Equestrianism: Fredericks and Nullarbor take British Open title

Australia's Clayton Fredericks took his first victory in the British Open Championship at the Festival of British Eventing after riding a splendidly positive cross-country round on nine-year-old Nullarbor yesterday.

Second after the dressage and show jumping, Fredericks went ahead after Britain's Ruth Edge had a problem at the Petplan Equine Corners with Two Thyme and dropped to third behind Lucy Wiegersma on In the Purple.

Fredericks and his Lucinda are in Australia's squad for this month's World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Fredericks is named with Ben Along Time, who will be back to his normal mouthpiece after 22 show jumping penalties led to a withdrawal from the British Open.

William Fox-Pitt, who withdrew last year's winner Moon Man after the horse had four show jumping errors, took the Intermediate Championship on Macchiato and finished first and second for the novice title on two seven-year-olds, Navigator and Chuckelberry.