WIMBLEY, England -- Austrian Hugo Simon, riding his horse Gladstone, won the Butlin championship, the first big prize of the six-day Horse of the Year Show that opened Monday night.
Competing in a field of nine horses, Simon clocked 33.52 seconds over a six-obstacle course for the fastest time to take the $3,060 prize.
Second was Malcolm Pyrah of Britain on Towerlands Chain Bridge at 34.38 seconds and third was last year's winner Briton John Whitaker on Ryan's Son in 36.05, which included a four-second penalty for knocking down one fence.
Edgar Cuepper of Belgium on Sympathico was fifth in 36.60 seconds, but Gerd Wiltfang of West Germany on Boyfriend retired after hitting the first fence.
Sefton, the horse from the Queen's Household Cavalry that was wounded in the Hyde Park bombing attack in July, received a tremendous welcome from the audience in his first public re-appearance.
