A week after her 22nd birthday, Freya Cullen of Bride defeated three Olympians and a former world number one at Pontispool Horse Trials in Somerset recently.

Pontispool Equestrian Centre hosted its second British Eventing event for 2021 when some of the country’s top riders gathered with some of their younger horses to give them experience around a track that boasts imposing questions and terrain.

Last year, Olympic team gold medalist Laura Collett stated that the novice course at the venue was tougher than the CCI4*S that she tackled at Burnham Market Horse Trials a few days earlier.

Competing in the novice class, after dressage Freya and her Blair mount Woodlands Be Flipper were second, only 0.2 percent behind the legendary Mary King. The pair then went on to jump a faultless show jumping round, leaving her on the same score as former world number one William Fox-Pitt.

’As if it wasn’t surreal enough competing against my childhood heroes and many Team GB members, I was also against my old boss.’ commented Freya, referring to Irish Olympian Padraig McCarthy who was contesting two horses in the same section.

The cross-country course, designed by Eric Winter, was causing nothing but problems all day as she explains: ’I was trying to ignore all the issues happening out on the course, but it’s difficult when it’s all you can hear over the tannoy across the lorry park!

’Flipper has been on top form, so I just knew I had to ride the horse I know that is capable of jumping anything I put him at.’

They flew round the cross-country course, adding no time penalties and were closest to the optimum time, just pipping Fox-Pitt to the win.

Afterware, Freya commented: ’As always a big thank you to my family, friends and partner for their support. Ivan Kelly for his training, Ballacorey Equestrian for their facilities and Jane Watney for the use of her horse box which allows me to travel all over the UK.’

Bicton 2*S, down in the depths of Devon was the final event for the year for Freya and Flipper earlier this week - report to follow.