Success continues for Brits in Portugal

Laura Renwick and Michael Whitaker have continued British showjumping's recent run of success by scooping almost £40,000 between them at the Estoril Global Champions Tour event in Portugal.

Essex-based Renwick finished second in the penultimate day's feature class on Oz de Breve, collecting £22,500, while Whitaker was third aboard Viking.

It meant Whitaker adding another £17,000 to his prize-money earnings followed an emphatic victory with GIG Amai in last weekend's Aachen Grand Prix that netted him £87,000.

Both riders, together with British Olympic team member Ben Maher, will contest Saturday night's GCT grand prix.

British riders have had considerable success on the contingent in recent weeks, with Whitaker, Scott Brash, Nick Skelton and Guy Williams all winning classes at Aachen's World Equestrian Festival.

And a shadow British Nations Cup team, inspired by three clear rounds from Will Funnell and Billy Angelo, finished second in Friday's FEI Nations Cup event at Falsterbo in Sweden.

After this weekend, attention will switch to the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead and next Friday's Nations Cup, for which British team boss Rob Hoekstra has named a five-strong group of Funnell, Peter Charles, Tina Fletcher, John Whitaker and Tim Stockdale.

The show, which also includes the prestigious King George V Gold Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Cup classes, has attracted many of the world's top riders, including Germany's Ludger Beerbaum and current world number two, Frenchman Kevin Staut.