Eleven made it through to the jump-off including Britain’s Peter Charles (Murka’s Nevada) and Robert Smith (Ude). Unfortunately for Robert, luck was not on his side in the jump-off. However, Peter set an outstanding target on Olga White’s chestnut stallion for the rest of the field to chase.

Dermott followed a few turns later and used his ride’s natural pace to better the time, doing so by just over a second.

“She’s naturally fast, so I thought if I just aimed to keep the fences up she’d be quick enough anyway,” said Dermott, who was third to Britain’s H&M Leading Rider of the Show Ben Maher in the previous day’s Rolex FEI World Cup qualifier. “I only got her a year ago and this was her first grand prix.”

Spain’s Manuel Anon (Rackel Chavannaise) came close to threatening Dermott, but he was 0.76 seconds adrift to claim second place.

Earlier in the day, Guy Williams gained his fifth victory of the week in the Martin Collins Eraser stakes. Riding Djakarta, he stunned the packed house of enthusiastic spectators with an early fast round beating fellow Brit William Funnell and Billy Grand into the runner-up spot by a huge seven seconds.

ENT
NO
NAME OF RIDER/HANDLER
NAME OF HORSE/PONY &AGE
PLACE

24
VICTORIA LITTLEWOOD
MOSS TOWN MARZ 15
1ST

21
TANYA SHEASBY
LOMONDSIDE WELLINGTON 16
2ND

22
ANNE THORLEY
DJARV DANELLE 16
3RD

26
REBECCA THEXTON
WEAVERS DEEP SECRET 21
4TH

23
SAMANTHA MATHEWS
DREAMCHASER 20
5TH

30
ADAM PIKE
MINNIE THE MOOCHER 22
6TH

29
CLAIRE HUBBARD
TAXAL TIMELORD 25
7TH

25
DANIELLE ASPINAL
SMART AFFAIR 16
8TH

27
LEANDA WALTON
MAYBE JUST MAYBE 16
9TH

30
JOHN PAPWORTH
GREENMOUNT PIPES OF PAN 20
10TH

20
AMANDA BEAL
TOFFEE BOY 31
11TH

Oldest pony award to Age 31

20
AMANDA BEAL
TOFFEE BOY 31

ENT
NO
NAME OF RIDER/HANDLER

NAME OF HORSE/PONY & AGE
PLACE

42
KATE MARFLEET
MURRAM PARK PHANTOM 20
1ST

34
CLARE BLASKEY
I’M BLUE CHIP TOO 16
2ND

33
DEBORAH BURRELL
KING LEO 21
3RD

39
SAMANTHA BELL
MAYBE 17
4TH

32
LUCY WHILEHOUSE
INDIAN TRAIL 25
5TH

36
KAREN CHAPLIN
CRANSWICK FELIX 18
6TH

31
KATE READ
MR CRACKER 27
7TH

38
EMMA BLUNDELL
LIGHTENING CONDUCTOR 20
8TH

44
LAUREN MOLLARD
RYANWYN CHEVALIER 15

9TH

37
SIOBEN STALKER-CLARKE
MILLIE 20
10TH

41
JESSICA BAYBUTT
CARRACASTLE BARNEY 16
11TH

35
KATE DRIVER
MAESMYNACH NIBBY CAYE 23
12TH

40
SUSAN PRITCHARD
JUST JIMMY 22
13TH

43
GABRIELLA DAVIES
WORTLEY WIZZARD 16
14TH

The reserve champion was the six-year-old Dales stallion Waterside Black Prince, who is owned by Mrs L Stevens and was ridden by Jonathan Stevens, who has collected numerous championship titles during the 2011 season.

Jessica Mendoza made a remarkable return from injury by winning the fiercely competitive JJ Jumping Junior Stakes on Razorlite.

Having won this class in 2009 and 2010 with Tixylix, Jessica broke her ankle in a fall at this year’s British Showjumping/Scope Festival in September and has only been back jumping for two weeks.

“Razorlite is the only pony who has been kept fit while I couldn’t ride,” said Jessica, 15. “She kind of lives in Tixylix’s shadow, so it was nice for her to be able to score a big win in her own right.”

The Shelley Ashman International Ltd, E M Rogers (Transport) Ltd Six-Bar was won in the fourth round of a possible five by Belgian four-time Olympian Ludo Philippaerts and Chicago van het Moleneind.

The final fence stood at 1.85m (6ft 1in) and both Britain’s John Whitaker (Cornetto King) and Norway’s Geir Gullicksen (Storm) had fences down in this round to finish equal second.

1st – Rushfield Bailey (Dartmoor) Bay Stallion 8 yrs Rider- Louise E Maxwell Owner – Mrs CJ Anderson

2nd – Waterside Black Prince (Dales) Black Stallion 6 yrs Rider- Jonathan Stevens Owner – Mrs Lesley Stevens

3rd – Tower Clyde (Highland) Dun Stallion 7 yrs Rider- Matthew Lawrence Owner – Gemma Stanford

4 – Bronheulog Harvey (Welsh Sec B) Liver Chestnut Gelding 9 yrs Rider – Alexandra Bates Owner – Lynette Bates

5 – Blackertor Rhonda (Shetland) Bay Mare 14 yrs Rider – Elizabeth Evans Owner – Mrs L Bucjhanan-Jackson

6 – Pumphill Bennet (Dartmoor) Bay Stallion 10 yrs Rider – Jack Starkie Owner – Mr & Mrs Starkie

7 – Cadlanvalley Sandpiper (Welsh Sec B) Cream Gelding 5 yrs Rider – Catherine Scott Owner – Mrs K Scott

8 – Newoak Furious (Dartmoor) Black Stallion 5 yrs Rider – Sam Roberts Owner – Miss Jackey Newbery

9 – PHI (Exmoor) Brown Stallion 8 yrs Rider – Emma J Boardman Owner – Mrs SA Rawthorn

10 – Kilmannan Black Wizard (Dales) Black Gelding 12 yrs Rider – Victoria Hesford Owner Mrs G Simpson

“I got a good draw in this class so I saw it as my chance. Pius (Schwizer, third) went fast enough early on, and then Robert (Smith, second) is always quick in these situations, but I knew I could get the time as long as the fences stayed up. Dazzle hasn’t got a long stride, but she is really fast.”

The vociferous nature of the crowd’s response to John’s victory reflected the enormous popularity of this brilliant, yet modest, horseman. “The crowd here is unbelievable,” he said. “I travel the world jumping, but you don’t get crowd enthusiasm like this anywhere else.”

Another show jumping dynasty was born when Robert Murphy, 11, went one better than his father Peter, international rider and trainer to the British eventing team, winning the H & M Mini Stakes, a class in which Peter finished second when he was about the same age as his on.

Robert produced a brilliantly accurate round on Greenfield Chinook, to beat Jodie Hall-McAteer on My Little Sweetheart by a miniscule 0.16sec.

“My dad told me that my first round was quite good but that I’d have to be a lot tougher in the jump-off because there were other ponies that were faster than mine, so that’s why I cut so many corners,” explained Robert, who says he might like to become a vet when he’s older.

“There have been times over the last nine years when I’ve wondered if Tripple X would be any good, and we’ve had our moments. He was quite a nervous horse at the start of the season, but he is much more confident now.

“The course suited me because he’s got a big stride, and I made a plan which came off. It’ amazing. Some people breed hundreds of horses a year, and I just breed three for fun and I get one like this.”

The horse certainly looked hugely impressive when overhauling the combination of Marcus Ehning, a former triple World Cup Final winner, and Sabrina, by 0.34sec.

The German rider was gracious in defeat and indicated that the bay mare might be an Olympic prospect. “I have had super season, very consistent,” he said, “and I think England suits me! It’s five years since I last came to Olympia and it is still a super show.”

Ireland’s Dermott Lennon, the former World Champion, was back in the big time with third place on Hallmark Elite. The top three produced the only clears in the jump-off.

Laura Kraut was fourth for the USA on her Olympic gold medallist Cedric, ahead of the reigning European Champion Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Ninja la Silla, who incurred four fault when the spring-heeled chestnut caught the wing of a fence with his stifle.

Spanish sensation Manuel Anon, 19, was sixth. Robert Whitaker, seventh on USA Today, Guy Williams, ninth on Titus and Laura Renwick, 11th on Oz de Breve, were the other British rider to make the jump-off.

Course-designer Bob Ellis, who will officiate at the London Olympics next year, said: “This has been as good a World Cup as I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t matter what I build, riders like this will always be able to jump it.”

Ben Maher had already taken over the H & M Leading Rider of the Show armband before the World Cup, courtesy of yet another speed class win in the H & M Speed Stakes on Milena, but he has now extended his lead to 3 points over Marcus Ehning.

The 21-year-old grey pony, ridden by Kate Marfleet, apparently still gallops up the lorry ramp and sulks if he is left at home – his wins this year have included the Ponies UK Superleague title.

Second place went to Clare Blaskey’ I’m Blue Chip Too, a 16-year-old, who has overcome injury to get to Olympia, and third was Deborah Burrell on 21-year-old King Leo, a former top event horse when ridden by Andrew Nicholson. King Leo has also made a miracle recovery from injury, having severed three tendon sheaths in an accident.

The in-hand section was won by Victoria Littlewood and the 15-year-old Moss Town Marz, a 15-year-old all-rounder who does showing, hunting, dressage and show jumping.

“I knew I had to go for it with 12 good riders to come,” explained the Frenchman. “In different circumstances, I might have played it another way, but I didn’t have much choice. I think perhaps I went so fast that I made others make mistakes.

“My mare, Whisper, is super fast and she’s been in great form – she’s won classes at Lyon, Paris and Verona recently,” said Simon, who rides the grey stallion Coolito in the Rolex World Cup qualifier tomorrow (Sunday).

There were only four double clears, and it was an international line-up, with German Holger Wulschner second on Cavity G, Ludo Philippaerts third on Chicago vh Moleneind for Belgium, and Tina Fletcher, the best Briton, in fourth on Ursula Xll.

Earlier in the evening, Guy Williams’s phenomenal run of success continued with a sparkling win in the Kingsland Christmas Tree Stakes, a speed class. Riding Djakarta again, Guy finished 0.55sec faster than Finnish rider Nina Fagerstrom on Mouse, who had set the early target in the 25-strong class.

“I was resigned to being beaten,” explained Nina sportingly. “I knew how fast Guy is, so I expected him to get ahead. But I am very pleased with my horse. He is mouse by nature outside the ring, where he can be quite timid, but he is as brave as a lion inside the arena.”

Guy’s run of success has moved him up into third place in the H & M Leading Rider of the Show rankings, but he is still 12 points adrift of the runaway leader, Marcus Ehning. Ben Maher is in second place.

“I went as fast as that last year on the same horse last year and only came second,” said a visibly exhilarated Guy afterwards. “The draw in this class can make a massive difference. I wouldn’t have gone that fast if I’d been before Scott.”

Each rider picks a fence to put up per round. As commentator Peter Charles explained: “You have to play to your own strengths and let the rest fend for themelves.”

Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, the reigning European champion, picked the plank fence to raise in the first round and then promptly hit it. Frenchman Aldrick Cheronnet, making his Olympia debut, was also eliminated in the first round under the sudden-death format.

Ben Maher lasted until round three, leaving Guy and Scott to jump off against the cool Swiss, Pius Schwizer, who was 0.4 of a second slower than Guy, and Marcus Ehning who hit a fence. Marcus is, however, still the show’s H & M Leading Rider.

“My week is certainly improving,” admitted Guy. “I went all the way to Geneva last weekend for two classes and hit a fence in each, so maybe I needed sharpening up. My ambition now is to win the World Cup qualifier or the Grand Prix, neither of which I’ve won before. Either would do!”