MILDENHALL-based Tim Price led a New Zealand contingent who enjoyed a clean sweep of the two-star classes at Barbury Horse Trials on Saturday.

Price completed clear rounds in the show jumping and cross country stages to finish on his dressage score of 36.1 on Court Jester.

The win, in section C, was particularly special because they had invited the Prospect Hospice in nearby Wroughton, to “adopt” the horse for the day.

Price has tipped his horse Court Jester to go all the way and has his sights set on Blenheim.

“Court Jester is a stunning horse,” he said.

“I’ve only had him for a few months, so we were thrown in the deep end at the little bit.

“We have got to know each other really well and came here as a bit of a confidence run in the two star and he was awesome.

“He did a really nice test and he is a real partnership horse. He is class and I think he will go all the way.

“To get there he has to get to know me and I have to get to know him and we have been together for a little bit and that is starting to work now, the synergy between us.

“To perform a test you need to know each other and he listened the whole way as I couldn’t have asked for more.

“Our weakness would be the show jumping. In the short time I have been with him, that is where we have been found out a little bit with the lack of mileage together.

“We have got to the point now where I felt we could go in and put in a good performance and he jumped beautifully.”

Price was handed the ride on the 10-year-old gelding because his usual Australian rider Sammy Birch is pregnant, and admits he has been given a gem.

“I have said to Sammy that he is probably the nicest catch ride I have ever been given.” he added.

“She has schooled him beautifully and he was ready to have this new work put into him.

“We do click. He is my kind of horse.

“He is a beautiful galloper across cross country and everything comes very easy I find.

“We are just getting on better and better, so I am looking forward to the rest of the season with him.”

Price, who goes today in the cross country stage of three star event on Ringwood Sky Boy, has been left impressed again by the set up at Barbury.

“As always Barbury is a beautiful event,” he said.

“The standout with the organisation side of things is that you don’t know just how well things are working until you look back and go ‘hey, that day just ran fantastically smoothly’.

“That aspect is always to be admired by other events I think.

“There is nowhere like it where everything is on a level, you can see everything in front of you and for a spectator it is fantastic.

“And it seems to always have a good bit of sunshine.”

Meanwhile Marlborough-based Andrew Nicholson was the only rider in section B to achieve the optimum time in the cross country, as he won on his first outing on Loughnatousa Joey.

Jesse Campbell, the youngest of the Kiwi trio and based locally in Ogbourne St Andrew, competed the New Zealand whitewash on Cleveland.

Campbell explained that the eight-year-old has been taken slowly because he can be tricky. “He’s been hard work, he’s talented but a bit of a maverick and I’ve had a few bloody noses on him.

“I’ve always believed in him, though. He’s a big beautiful horse.”