Carl Edwards Makes Splash In Rain

Carl Edwards may only have won minor prizes yesterday at the Nations Cup Show here, but jumping clear rounds in his first two contests in the intimidating arena was achievement enough. "No words can describe the feeling, it`s what you dream about," Edwards said, after finishing 14th for the Preis der Elsa on Bit More Candy and 15th for the Accom Preis on Moneymore. Edwards was the best Briton in both contests, which was another feather in the 36-year-old Shropshire rider`s cap.

Rain had fallen relentlessly since early morning, leaving horses to splash through pools of surface water as they jumped round the huge arena. With conditions deteriorating, the Whitaker brothers were disadvantaged by going at the end of the Elsa class.

Michael Whitaker would nevertheless have won but for an error at the seventh fence on Virtual Village Twostep. Although finding the wet conditions unpleasant - and blaming them for Twostep`s error - Whitaker said that the ground was holding up well. Instead of sinking into deep mud, which could have been the case on less well prepared ground, they were splashing through water.

Twostep was marginally quicker than the Brazilian winner, Alvaro Afono de Miranda Neto on Arisco Aspen, but his one mistake left him in 16th. John Whitaker, who was having a determined crack at the top prize until Calvaro refused, finished 35th with 7.5 faults.

Surprisingly, considering there were over 50 horses in both classes, the same riders filled the top two places both times. Philippe Rozier from France, who had won the earlier Accom Preis from De Miranda Neto, finished runner-up to the Brazilian in the Elsa contest.

The big crowds who will be coming here in ever increasing numbers, rain or shine, will miss seeing one of their greatest German stars. Ludger Beerbaum, a former Olympic champion, is not here because of a broken collarbone sustained last weekend. He is hoping to be back in time for the Sydney Olympics.

Carl Edwards - and the two other British newcomers here, Andrew Davies and Damian Charles - will be hoping to earn a ticket to Sydney through their performances.

Edwards rides the classy 11-year-old mare Bit More Candy, who was bred by his father, Charles. She is out of the mare More Candy, with whom Carl Edwards won a team gold medal at the 1983 Young Rider European Championships.

The rider`s show jumping career was painfully interrupted six years ago when he almost lost his right foot in a farm machine. It required 14 pins, two hooks and a length of wiring to keep foot and ankle together.

The accident also interrupted Bit More Candy`s progress, who was coming up through the ranks. Carl Edwards feared that the mare would be sold. "But my father decided that we`d have some fun with this one, which is full justice to my dad," Carl Edwards said.

Andrew Davies, who had just one error in both competitions yesterday, has dreamt of being on the British team since the age of 10. His best mount, Captain Wellington, is in his first year at top level - "and he`s handling it very well". While Davies and Edwards will be pleased, Charles must be disappointed with his eight faults on Racal B and with elimination for three refusals on Romulus 16.

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