Little Cheverell’s Olympic silver medalist Clayton Fredericks has made an impressive start to the 2009 international eventing season, with two wins in Portugal.

Fredericks, who won team silver for his native Australia in the Beijing three-day event last year, was taking part in the Barocca Sunshine Tour, which many riders now use as a warmer way of beginning the new season.

The event runs several separate sections over three weeks and Fredericks began his run by taking first and second places in the CIC two star international one day event.

He led from the start on the grey horse Mr Miller, who held on to top spot despite having one show jump down. His runner-up was the Hong Kong Syndicate owned French bred gelding The Frog, who is now 13 and who has been with him from a five-year-old.

“The courses out in Portugal were very well built and well presented,” said Fredericks’ wide and fellow Aussie Olympic silver medlaist Lucinda.

“Barocca was a lovely event that was so friendly and hospitable.”

Fredericks then went on to top a CIC one star section in the final week of the tour, on his new ride, the big 17hh bay horse Bendigo.

“Bendigo has come over from Germany – he’d only done a bit of cross country schooling when we went to see him and he tackled his first cross country course at Barocca,” Lucinda said. “He’s a very good looking horse who has done a lot of dressage and show jumping, and is established in these disciplines.”

Clayton was in the lead in the final three star event on the Tour, with The Frog, but an unlucky fall at the water cross country dropped them out of contention.

“Both horse and rider are fine though,” added Lucinda.

n The British Eventing season got underway on home soil at the weekend with Wiltshire riders Lucie McNichol and Charlotte Adderley both scoring impressive wins.

McNichol, 23 and from Bromham, headed an Open Novice section at Stilemans one day event in Surrey on her rising nine-year-old Zeus of Rushall.

Adderley, who is based at Foxham, topped a Novice section at Isleham.

By Kate Healey