Fruselli back to his best to top Queen’s thriller

Holly Smith made the journey down from Leicestershire to Hickstead with one aim – to win this year’s JCL Insurance Brokers Queen Elizabeth II Cup. 

It was the first time the 37-year-old rider has won this prestigious national final, and it marked a fairytale comeback for her winning ride Fruselli. Su and Gordon Hall’s 16-year-old stallion has had a two-year lay-off, but since returning to the ring earlier this summer he has now taken four wins on the bounce.

“Whether he would come back or not, we just didn't know,” said Holly, who was part of the British team at the Tokyo Olympics. “We dipped our toes with him a few weeks ago at Bolesworth and he was exceptional there, then we brought him here and he's gone and done it again. It's like a dream, and what a privilege it is to ride a horse with such experience.”

Holly and Fruselli were one of eight combinations to jump clear in the first round, with Holly the sixth to go against the clock. She was able to use Fruselli’s long stride and wealth of experience to shave more than 1.5sec off leaders Ella Dalton and Ultimo NZ’s time, to take the lead in 35.60sec.

“Luckily, we've got a big screen down in the warm-up arena, so I kept an eye on what people were doing and I had an idea of how fast they were," said Holly. Fruselli's a naturally quick horse, but you've got to get that balance of not going absolutely mad, but not leaving the door open for anybody else either.”

Eventer Gemma Stevens was the only rider to cross the finish line in a quicker time, but a fence down on Envoy Merelsnest Z dropped them to seventh.

Runner-up Ella Dalton was awarded the Cindy Mead Memorial Trophy as the highest placed rider under-25, while former Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Harriet Biddick took third with Diamond Blue.

This morning’s 1.50m Royal International Trophy featured a stacked, 17-rider jump off. Twenty-three-year-old Belgian rider Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui made his Agria Royal International debut a winning one when he remained 0.58sec ahead of Rob Whitaker and Strike a Pose.

Mathieu was riding Tony Olivier’s British-bred nine-year-old My Kingdom, who was jumping his first five-star.

“There were a lot in the jump off, so I knew I had to take some risk,” said Mathieu. “For me it was perfect to have a jump-off where you need a lot of canter, my horse was very good.

“I’ve always wanted to come here, Hickstead is an amazing show. Every year I watch on the livestream at home and I’ve been dreaming of riding here one day,” he added. “We’ve definitely had a good first visit!”

Ben Maher was matchless against the clock in the Unex Group Speed Classic, riding Jane Forbes Clark’s versatile and talented 15-year-old mare Ginger-Blue.

Faults count as time in this table C class but Ben was both fast and clear, undercutting another swift and clean round from Matt Sampson and Latte Macchiato by 0.23sec.

“We’ve had her since a seven-year-old and she’s won so many classes for us, I know her very well. We’re very strategic now with where we place her and what we do with her as she’s a little bit older but she’s in probably the best form she’s ever been in this year,” Ben said.

Ben helped the British team to triumph in yesterday’s Agria Nations Cup riding Catelly and is preparing to contest tomorrow’s Al Shira’aa King George V Gold Cup with Enjeu De Grisien.

For full results click here.