Happy Times for Griffiths at Chatsworth

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat, at Chatsworth

IT was literally Happy Times for Sam Griffiths as he captured the Chatsworth International title on a horse of the same name.

ALL CLEAR: Sam Griffiths and Happy Times win at Chatsworth, part of the HSBC FEI Classics Series (Kit Houghton)

Griffiths believes he has moved himself into contention for the Australian World Equestrian Games team in Kentucky later this year with the performance, while Great Britain's Lucy Wiegersma and Woodfalls Inigo Falls and Fiona Hobby and Roma M.L. completed the podium.

"I'm over the moon to have won. It's been a good year so far for me and it is just getting better," said Griffiths.

"Coming off the back a win at Belton earlier in the year I was feeling pretty confident, but the horse put in another great performance which was great.

"The World Equestrian Games are the main plan for the year but I will wait and see what I do between now and then.

"This is the biggest one day event in the UK, so it's great to win it."

Elsewhere, show jumping veteran John Whitaker, 54, scooped the major honours at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Whitaker, who last won the event 12 years ago, and Uniek edged Charlotte Platt into second while Daniel Moseley rounded out the top three.

HSBC is a platinum sponsor of the FEI - the highest level of sponsorship within the organisation. This is the third year of HSBC sponsorship of the HSBC FEI Classics and HSBC FEI World Cup.