26th Feb 2007

Clea Phillipps Leads the Way at International Horse Trials

(Blair Castle International Horse Trials)

Team Sue Carson member Clea Phillipps and her bay gelding Lead the Way will triumphantly make their way back to Leicestershire after winning the CCI*** class at the Blair Castle International Horse Trials in Perthshire this weekend.

Said Clea after the competition, “We have had a fantastic run this weekend, Lead the Way has performed outstandingly and I am delighted with the way in which he has tackled the sometimes challenging questions asked on these international three star tracks.”

After a good dressage test where the combination finished with 57.3 penalties Clea and Lead the Way jumped clear in the cross country phase to gain only 2.4 time penalties, another clear round in the show jumping arena secured the win for the pair who are based in Loughborough. Clea and Lead the Way won the class with a score of 59.7 penalties, in second place was Matthew Wright riding Well Spotted with a score of 60.0 penalties.

7 year old Lead the Way was bought by Clea’s husband Vere in Ireland as a 4 year old and has had a superb season this year with double clears on every outing but one, most recently the pair took fifth place in the advanced class at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park at the beginning of August. Clea and Lead the Way were also fifth in the advanced class at Aston-le-Walls at the end of July after taking second place in the advanced class at Eglinton Horse Trials in Ayrshire, Scotland at the beginning of July. Both well known competitors on the eventing and show jumping circuits, Clea and Vere have taken a major role in the design and trial of several of the jumping and dressage saddles in the Sue Carson Saddles range. Each saddle is fitted to the exact specifications of not only the horse but rider too and is designed in order to maximise comfort. Each saddle is fitted with air flocking and features a revolutionary girthing system to ensure comfort and security. “I ride a huge number of horses and I have never come across a horse that hasn’t responded well to working in one of the saddles from the Sue Carson collection. Both my advanced and novice horses alike all benefit, and after spending so many hours in the saddle, I appreciate the comfort too”, added Clea.

This is another success which can be added to those already enjoyed by Team Sue Carson this season. Tanya Buckingham, Team Sue Carson’s youngest member has just returned from the Young Rider European Championships held in Czechoslovakia with her advanced horse What’s Happening Now, whilst dressage riders Peter Storr, Helen Lowe and Steph Croxford won several of their classes at Fry’s International CDI dressage event in East Yorkshire in August.