Rising Lions: The Blenheim Challenge Update

0:00Okay, listeners, £50,000 on offer in the Blenum Challenge. It has well and truly kicked off at Blenum at the Stars and Stripes, the US team, with a token Australian in their ranks. Five points. Brawl at the dressage and the first horse inspection leading the rising lions by a significant margin. They only have two points, so it's five two to the Stars and Stripes. Which is done. The draw for Cross Country is done. Annie, I imagine you're feeling very happy right now. Yes, I'm delighted and feeling a little bit smug, so I'll just, we'll just bask in that for a moment. But as we know, Cross Country Day at Blenum is a whole other test, and I think the matchups for tomorrow are going to be so interesting. But yeah, feeling quite pleased with myself, to be honest, or pleased with them, because I didn't do anything, but I'm feeling quite pleased. It was really interesting, actually, and I was chatting to a number of people over the

1:00last few days who are really enjoying the kind of rider-cut concept of the head-to-head's in each phase, because actually it all depends on who you draw. So for example, Barney Brotherton was the Joker for the rising lions in the dressage phase, and he came up against Grace Taylor, and he had a significantly better 6-0-A in the first face. He's guaranteed two points, but from a tactical perspective, if he had been against one of the other horses from the stars and stripes who perhaps had a, like a lower 6-0-A, he could have taken out the opposition. So it's just, oh, it's so good. It's so good. And the Cross Country's matchups have just been announced. So shall we run through them, first of all? Or shall we react to the dressage slightly? Because I feel like, and we're going to hear from him a little bit later on in the show, actually. Let's just give a little bit of air time to the fact that Oliver Barrett is not only leading the stars and stripes, and he delivered double points as the Joker in the dressage

2:00for that team. But he's leading the whole of Blenop. I mean, it was a career personal best, 25.6 in the first phase. Sandhill's briar, he said, is feeling absolutely fantastic. And actually, I mean, that's his achievement, and it hasn't been the summer that he perhaps planned, but actually it could all play out very, very well here. Yeah, I mean, honestly, I saw a video of him with his support team after the test, and I think he was crying. And I think that we should just, because it means that much, it's not the summer they had planned. But if it means that he's leading at Blenop across an absolutely serious field in this four-long, and at 21 years old, he's only Nicole. It's only the sixth time in Australia and has led a four-long, unbridaged soil. Which is something you'll see on the Accurating Channel shortly. But yeah, it's unbelievable. And I think hats off to him because he went in there and rode a killer killer test.

3:00And he should just be delighted of where he's sitting as he goes into the cross-country tomorrow. He also, like, let's be honest, he's catapulted himself up. I think he came into the competition with a 9-some-win charm from the Edinburgh Eating Sprediction Centre. He's now equal 26% with Tom McEwan, who, you know, Brookfield Poldy also did a very good test sits in a podium place. So in terms of Blenop as an overall competition, I mean, huge credit to Oliver, and actually really looking forward to seeing how that plays out for an individual competition over the next couple of days. I just want to say one thing. Actually, the prediction centre was just rerun. It actually means, as well, that Oliver Barrett is the clear favourite to take the title here. He's got a 29-some-win chance, clear of Jesse Campbell, who's actually gone on to 18% with Speedwell, Brookfield quality of Tom McEwan back in in third, where he sits on the leadboard at 17%. So, Oliver Barrett, huge favourite from here on in to be arrested for the competition, and he's massively climbed after that brilliant dress-arge test.

4:02So shall we get into the head-to-head, Annie? Because I feel like this is where it gets really interesting. So, the big news from the draw, first of all, was that the rising lions have pulled in their Joker. Their second Joker card has been played. They only get two for the whole competition. This is their second one. Easy cook. Simon F.C. is double-goins for the rising lions. This stars and stripes, Annie, are not playing a Joker. Philip Dutton has saved it for the show jumping. First of all, your thoughts on that? I guess, yeah. I don't know that that's how I would have played it, but he must... They are good jumpers on the final day, and so he must feel like they're already ahead at this moment, and so just see how to moral plays and then decide where to put the Joker. I don't know how D would feel about that tactic, but I think it's an interesting one to me. I think D was happy because he said that...

5:03He replied, so he messaged me when I found out that there was no Joker being played. I did some of my message because he had been sledge-ing me listeners. He's been sending me messages, basically, about how good the stars and stripes are all day. He was pretty happy with it. I think he was thinking Oliver Barrett, Sandhill Sprire, never had a red in the show jumping. The only thing I would say is playing a Joker in the show jumping. One, there is more chance that, obviously, you're going to play your Joker. They're going to be drawn against somebody who may not be in the competition still. If that's the case, the Joker can't be used against them, so it gets redrawn. There's just that to keep in mind. It also means that you potentially could have two clear rounds inside the time in which case your Joker gets shared. Are you more likely to have two clear rounds inside the time allowed in the show jumping in comparison to the cross-columnary? I think it would be possible, but hey, who knows? I'm not going to argue with Big Phil. Again, don't doubt the master. We'll see what happens.

6:04He is taking this so seriously. Honestly, Annie, he is in the zone. It's great. It's so good. I love it. So good. Okay, head to heads. Where should we go first? First at Barney, brother, to Oliver Barrett. You've got the top two dress-out horses in the London Challenge going up against each other. Let's be totally honest, right? Oliver Barrett has a stronger form. Barney has a little bit of work to do. He was the Joker in the dress-out. He's got two points on the board. But DHI King Nelson has got a couple of lips on his cross-country record. The Barney will need to iron out. And I don't think Oliver's going to give him any kind of sleep out there. Yeah, I don't think you will. You know, it's interesting. So, you know, San Hill's Breyer has an 80% XCJ, like really great there. And I would guess that the fallet arc in, you know, would sort of brought that down. It would have been higher before. But on speed, he's at 78%.

7:04Now, DHI King Nelson, when he jumps clear, so he's only at a 50% cross-country clarinated, like jumping right at this moment, but he is faster on paper. So, I think it will be really interesting to see. You know, it's his, so the XCJ 10 is lower, but he is a bit speedier. So, I think that will be really interesting to see if Barney can sort of reclaim some of that good form that they had, you know, before. But I think it's, I mean, what a matchup. I think that's great matchup. So, just one, there's no joke has been played. They were the two jokers for the dressage, but they're just going head to head. Izzy Cook versus Tommy Greenguard is the second. Izzy is the joke of the Rising Lions team. She's the second card that they've played. They will have no more after this. And for me, Simon Xe was the fastest of the day in Kentucky. He is a properly quick little horse. She's very competitive. He was brilliant at Bucalola last year, just had a couple of,

8:07I think there were flag penalties in the end. They obviously had a fall at Bramann this summer. However, I think Izzy Bell Kirk, Simon and FC, actually, this is where big points come in for the Rising Lions. Yeah, I think, I mean, I think that's exactly right. Just looking at their, you know, rates. It's actually interesting. Well, let me find, you know, they actually have their XCG 10 is actually identical. It's at 70%. But Izzy will win on speed on that one. She's on 89% versus Tommy's 80%. The other thing I would say about that's Misee is this will be his first four long. And so they're, He's only knowing. And then exactly. He's only a nine year old. Yeah. So there's an open question there for sure. I think they were smart to put their Joker on Izzy. I mean, she's been in great form. They looked, I mean, I got to see them in Kentucky. And it was an unbelievable cross country round. So I think that's a smart play for the Joker. Josh Levit was absolutely thrilled to discover that he's the fastest in the field

9:07on the Accurating Speed Matrix. He births ZC a horse that's actually jumped clear here previously with Father Bill on board. Josh announced earlier that he does everything quickly. So he will not be hanging around cross country. And I think this is an interesting one because Josh obviously went to Bramham, had a couple of problems cross country with the horse. He said he's learned a lot from him there. And he sounded like he was going to go out and really go for the time. Grace Taylor's horse by contrast would be a little bit slower on the Speed Matrix and wouldn't be the quickest in the field. But has jumped a lot of clear rounds at the four star short level. Yeah, has one of the best jumping records in this group of riders. Yeah, it is actually interesting that you pull the fastest against potentially the slowest. But as you say, Grace has been clear, I don't think there's a blemish on their jumping record actually. So I think Josh will hope that he's put, the issues behind him and actually will just go very quickly

10:08but also jump very clear. Yeah, exactly. Jess Rimmer, Olivia Dosson. I actually think this is a class matchup. So Juleen and Olivia Dosson are the individual medalists from the 125 World Championships. They came up against Jess in the Spice Merch and there. Things didn't go the way Jess Rimmer would have hoped across country in Mill Street. She had a couple of problems. So she needs to first we'll get a clear round in the bag. If they both jump clear, I would say that Olivia is slightly quicker. However, Jess is really embracing the Rising Lions challenge this week and she will certainly know what she's got to go out to Starbucks and do. I mean, my money just also, like, just going to say Olivia and Juleen, I thought they were, I mean, obviously they had a fantastic result in Mill Street but these two are so much fun to watch together and I think that they have really jelled and so I think it is a great matchup. I mean, every one of these, there's such good angles into each of these matchups

11:09and I actually, the more we get into this style of play and this sort of tournament, this challenge, I think it's just absolutely so good for the sport and gives people a new way to, new lens to look at each of these combinations. Can I ask you, Annie, school prediction for tomorrow evening, what do you think is five to the stars and stripes at the moment? What's the score at the end of Sunday night? I think it's going to be seven to, I think that was the end of being like five or six. I think it's going to be close but I think the stars and stripes are going to, at least take two, take them two of the matches tomorrow. I think the stars and stripes will take two but I'm actually backing the Rising Lions to take it up and I think Izzy Cook will deliver the Joker. So that, I think there's three points for the Rising Lions which means they would go on to five because they've got two already and two points for the stars and stripes so they would go on to seven. So I agree with you. Yeah. Watch this space. But it means then that Sunday will be a class matchup

12:09and of course, it's going to be so close. Then we have to think if anybody doesn't complete and let's be honest, there's a combination if all of them come through the finished flags tomorrow, I would say that would be a really, really good dirt the office. Like I would imagine there will be, it doesn't go the way for somebody but actually then that means that there are only half points on of them for Sunday. So say for example, you know, you're playing, you've got a really, really good show jumping from the fields but they can only win half the points because they're talking about somebody that's actually out the competition. Then that could bring them back a little bit to the Rising Lions. I don't know. Watch this space. Who knows how to play out? I know it's going to be fascinating. Annie winner of the four-star long. Well, we're here. Winner of the four-star long is begun. I'm going to say Oliver Barrett and Sandhill's Briar. I just think it would be what a fairy tale ending to, you know, to sort of a rough few months and I feel like Gemma got her redemption at Burley. So I think Oliver's going to get his here at Blanup.

13:10I am kind of agree with you as well. I would also just because we're here and actually listeners, it's too good not to talk about just a very quick note on the eight-nine-year-old division who showed up tomorrow morning. Asti-Nicola. I'm feeling very smart, actually. You were feeling smart about the stars and stripes. I'm feeling smart about the fact. I put Asti-Nicola and he actually cooked a gudray up on the preview show as one to watch and actually he leads the way in the eight-nine-year-old division. But it's a really, really class division and actually I think it's barely open at the minute as well. Hitchcock to Gudray is stepping up to the level for the first time. So what are the three two ways? I mean, yeah, just looking at it. So he's on a 24% win chance on the latest prediction center but Katie McGee right behind on Coach Listen to Go and then followed by Izzy and Barron Ting Boy. But again, not much in it and stepping up to the level for the first time, we know that Blanup, Crest Country Day,

14:11but so it'll, I mean, Asti will have a lot to do but good shout on that one on the preview. DSH Golden Eye and Lucinda Mesquita also got off to a good start. My eventing manager team is actually in good shape. Bobby Upton has two in the in a podium position as well with Auckland 7 sunset. Did you see? All to look forward to in the jumping. Right, Annie, game on for the rest of the Blanup challenge. I'm excited to see how it's going to play out. Your stars and stripes. You are actually really flying the flag. It was very, very strongly at the moment. They are. Listen, as before we go, we've actually caught up with two of the key members of both teams. So we are going to go first to the young man who is making his Blanup debut and who is currently at the head of the table in the four star long. It is, of course, the lovely Oliver Barrett. And then we will go on to hear from the young gentlemen who delivered double points for the British team,

15:13for the rising lion's in the first phase. Barney, brother, Tim, gives us his thoughts ahead of the cross country as well. So we're going to leave you with those two interviews. Annie and myself will be back to debrief. I think D might go rogue and actually send his thoughts in at some point. He's probably sending Philip Dutton voice notes. He probably is. Un-un-un-un-un-quited, unsolicited advice. Yeah. But hey, he's this seconding command, apparently so. That's his face. So, self-appointed. If you want to follow along with the results of the plan of challenge, listeners, all of these schools are on eventing schools. Follow along on the decorating socials as well. And there is loads more in store. Can the lions stage a comeback? That is the big question. They are going to need to roar in the cross country. Watch this space.