Equestrian: Brown still the one to catch

Donna Smith negotiates a jump with her mount Corambo during the Puhinui three-day horse trials. Photo / Janna Dixon

Cambridge's Lizzie Brown retained her overnight lead in the Auckland Council CCI3 class at the Puhinui three-day horse trials yesterday, with a clear cross-country round.

Brown rode Henton Attorney General inside the time allowed, so has added no further penalties to her dressage score of 46.2.

Muriwai's Jock Paget showed all his experience to ride Frances Stead's Clifton Pinot into second place. He completed a clear round with 0.8 time penalties for an overnight score of 59.8 - giving Brown a cushion of three rails in hand going into today's showjumping phase. But the scores are close thereafter. Brent Jury pulled up to third place with the only other clear round inside the time on SE Big for an overnight score of 60.8.

Fellow Cantabrian Emily Butcher successfully appealed penalties for a run-out on course to finish with 12.8 time penalties, dropping from second after the dressage to lie fourth on 61.4 penalties.