Piggy March, who won Badminton 2019 and Burghley 2022 and has collected six senior championship medals, shares her thoughts on Harry Meade’s achievements and Defender Bramham’s new designer
Well done to Harry Meade for making it to world number one. Harry has grafted, like everyone does in eventing, for many years and had his fair share of knocks that could have finished his career, but he has plugged on through.
I love the fact Harry is passionate about the sport and has strong belief in his system, including the science behind horse care, and is now reaping the rewards with a big string of four- and five-star horses. He’s also built a loyal team of people.
You rarely see Harry win at a one-day event – he uses those as training days and canters round the cross-country quite slowly. He is very talented then to be able to make the time so easily and smoothly at three-days – not many riders can do that without practice.
Surely a five-star win is looming for Harry? A squad call-up must also be in the mix, but sadly now championships tend to require a dressage in the 20s to be competitive. Let’s hope one of Harry’s double-clear machines can step up the first-phase marks.
Competition for British selection will be tough again this year despite there being six spots – a team of four and two individuals – for the Agria European Championships at Blenheim. There were strong performances at Mars Badminton and we have Longines Luhmühlen this week too.
Bubby Upton’s classy Defender Bramham performance will open the selectors’ eyes. She’s a winner who has been knocking on the door and deserves the chance of a senior squad call-up.
Yasmin Ingham is another younger rider who knows how to win, has a nice team of quality horses and good backing. Blenheim is a year too soon for her Bramham CCI4*-S winner Gypsie Du Loir, but she could be her next championship horse.
Caroline Harris also impressed on both her horses.
Whether or not he secures a Blenheim spot, Harry is the ultimate five-star rider and if you do that well consistently at Badminton and Defender Burghley, you have every right to be world number one. His father, 1972 Olympic champion Richard Meade, would be incredibly proud.
The Bramham feel
Congratulations to Andy Heffernan for his first year as Bramham cross-country course-designer.
We were all sad to lose Ian Stark, as we knew Scotty would keep Bramham as the cross-country competition it has always been and should be. It’s one of the few places where you can prepare for Burghley and these courses are much needed for the education of horse and rider.
Andy definitely kept the Scotty feel of a big, brave track on forward, attacking distances, which made for positive riding. The horses could read the questions and therefore the time was very gettable for the bold combinations. We’re lucky to have Andy involved in this side of the sport.
I rode in the CCI4*-S and that track was tougher than before, which is good, especially as it’s now the under-25 national championship.
Previously, I’ve felt that the CCI4*-L was a four-and-a-half-star, but the short test was more about the atmosphere and suitable for a first-timer at the level. This year’s courses were more evenly matched, with the short just over a reduced distance.
I had two good rides on very different horses. Cooley Goodwood was amazing – he definitely found it a step up and needed my experience to keep him believing. And I was excited by MCS Maverick as it was our first proper competition together. To ride a quality blood horse around Bramham is sometimes why we do this sport.
He is sensitive and needs work to keep a lid on him for dressage, but he has been produced for a few years by Pippa Funnell. She’s the best rider in the world for keeping a horse on side and he has only had good experiences in the arena, so hopefully we can keep progressing.
I had a scary moment at the finish when he suddenly pulled up very sore, but thankfully he had just suddenly spread a shoe and twisted a nail so he was quickly OK.
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You might also be interested in:
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