Bubby Upton kept her top position in the CCI4*-L at the Defender Bramham Horse Trials after completing the cross-country phase on 13 June. She finished with 3.6 time faults aboard Its Cooley Time despite a mid-round equipment issue.
Upton overcame a broken martingale at fence three during her round. She secured the loose strap to prevent further problems and crossed the finish line punching the air.
She now leads Selina Milnes and Cooley Snapchat by just 0.1 of a penalty. Milnes posted a clear round inside the optimum time.
Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier moved up three places with a fault-free performance. Course designer Andrew Heffernan noted that the reworked track produced a good spread of problems.
Fifty combinations started the class. Thirty-four finished and twenty-five jumped clear. One horse, Charlie Foxtrot ridden by David Doel, suffered a fatal cardiovascular catastrophe near fence 22.
