WILTSHIRE riders came close to going through the card in the top Open Intermediate sections at the Tweseldown BE (British Eventing) one-day event in Hampshire last weekend.

Marlborough’s Andrew Nicholson dominated the first OI (Open Intermediate) section, the second-highest rung on the one-day ladder.

The New Zealand 50-year-old, a veteran of six Olympic Games, took the top two spots on Avebury and Calico Joe.

Kiwi compatriot Mark Todd produced a better test in the opening dressage phase on NZB Campino but was slower in the cross country to drop to third.

Paul Tapner was delighted with his 2010 Badminton winner Inonothing, who finished sixth in the same section on his first run in more than 18 months due to injury.

The Highworth-based Australian’s gelding jumped a fine double clear.

Little Cheverell’s Australian Lucinda Fredericks won her Open Intermediate section on Mr Miller 2 by more than six marks.

She shrugged off an earlier cross country spill on Acheron to jump the second quickest round in the section, with Lower Stanton St Quinton’s Kitty King runner-up on Zidante.

Tapner lost a possible second spot when Kilronan had one show jump down, finishing fourth.

Fredericks nearly made it a double in the last OI section on Flying Finish, where she was foiled by a mark by former World and European champion Zara Phillips.

“Flying Finish was fab. He’s my ‘Mr Genuine’ as he always tries his heart out and I have a great rapport with him,” said the mum of one.

“I am now looking for someone to buy into him so I can keep the ride. He’s a special horse.”

King clinched third in the section on High Havoc.

Marlborough-based New Zealander Tim Price topped an Intermediate section on Wesko, scoring 27.3 in dressage, before jumping a double clear.

Lacock 18-year-old David Doel topped his Open Novice section by six marks on 2011 Junior European team gold medallist Kings Cross.

There were also Novice wins for Fredericks, who led from dressage riding Shelter Cove, and Tapner, on Indian Mill.

Chippenham’s Alice Bromfield won her BE100 Open section on mare Springtime Orla, with just one mark covering the top four riders.