Gloucestershire based Olympic rider Daisy Berkeley won her first British Eventing British Open Championship at The Festival of British Eventing presented by the British Equestrian Trade Association with the evergreen Spring Along. Spring Along lived up to his name jumping like the proverbial stag over the 25 fences round Captain Mark Phillips cross country course at Gatcombe.

After the dressage and show jumping the pair headed the class. As the cross-country is ran in reverse order the pair was last on the course. Spring Along who was belying his seventeen years sprang out of the start box looking like a horse on a mission. Wasting no time in the air over the jumps he and Daisy maintained their fast pace looking all the way like potential champions. They came home just two seconds over the optimum time adding just 0.8 time penalties to their dressage score to take the class with a comfortable 2.5 penalty margin. 'I wouldn't ride many that fast round a course like Gatcombe but after 12 years together I know him so well,' said Daisy who later announced that she is expecting a baby at the end of January and therefore the pair will no longer be competing at Burghley and have withdrawn as reserves from the British squad for the forthcoming World Equestrian Games. 'To win the British Championship with Pod means loads to me as he has made my career in eventing. He so deserves to have his name added to the roll of honour.' After this win Spring Along now holds the record for the horse with the highest number of points in British Eventing.

New Zealander Joe Meyer and Sanskrit were second with a fast clear inside the time. A result that surprised the British based Kiwi. ‘When I saw that Caroline Powell and Gemma Tattersall had made the time I thought this is getting serious,’ said Joe who headed off Gemma and the mare Kings Gem. Almost at the bottom of the class after dressage a double clear with just 0.4 of a time penalty meant that Gemma and Gem moved up 29 places to third place. ‘She is a mare that loves life,’ said Gemma who is the reigning Under 25 National Champion. ‘In the warm up I had no control but once in the show jumping she was amazing and gave every fence a foot. I never thought I would ever be brave enough to be get close to the time here but Gem and I were completely together today,’ said Gemma who beat Gems breeder Mary King who finished in fourth place with Apache Sauce, Mary who led the dressage with Imperial Cavalier dropped out of contention for the title with two show jumps down and gave the Cavalier Royale gelding a steady clear cross country round.
Caroline Powell who was third in the Smith & Williamson intermediate championship, took fifth place with the feisty grey Lenamore another who clocked in inside the time.
Oliver Townend who was leading after the dressage and show jumping with Ashdale Cruise Master withdrew the grey before cross country and subsequently added 20 penalties to his score with the well placed Imperial Master to finish in 16th place.