The British team, led by Alice Casburn and her superb cross-country specialist Topspin, have risen to the top of the leaderboard after a thrilling cross-country day at the FEI World Eventing Championship U25 at Millstreet, Ireland, supported by Connollys RED MILLS.

Great Britain and Ireland each had all four team riders clear around Mike Etherington-Smith’s influential and beautifully presented cross-country course and the two nations are only separated by a mere 4.7 penalties – the cost of just one showjumping rail.

The German team is currently three fences behind Ireland in bronze medal position, with dressage leaders Calvin Bockmann and his veteran mare Altair de la Cense in the individual bronze slot with 12.4 cross-country time penalties, Ann-Catrin Bierlein rising 28 places to sixth on the 18-year-old Sir Scotty with the second fastest time of the day (3.2 penalties) and Linus Weiss clear in 17th on Astrello.

British team riders Jasmine Underwood (Indian Girl G), Cerys Macaulay (Kananaskis) and Tom Bird, who was an assured and confidence-giving cross-country pathfinder on the nine-year-old Lenny, are in fourth, seventh and 15th places.

Ireland’s Tom Nestor riding Cooley Diamond Dancer has risen 11 places to the silver medal slot in the individual standings with the third-fastest time (4.4 time penalties). His team mates Godfrey Gibbons (Ballyvillane OBOS), Jennifer Kuehnle (Sammy Davis Junior) and Isny O’ Donnell (Vital DK Z) are in fifth, 10th and 19th positions respectively.

All four French team members completed; Clara Cazeneuve riding Dolce Gabana is the highest placed in ninth place individually.

The USA team incurred an extra 200 penalties after two riders, Quidley Kellermann and Cassie Sanger, had falls. Molly Duda, competing as an individual, is the highest placed US rider in eighth on Disco Traveller.

No rider achieved the optimum time of 6min 30sec, but Alice Casburn came closest with 2.8 penalties and rose 16 places to the individual gold medal position on her home-bred, 18-year-old Topspin, veteran of nine five-star completions. ‘I am beyond delighted,’ she said.

‘Topspin is such a professional. He really shines on the cross-country. I did really feel the heat – if it goes wrong, it’s on my shoulders. I wasn’t given team instructions – I was told to do my thing, and he is a horse that loves getting down to the nitty-gritty.’

‘It has been a long day waiting, so there is always a bit of pressure, especially being on home ground,’ said Irish anchorman Godfrey Gibbons. ‘This competition has given us all a great opportunity to get our names out there and it is great for the sport.’

Thirty-three of the field of 39 completed with 21 clear rounds.

The final horse inspection takes place at 8am tomorrow and the final jumping test starts at 1.30pm.

In the concurrent long-format competitions, Sam Ecroyd retained the lead in the Connollys RED MILLS CCI4*-L on Bloomfield Manuscript; Hallie Coon from the USA heads the Horse Sport Ireland CCI3*-L leaderboard on Boleybawn Oliva; and Ireland’s Ian Cassells and MGH Rioja still top the Carr Day Martin CCI2*-L.

Full results and start lists on www.rechenstelle.de

Further information, rider reactions and rider biographies on www.millstreet.horse

Picture caption:

Top day: Alice Casburn and her long-time partner Topspin produced their customary brilliant cross-country performance to lead the individual rankings and put the British team in gold medal position at the FEI World Eventing Championship U25 at Millstreet, Ireland, presented by Connollys RED MILLS.

[Picture is free to use but please credit Pam Cunningham/Irish Horse Board]