By Rebecca Rhodes

KITTY King led from the start in both international classes at The Whatley Manor International Horse Trials held at Gatcombe Park by permission of HRH The Princess Royal.

King completed a hat-trick to win the CIC** class for the third year running, this time with seven-year-old Ceylor Lan.

The Stanton St Quinton-based rider also took the spoils in the CIC* competition, riding Creevagh Cooley.

Both horses led after the dressage phase and despite not completing the cross country within the time allowed, were comprehensive winners.

Runner-up in the CIC** competition was Sara Squires from Chepstow.

Riding the stallion Sula Blue, they were one of just two combinations to complete the cross country phase within the time allowed.

Tetbury-based Becky Woolven and Charlton Down Riverdance were the other speedy combination across the country and despite rolling a pole in the show jumping, they completed in tenth place.

West Littleton’s Harry Meade, a member of the silver medal winning Team GB at the recent World Equestrian Games (WEG), took eighth place riding Vrolijk.

Fellow team members William Fox-Pitt and Tina Cook were also competing this weekend.

Fox-Pitt, who won individual bronze at WEG, rode six horses over the three days, winning the Open Novice with Reinstated and being placed on three of his other rides.

Cook was second in Intermediate section C with DHI Zancorgino. The missing team member was Zara Phillips, who was not competing at her home event this year.

Daisy Berkeley won a novice class with Ballinteskin Cooper S and was placed with Strike Smartly, Koyuna Sun Storm and Step Smartly in other classes.

Nick Gauntlett, from Chipping Sodbury, won an intermediate class riding Carden Earl Grey.

Runner-up in the CIC* was New Zealand’s Dan Jocelyn riding Beaucatcher.

Jocelyn from Ecchinswell near Newbury, also won a novice class with Valentijn V.

Cheltenham’s Ella Hitchman, who finished ninth at the Junior European Eventing Championships earlier this summer, took third place riding her own and her Mother’s Watercolour III.

Jonty Evans, from Shipton Oliffe, competed three horses and took fifth in a novice class with A Chance Affair.

Roberto Scalisi, who is based at Idbury near Chipping Norton, competed five horses and took three second places and a fifth in the novice and intermediate sections.

In addition to the eventing, spectators were also able to visit the display of 40 Middlebridge Scimitar cars gathered at Gatcombe to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Among those on display was perhaps the most famous, the one belonging to HRH The Princess Royal.