GEMMA AND CHILLI ARE ON FIRE
 

Gemma Tattersall had a day to remember at the Chedington Bicton Park 5* Horse Trials: she not only won her first CCI5* in style on Chris and Lisa Stone’s Chilli Knight, but at the subsequent winner’s press conference, her boyfriend Gary Stevens seized the microphone to propose. Of course, she said yes!
 
Gemma had already become emotional as the magnitude of her victory gradually sunk in: she has known the 11-year-old chestnut gelding since he was born — he is by the Stones’ Badminton-winning Chilli Morning out of Kings Gem, a mare produced in East Devon by Mary King. “It’s been a long road, lots of hard work and a fabulous little horse,” she said.
 
It was the first all-girl line-up since Pippa Funnell led Pia Pantsu and Jeanette Brakewell at Badminton in 2003, and here was Pippa on the podium again, in second place after a beautiful clear showjumping round on Nick and Barbara Walkinshaw’s Billy Walk On. “I couldn’t fault him,” said a visibly delighted Pippa. “He couldn’t have done anything more.”
 
Piggy March, the heroine of cross-country day, hit two rails on Trevor Dickins’ Vanir Kamira, but such was the three female riders’ supremacy that she slid no lower than third and showed great grace in defeat, immediately congratulating Gemma.
 
“I can’t believe I’m sitting between these two legends of the sport,” said Gemma. “Pippa has been my heroine forever and Piggy is just the best rider in the world.
 
“I never dared to dream. Before the showjumping, I tried to pretend that I was going into Ring 2 at Hickstead, which is my local event and where I jump day after day.”