Cian O'Connor wins top class and avenges World Cup defeat at Olympia

Cian O'Connor, who funded his first trip to Olympia 11 years ago with winning tickets at the on-site bookmaker, returned to take its most prestigious class, the Alltech Grand Prix, on Monday night.

In a reversal of Sunday’s result, the Irishman rode Rancorrado to beat World Cup winner Eric Van de Vleuten (on Tomboy) from the second last jump-off draw.

“People think Rancorrado must be slow because he is so big, but he’s very nimble and learning to shorten his stride all the time,” O’Connor said.

“I went quickly to start with, but slowed down a little midway. I cannot ride the horse that goes after me in a jump-off, so I was careful back to the double – I only needed to beat some moderate rounds.”

O’Connor was not dismayed by his second place the previous day. “I don’t jump a World Cup every day of the week, as it’s hard for Irish riders to get invitations to these shows. I am grateful to Simon Brooks-Ward [Olympia director] for giving me the chance to come.”

The Grand Prix was by far the biggest track of the week and only six got through to the jump-off.

The British contingent was almost over-faced in the first round. Ellen Whitaker’s winning run came to an ignominious end with 12 faults on Equimax Ocolado. Ben Maher and Robin Hood jumped with laser sharp precision until the last when clipping the front rail of the final parallel bars.

Peter Charles, joint winner of the earlier Six-Bar, retired Murkas Rubert R after diving at a spread – they were lucky not to fall. Nick Skelton also called it a day with Nemo.

The crowd was willing last to go Michael Whitaker, on GIG Amai, over every fence but although he delivered a long-awaited clear for the home side, his luck ran out in the jump-off, for overall sixth place.

This was the only class of the week without a marathon jump-off.

Course designer Frank Rothenberger can usually predict the number of clears and was surprised when nearly all classes went well into double figures.

He thought that the energy-return from the Polytrack synthetic surface – the same product as laid at four of Britain’s five all-weather racecourses – was a factor.

“I did not expect more than eight clears in the World Cup,” he said. “The surface here jumps very well. They don’t slip and there is a lot of grip.”

Oliver Townend looks for equestrian HSBC Classics victory with Carousel Quest in Pau

Oliver Townend will tick the penultimate box in his mission to become the sport’s richest ever winner in a 12-month period if he claims this weekend’s prize of £75,000 at Pau in the south of France.

Townend, 26, will bring out Burghley winner Carousel Quest in his determined attempt to win the final event of the HSBC Classics series, which begins on Friday.

But although Townend has a 12-point lead, 2008 winner William Fox-Pitt could still overhaul him. Fox-Pitt relies on Macchiato, who retired at Burghley after an early run-out, but Townend is leaving nothing to chance and is riding his “form” horse.

Last November, Townend won £100,000 at the Cardiff Express Eventing indoor spectacular, and this year he bagged over £100,000 with victories at Badminton and Burghley which in turn line him up for the HSBC Classics and the £213,000 Rolex Grand Slam, which concludes in Kentucky next spring.

Townend assessed Pierre Michelet’s Pau cross-country course as “tough enough for a four-star, but probably not as strong as last year”.

Ellen Whitaker and Kanselier retain speed horse title at Horse of the Year Show

Ellen Whitaker and Kanselier retained their speed horse title at the Horse of the Year Show, knocking nearly half a second off the time of Ireland's Cian O'Connor with Baloufina. Paul Barker and Temple Ryefield were best of the four faulters for third.

Kelvin Bywater's course had plenty of options, though the most daring turn inside a fence was attempted only by Nick Skelton on Transmission, who then refused at a later fence.

The win marked a significant upturn in form, which had seemed unlikely earlier in the week when Kanselier was going badly. However an abcess was found in his foot and, once treated, the 17 year-old was back to his best.

"He was a complete star and feels so different since the first day, " said Whitaker, 23, who has won this title four times. "As long as he can jump like this I have no plans to retire him."

Whitaker also won the puissance on Ladina B , the only combination to clear the big wall at the NEC, Birmingham at 7ft 1in. She was relieved to end the season on a high note after a low key couple of years.

Top string Locarno has been sporadically off work through injury and has not figured internationally since carrying Whitaker to a team bronze at the European championships in 2007, contributing to her drop to 117th place on the world rankings.

"Locarno is back in work and we will go to some small shows and then hope to start climbing back up the league," she said.

Robert Smith and Raging Bull Vangelis, dropped from the British team on the eve of the 2009 European championships, missed Birmingham in favour of the more lucrative Oslo show and finished ninth in the opening round of the 2009-2010 Rolex World Cup series. The qualifier was headed by two Swiss, Daniel Etter on Peu a Peu and Pius Schwizer on Ulysee.

Two weeks ago Britain won the eventing European championships by an overwhelming 90-penalty margin but it's 25 representatives were less able to dominate the next significant continental meet on Boekelo, Holland.

Just eight finished in the top 20, with Ruth Edge third on PC Wilson and Oliver Townend fifth on ODT Master Rose. Germany's Julia Mestern won on FRH Schorsch, the only pairing to complete on their dressage score.

Zara Phillips and Secret Legacy, 28th after dressage, were elimated for three refusals in the cross-country.

Ellen Whitaker completed an astonishing 24 hours at the Horse of the Year Show when landing the Leading Show Jumper of the Year title on Equinmax Ocolado.

Only five made the jump- off and Whitaker's sole clear kept her ahead of Ben Maher (Wonder Boy) and Nick Skelton (carlo 273).

Ellen's late run - she won three principal classes as the show came or it's peak - earned her the Penwood Forge Mill Trophy for leading British rider during the week.

She said: "Going for that careful clear was really scary as it's against my instinct to go fast. But I trust Ocolado who has tried his heart out for me all season."

Guy Williams cashes in on late draw at Horse of the Year Show

Guy Williams took full advantage of the late draw to claim the principal class on Torinto VD Middlestede at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham.

He shaved nearly eight seconds off the leading time of William Funnell and Kepi d'Elle to win the TAGG Trophy.

It was only halfway through the-one round contest that the first clear was registered by Belgium's Dirk Demeersman on Bufero VH Panishof. An airy-looking crosspole at fence 11 had thwarted most of the field.

"I had a great draw," said Williams, whose horse exceeded expectations. "I'll now jump him just once more and save him for the Grand Prix."

British-based Irish riders dominated the opening international classes on Thursday.

Shane Breen was the winner of the Grandstand Welcome Stakes on his speed specialist, Dorada, and Billy Twomey and Caesar lifted the Sky Sports Trophy.

Hollie Avil leads home British one-two

Hollie Avil, one of the ‘Telegraph 10 to Watch for 2012’, won the second global title of her career when she led home a British one-two at the World U23 Championships on Australia’s Gold Coast.

The 19-year-old Loughborough University student, who won the world junior crown two years ago, finished one second ahead of team-mate Jodie Simpson, with another Briton, Vicky Holland, taking fourth place.

Avil, who hit the front in the final lap to cross the finish line in 1min 56.38sec, said: “With three of us in the top four it just proves how much talent there is coming through and how well our world class programme is working, you can't really ask for much more.

“With one junior world title, and now an U23 world title, I guess the senior one comes next, but that might take a few years.”

Zara Phillips breaks rules on dogs

Zara Phillips was spotted breaking the rules by letting her dogs off their leads at the Burghley Horse Trials.

The 28-year-old horsewoman doesn't appear to have learnt from her mum Princess Anne, whose dogs have earned a reputation for less than regal behaviour.

The Queen's granddaughter ignored strict regulations saying dogs must be kept on their leads and let her pets Spey and Corley play on the cross-country course.

"She totally ignored the rules and let both her dogs off their leads," said one spectator at the four-day event at Burghley House, Lincs.

"The dogs were running around all over the cross-country course. You'd have thought she would be more careful after the trouble her mum's dogs have got into."

Princess Anne's bull terriers have developed a bad reputation for their behaviour.

In 1993, her dog Eglantyne went for a spectator at Gatcombe.

In 2002 Princess Anne was fined £500 by magistrates under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her terrier Dotty attacked two boys, aged seven and 12, in Windsor Great Park.

The following year Dotty's mum Florence bit maid Ruby Brooker and later mauled the Queen's corgi Pharos, which was put down after her leg was broken. Florence and Dotty were sent for retraining.

Zara is competing in the Burghley Horse Trials, which are expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors over the next four days.

Last year she bowed out of the competition after her horse Ardfield Magic Star fell on the first mushroom fence.

Britain miss out on show jumping medal

A silver medal slipped from Britain's grasp in the final throes of the Alltech European show jumping championships when Ben Maher and Robin Hood W were unable to deliver the critical clear round.

The squad of Maher, Peter Charles, Geoff Billington and Tim Stockdale initially improved on Wednesday's speed leg, rising five places to second with two of the only four clears in the opening round of the Nations Cup.

However, the second round took place over a challenging track, described by defending individual champion Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum as the toughest ever seen in a championship.

Stockdale and Fresh Direct Corlato, the earlier discard score, started well with four faults but Billington (Rosinus, 13 faults), Charles (Murka's Pom d'Ami, nine) and Maher (Robin Hood W, four) were among many penalised at the penultimate, treble combination and the team dropped to sixth. Cautious riding saw Britain accrue more time-faults (four) than any other nation and these effectively cost them the bronze.

Switzerland won gold on 27.66 faults and the fairly new German side took bronze on 31.75.

The form upset came from Italy, who were crowned the team silver medallists just days after their demotion from the global superleague was confirmed.

The appointment of Swiss rider Marcus Fuchs as trainer is credited for the Italians' sudden improvement, though Natale Chiaundani was keen to put this in perspective: "We needed Marcus to be tough with us but Windsor and Dublin are the only events when these exact same four riders have ridden together."

Maher has kept British hopes of an individual medal alive after jumping Friday's sole double clear.

Britain wins silver medal in European Dressage Championships

Britain won team silver, and became only the second nation to defeat Germany in dressage, during a day of toppled records at the Alltech European Dressage Championships at Windsor.

Britain have only won team medals twice before, in 1993 and 2003, though Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer, Emma Hindle and Maria Eilberg were quietly confident of bronze on home soil.

Prospects of silver came alive on Wednesday morning after Bechtolsheimer's 76.6 per cent – a British record in Grand Prix – with Mistral Hojris.

This meant Hindle and Lancet, the final combination, had to score 71 per cent to secure it after Germany, admittedly missing the presence of the mighty Isabell Werth, who is both pregnant and suspended, finished on a total of 219. Lancet delivered with a comfortable 1.9 per cent in hand.

"I was aware that everyone was crunching the numbers but I tried to ignore it and just do what we've done all season. You cannot make yourself better than your best!" Hindle said.

All but Eilberg qualify for Thursday's individual qualifier, the Grand Prix Special, when the Dutch, who won team gold by nearly 17 points, should again dominate.

Last month Holland's Edward Gal and the equine sensation Moorlands Totilas broke the world freestyle record. At Windsor on Wednesday they added the best ever Grand Prix score of 84.08 per cent awarded in a championship.

Sixteen of his test's 33 movements received a perfect score of 10 from one or more of the five judges: even the Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven would have done well to achieve three such marks.

Britain in bronze medal position in European Dressage Championships

Britain finished the first day of the Alltech European Dressage Championships at Windsor in the bronze medal position after the first two of their four riders, Carl Hester and Maria Eilberg finished in the top 10.

Hester and Libeling II are in third place after scoring 71.277 per cent, while Eilberg and Two Sox are in ninth place with 69.362 per cent. The other two members of the team, Laura Bechtolsheimer on Mistral Hojris and Emma Hindle on Lancet compete today.

Dressage is historically the Cinderella discipline in equestrianism but the squad have been confident of medal delivery on home soil. They are only two per cent behind title defenders Germany, though Holland have taken their anticipated clear lead.

Despite numerous team appearances and national titles, Hester, 43, has never won a medal. He has been riding Liebling for just 10 months. "It suddenly fell to pieces last week and I panicked," Hester said. "Richard Davison [team trainer] simply said 'give the horse a few days off', which is not what you'd normally do on the eve of a championship. Clearly, it's worked."

The concurrent show jumping championships commence on Wednesday. The quartet who staved off Nations Cup relegation earlier this month at Dublin – Ben Maher, Tim Stockdale, Geoff Billington and Peter Charles – were confirmed as Britain's team following Tuesday's horse inspection.

Britain's equestrian team face last chance to avoid relegation from Nations Cup

The Nations Cup at Dublin on Friday represents the last chance for Great Britain to avoid relegation from the global super league.

A year after finishing second overall, Britain have had a dismal season, languishing in the bottom half of four of the seven-team contests so far, and a win in Ireland will not be enough if Belgium finish third.

At this stage, selectors should have been able to save the best combinations for the European Championships at Windsor on Aug 25.

Instead, the top three home in the King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead last week — Peter Charles (with either Murkas Pall Mall or Pom’d’Ami), Tim Stockdale (First Direct Corlato) and Ben Maher (Robin Hood W) — and Geoff Billington (Rosinus) make the Dublin trip.

The 10-nation super league was introduced in 2003, prior to which the official team series was relatively unstructured.

If Britain are demoted to the ‘promotional league’, it could be even harder to ask owners to provide top horses for ‘national service’ when €90,000 grands prix beckon at such glamorous, individual-rider orientated shows in Cannes and Monte Carlo.

According to John Roche, jumping director at the International Equestrian Federation, Hickstead remains safe as a super league venue but a demoted Britain could not field a team at their ‘own’ event. He added: “It is possible, however, that some individual riders may be invited.”

Will Connell, GB performance manager, said that horsepower had been a significant issue earlier in the season, both through sales abroad of such superstars as Maher’s Olympic ride, Rolette, and injury or illness setbacks to John Whitaker’s Peppermill, Tim Gredley’s Omelli – who aggravated a recent injury during the Hickstead Nations Cup – and Corlato.

“It’s wholly wrong for anyone to point the finger at the six or seven riders who are seen to be ‘the team’,” he said. “The problems are part of a bigger picture which involves staff, riders, grooms and the federation. We are short of venues able to provide the young with top-class experience at home.

“But it also goes right down to the show jumping community. It saddens me that ticket sales for the Windsor show jumping [the European championships] are lagging way behind dressage.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handed six-month endurance race ban

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and the world's most influential racehorse owner, has been banned from riding in endurance races for six months.

The punishment by the International Equestrian Federation comes after one of his horses tested positive for banned substances in two competitions.

Sheikh Mohammed accepted that his horse, Tahhan, tested positive for guanabenz and steroid stanozolol, the FEI said on Monday. His wife, FEI president Princess Haya of Jordan, is leading a clean-sport campaign, and Sheikh Mohammed stood down from competing in April when the test results became known.

His ban runs to Oct 3, which means he will miss the European season, and he must pay 4,500 Swiss francs (£2,500) in fines and costs.

In FEI competition, the rider is considered the 'person responsible' but the FEI recently widened its powers, enabling the 12-month ban of Tahhan's trainer, Abdullah bin Huzaim, who admitted medicating Tahhan without Sheikh Mohammed's knowledge.

Princess Haya stood aside from this process. But in briefings in London last month, she stressed that although trainers have the bigger influence in day-to-day care of endurance horses, "it is up to the rider to know how his horse is being managed".

Sheikh Mohammed's lawyers informed the FEI on April 3 that Tahhan had failed dope tests taken at home. However, it later emerged that the FEI had positively tested Tahhan in January and that case details were available on its website.

In a statement, Sheikh Mohammed said he had an stake in 700 endurance horses and could not be expected to be aware of each one's medication protocol.

Jo Pay makes history with Hickstead Derby Trial back-to-back success

Jo Pay became only the second rider since 1972 to win the Hickstead Derby Trial back-to-back after Goodman's Randi's Gold delivered a double clear from the final draw.

Only two made the jump-off and in-form Shane Breen handed it on a plate to Pay after accruing 12 faults when taking on the clock with Dorada, winner of Thursday's principal class.

Pay, 40, feeling sore herself after a fall on Thursday, revealed that Randi's Gold has been quietly nursed leading up to this show following a virus, and that he will not line-up for Sunday's Derby.

"For the height he is, the Trial is within his comfort zone," she said. "I only have two international horses so don't want a problem in the Derby at this stage of the season – we need to keep petrol in the tank. But I am over the moon. He just loves that ring and always responds to the Hickstead crowd."

For most of the afternoon it looked as if a marathon jump-off involving the 10 four-faulters would eventuate. The Trial, like the Derby, takes place over many familiar fences, but prior knowledge is rarely enough to overcome the subtle tests of balance and pace over the gradients that make the Hickstead arena unique.

No one went clear until Breen, who was 40th to go. Of those who nearly made it, Ireland's Alex Duffy was 20 seconds inside the time when Courtown kicked out the last, while Geoff Luckett and Brickfield Boy paid the price of attacking the penultimate planks with a refusal.

Zara Phillips eyes chance of redemption for Toytown at Luhmuhlen

Toytown, who crashed out of the Badminton Horse Trials, has been entered for Luhmuhlen – Germany's equivalent three-day event – from June 11-14.

The 16-year-old world champion ran out at the sunken road and ripped off a shoe at Badminton, leaving Luhmuhlen as Zara Phillips's best chance to re-qualify for the European Championships at Fontainebleau in September.

Toytown has previously gone well at this venue and was fifth and second in 2004 and 2005. But it will be a tough test as more than a third of the Luhmuhlen field comprises other British team contenders, including Badminton winner Oli Townend, Olympic bronze medallist Tina Cook, Mary King and Ruth Edge, plus Australia's triple Olympic gold medallist Andrew Hoy.

Phillips has Secret Legacy in the supporting three-star competition. This New Zealand-bred 12-year-old showed prodigious talent as a youngster but has been periodically grounded though injury.

With a long lay-off in store for Zara's second-string, Ardfield Magic Star, following his tendon injury at Badminton, Secret Legacy has big shoes to fill.