The top two-ranked riders in the world have claimed the spoils at the three-star Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in Oxfordshire, England, this morning (NZT).

New Zealand's world No 1 Andrew Nicholson has won the CIC class for eight and nine-year-old horses, leading from start to finish aboard Quimbo to notch his first Blenheim win since 1991.

In the headline CCI class, world No 2 William Fox-Pitt of Britain, on Seacookie, edged out Mark Todd and Conair by less than a rail, denying the Kiwis a sweep of the two major classes.

Both riders went clear in the final showjumping phase.

''The horse was very well prepared by Rodney Powell - his usual rider - and Alex Franklin," Todd said.

''When I schooled him earlier this week I said that if we managed a decent dressage and jumped clear we might just do all right. That was a mega clear round (in the showjumping)."

On the back of his victory ar Burghley last week, Nicholson cleaned up the CIC, which has a shorter course than the CCI.

"He's a lovely horse, very easy to ride and has an amazing jump," said Nicholson of the Spanish-bred gelding.

"He's probably one of the most experienced horses in the field and has been doing advanced since he was three."

Blenheim was the final big three-day event on British soil this year and is one of the premier three-star events in the world.

- © Fairfax NZ News