Victorious Viktor on his first outing with new owner Millie at Nunney International

Millie Juleff, from St Breward in Cornwall, took the honours at Nunney International Horse Trials this weekend (16-18 June), winning the CCI-S3* riding Viktor Krum. The celebration proved even more victorious as she had only acquired the gelding four days before the start of the event.

Millie explained:

I’m really lucky that my dad was able to buy him from Joy Jackson who had him with Bubby Upton. We picked him on Monday and went straight to Caroline Moore’s for a lesson. On Tuesday I had a dressage lesson with Ben Van Sommeren, Thursday we went to Rosamund Green for some cross-country and I jumped one showjumping track. Tim Cheffings, where I’m based near Tiverton, also helped me a lot and we just clicked straight away.”

The 20-year-old rode an eye-catching dressage test which earned her a score of 29.2. Had she not made an error, that cost her two penalties, she would have been in the lead.

However, a foot-perfect show jumping round, followed by a clear cross country just outside the time, was enough to seal the deal. An exuberant Millie commented afterwards that the gelding reminded her of All We Need, who she won the European Young Rider Championships team gold last year before he sadly crossed rainbow bridge in March 2023.

We’ll aim for a three-star long in Ireland next as we’d like to qualify for the Europeans,”

said Millie. 

Max Warburton finished in second place riding Pencils Candy Man on what was a busy weekend for the Warwickshire-based 25-year-old, who had nine rides across Nunney and Little Gatcombe. 

Max had also scored in the Intermediate 7yr old class riding United 36, with whom he finished eighth last year at the Young Horses World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers.

In third was nna Johannson and Madford Law.

Nunney International CCI-S 2*

Coral Hardman won the CCI-2* riding Ginnie Wellings and Crystal Coake’s, De Facto.

The impressive-looking eight-year-old had sparkled in the dressage with a solid score of 25.9 to stand second going into the showjumping phase.

Rolling the last pole the pairing remained at the head of affairs heading into the cross-country phase. 

To conclude, Coral’s clear round put them at the top of the leaderboard, with Louisa Lockwood and Itareuso slotting into a comfortable second.

I can’t fault him,”

said Coral of her ride.

I came here eating to get qualification (for Hartpury 2* long) and didn’t expect to win.”

De Facto was a chance find for Coral, who had stumbled across him in Wales having gone to look at another horse.

Since joining Coral 18 months ago, he’s been produced very slowly, winning at West Wilts earlier this month.

It’s the first time I’ve been able to take the handbrake off and he felt really great. He’s my next big hope! He’ll have a quiet couple of weeks and then he’ll go to Tweseldown, and then Hartpury,”

said Coral, who was quick to thank Ginnie for her constant support, and her mother, who rides out every day and also took her HGV test last year so that she could drive the lorry.

Coral is based near Warminster on Salisbury Plain and is currently building her own facilities at her home with her husband Oliver, where she’ll move her team of about eight horses in July.

It was a golden weekend for Coral who had won an intermediate section on Friday on Impuls V, or Impy as he is known, and Ginnie’s first venture into ownership with Coral.

Organiser Bridget Parker was delighted with the event, which again earned plenty of plaudits from riders.

It’s very popular with riders, particularly professionals, who want to give their horses an educational outing as the terrain is hilly and there are a lot of natural elements like the water and streams. We’ve had some really positive feedback.”