August), but it was Gemma Stevens that stole the show in the 100-strong Malcolm Group CCI4*-S class. 

Gemma scored an all-the-way win on the ultra-classy Cooley Park Muze Rex with the fastest cross-country round of the day – adding third (Chilli’s Jester) and seventh (Chilli Morning IV) for good measure. 

“He’s so unbelievably light in his contact; so obedient, balanced and such a good jumper that I can just keep coming,” said Gemma. “He’s just easy to go fast on.

“He’s not a full thoroughbred but he’s learning to dig deep when he’s tired. He has to work at that, but what he doesn’t have to work at is his jump and ability. He’s the horse of my dreams.”

Gemma’s gold medal-winning team-mate from the Aachen world championships, Tom McEwen, was 1.9pen behind in second on Quintus, whose fast double clear lifted him from sixth after dressage. 

Tom did get his nose in front in the Brooks Macdonald CCI2*-L, with Brookfield In the Spotlight (George) scoring his sixth win this season. The pair finished on their dressage score of 29.3. 

“George has been incredible all year,” said Tom of the seven-year-old owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry. “He took the cross-country yesterday in his stride, and did a lovely showjumping round today. When they’re this relaxed it feels easy.”

The overnight leader Piggy March had a rail in hand in this class on Diamond March, but two fell, dropping her to third, elevating Wills Oakden (Cooley Cormint) to runner-up. 

Piggy didn’t go home empty-handed, winning the fifth CCI4*-L of her career. Showjumping in pole position, she finished on her dressage score with James Midgley and Gaie Scouller’s Cooley Anything You Like, having overtaken dressage leader Willa Newton (Hartacker) with one of only three cross-country clears inside the time.

“He gave me a fab feel,” said Piggy. “So I just tried to go and jump the jumps like I’ve done for forever, and forget everyone was watching.

“He really is a Burghley horse. I had 20 seconds to make up late on the cross-country so I squeezed him for the first time in my life and must have made up 25 seconds. He’s like an aeroplane.”

Willa’s double clear secured second spot, while Heidi Coy’s clean sheet on MGH Jessica moved her up from 13th to eventual third.

Izzy Taylor continued her remarkable comeback from a broken leg in March to head the CCI3*-L with Johnny Hornby’s Barrington Boy, who led from start to finish. She showjumped last under pressure when clear rounds from the runner-up (Emily King and Angell’s Choice) and third (Ros Canter and Broadstone Lion Man) gave her no margin for error.

“This horse is one for the big time,” said Izzy. “He was ginormous when he arrived and I didn’t want to love him, but once you’re on him you have no idea how big he is and nor does he. He’s a beautiful horse, and he’s cantered round the cross-country and jumped a fabulous round today.

Izzy paid tribute to the “village” that has helped her return from injury, from owners to physios to the home team: “It’s a privilege just to be here, especially where I’ve come from this year.”

Harry Horton piloted international debutante JTH Rover to victory in the Malcolm Group CCI1*-intro, finishing on their dressage score of 29.7. They couldn’t afford a single time-fault, with runner-up Willa Newton and Cortada just 0.2pen behind. Harry also slotted into sixth with Charlie’s Gem; both his rides being six-year-old mares.

“JTH Rover gave me as good a round as I could have hoped for,” he said. “It was a good place to race her against the clock as we’ve been waiting for ground we can gallop on all summer. She’s a lovely horse – onwards and upwards.”

The Project Pony CCI-S P2* was an Irish whitewash, with the entire podium going to riders from the Emerald Isle. The two-phase leader Lucy Hope Ryan and Pretty Patterns, a 10-year-old skewbald mare, took top spot, 1.1pen ahead of Jonty Purcell (FHS Felicity).

Event director and course-designer Alec Lochore was satisfied with a “very good event”.

“It’s an evolution to deliver a world-class event, not a revolution,” he said. “We’ve made the changes that needed to be made and the riders have been incredibly positive. Look at the winners - really top-class riders. Truly, truly world-class sport in rural Perthshire.”