MARLBOROUGH-based riders Andrew Nicholson and Jonelle Richards were among the winners on the opening weekend of the 2012 British Eventing season, which was brought to an early end by bad weather.

The duo were in action at the Moreton BE one day event in Dorset, where heavy overnight rain put paid to the second day of competition.

Nicholson, the veteran New Zealand Olympian based at Marlborough, headed a Novice section on six year old Tilikum.

Fellow New Zealander Richards, also based at Marlborough, topped a BE100 Open section on mare Faerie Dianamo.

Fifteen-year-old Pumbaa Goess Saura, the St Marys Calne pupil who was on the 2011 GB Pony European Championship team, was sixth on Dunno Fear.

Nicholson also made the line up in the Novice sections coming fifth with Uron, seventh with Joey Clerk and ninth on Thornton Jones.

Lower Stanton St Quinton’s Tristram Owers was fourth on his Novice ride Totally Unique Richards and partner Tim Price, who also rides for New Zealand, were fourth and fifth in another strong Novice section on Look Now and Southpaw.

The Kiwi couple then headed to Cambridgeshire for the Isleham one day event, which also had to contend with wet weather, Price filling third place in the Open Novice on Wesko.

Richards gave international rides Mere Oak and Flintstar a steady opener in the Open Intermediate section, securing ninth and 11th.

Eventing action switches to Tweseldown in Hampshire this weekend, where Highworth-based Australian Paul Tapner will give his 2010 Badminton winner Inonothing his first run in over a year in the top Open Intermediate sections.