Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, who suffered a serious head injury in a fall at Le Lion d’Angers, France last October, recorded his first international victory since then when winning the Cooley Farms CCI1*YH at the Tattersalls international horses trials on Saturday.

Riding Jennifer Dowling’s German-bred gelding Little Fire, Fox-Pitt was lying second on 35.60 penalties after the dressage phase of the young horse class but was left in pole position before the start of cross-country on Friday following the withdrawal of the leader, OBOS Impressive (34.90).

Clear and just under the time allowed over the fixed fences, Fox-Pitt incurred one time penalty when jumping clear in Saturday’s show jumping phase to win the class for the second successive year. Second, with one pole down, was New Zealand’s Tim Price with the Irish-bred Kincooley Cruising while Britain’s Tom McEwen placed third when completing on his dressage score of 40.50 with Royal Roxey.

Brian Morrison was the best-placed Irish rider in fourth with Gill Langford’s home-bred Cougar gelding Ballymolloy Rogan (40.80) and the Co Cork competitor was also best-placed for the country when sixth in the Land Rover CCI1* class with Sandra Duffy’s Milchem JJ (44.70).

Here, there was a British 1-2, with Dani Evans taking the honours on Marstonpark Lupina (39.60) ahead of Emilie Chandler riding the Irish-bred Cooley Roller Coaster (41.50).

There was a third British victory in the Tredstep Ireland CCIJ1*section for Junior riders through Eleanor Hope whose completion score of 45.4 on MGH Smarty (another Irish-bred) included four show jumping penalties, while Co Down’s Izzy Riley finished second with the former racehorse Ballycarron Lad (50.70).

Co Kildare’s Zara Nelson recorded a comprehensive victory in the CCI1* for ponies with the 11-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding Millridge Buachaill Bui.

In a competition dominated by British and New Zealand riders, Fox-Pitt goes into Sunday’s final show jumping phase of the Eventing Ireland CCI2* class in the lead with Secret Night (39.70). He has less than a fence in hand over Jonelle Price on Cooley Showtime (42) with that New Zealand rider also lying third on Ascona M (44.10). Riding Dusty, Tom Jackson heads a quartet of British riders at the top of the leaderboard in the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI2* for young riders.

At three-star level, Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy leads The Irish Field CCI class with Mr Chunky (44.70) ahead of the Australian duo of Paul Tapner on Prince Mayo (44.80) and Andrew Hoy riding The Blue Frontier (51.80), two Irish-bred horses. Also from Australia, Samantha Birch, who led after dressage on Hunter Valley II (43.90), was eliminated in Saturday’s cross-country phase.

Competitors in the George Mernagh memorial CIC3* class take on the cross-country phase this afternoon with Ireland’s Austin O’Connor leading on the Master Imp gelding Kilpatrick Knight (42.30). The busy Tim Price also show jumped clear on Saturday to lie second on another Irish-bred, Ringwood Sky Boy (44.90), with Ireland’s Jonty Evans in third on the Courage gelding Cooley Rorkes Drift (45.30).

At the international show jumping show in Mullingar, Saturday’s featured 1.40m Grand Prix was won by Co Down’s Dermott Lennon riding Keonan Stables’ 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Valent. Eight combinations recorded a clear in the second round, Lennon being the fastest when stopping the clock on 37.17.

Lieutenant David Power of the Army Equitation School finished second in 37.56 on Drumiller Lough with John Floody slotting into third on Mise Le Meas (38.72).