Tattersall and West win High Jump Challenge

The ever-popular High Jump Challenge at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials reached new heights on Saturday afternoon when eventers Gemma Tattersall and Helen West both jumped 6ft 1in.

That meant their team, “Team Ben” – named in honour of fellow eventer Ben Hobday, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment – were the clear winners. They were raising money for Ben’s chosen charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Gemma was riding Tropique, who formerly competed at three-star level but is starting a new career as a showjumper.

She said: “It’s the biggest I’ve ever jumped – he was incredible!”

Helen, who was riding Ebay, an eight-year-old who is tackling his first one-star next week, said: “He won’t even see the jumps on Monday after what he has just done in here!”

Helen had used up a “life” earlier in the competition so was jumping without her jacket, but Gemma had jumped the fence cleanly in each round.

Second were Team Claire, composed of Ginny Howe and Laura Collett. They were raising money for paralysed former eventer Claire Lomas’s chosen charity, the Nicholson Spinal Injury Foundation. Laura was the only rider to take off her horse’s saddle, and she jumped 5ft 7in bareback.

Third were the jockeys’ team of Peter Mason, Tom Garner and 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Nico de Boinville.