Cross Country Carnage at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

Cross Country Carnage at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

Written by Amy Bennett

After a day of ups and downs, the leader after dressage, Chris Burton, retains his lead ahead of tomorrow’s show jumping at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

The Australian was one of the few riders today that really displayed just how well this demanding 4* track could and should be ridden with a masterful clear round on board Nobilis 18, adding just 3.2 time penalties to their overnight score to be sat on 33.2 time penalties.

This was the combinations’ first completion of a 4* cross country course, having had a fall at Badminton this year, and facing Burghley’s toughest track in modern history must have been a daunting thought. “I was very nervous today,” Chris said of his pre course preparation, “I sat in the riders tent and watched a bunch of rounds which really didn’t help [as so many we’re having problems on course] but I’m delighted he went really well,” Chris said of the 11 year old Hanoverian gelding.

Chris’s round looked seamless but apparently he didn’t follow his original game plan, “I had one of those rare moments where I changed my mind today,” he said, “I had planned to go the long route at the Land Rover Trout Hatchery [fences 20 & 21], but I decided I was so far down on my first and second minute markers that I just thought “let’s ride him through it and see what he does!”.

Continuing the antipodean dominance of the top three, New Zealand’s Tim Price is lying second behind Burton on a score of 44.9 penalties. His mount, Ringwood Sky Boy, has been known to role a pole or two, so with less than a fence between him and third placed Andrew Nicholson and more than two fences behind the leader, he has the lightest of grasps on his overnight second place.

“I know my horse inside and out, so I was actually really looking forward to getting out onto the course with him.” Tim said of the 13 year old Irish Sports Horse, “he coped with it really well, grew a fifth leg when he needed it and got his second wind going down the hill, so I was really pleased with how we rode it.” Tim’s wife, Jonelle Price, sits just outside the top three in fourth place on Classic Moet after their customary fastest clear of the day.

New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson is hot on Tim’s heels with less than three penalties sitting between them, on a score of 47.2 penalties. After recovering from his serious injury last year, Nicholson wasn’t quite on the pace today adding an uncommon 12 time penalties to his dressage score. “The ground was getting deep in places but that wasn’t the reason for my time faults, I just rode too slowly.” Andrew said. “It felt like the horse got me out of trouble most of the way around the course but, for sure, I have a real soft spot for him,” he said of his faithful campaigner, the indomitable 16 year old chestnut gelding, Nereo.

In the second year of the new Burghley cross county route, we saw the largest proportion of none completers in Burghely’s recent history (to my memory), with just 40 of the 68 starters completing the troublesome course – only 28 of those jumping clear. “The aim is for 50% to jump clear over my 4* tracks,” course designer Captain Mark Phillips said, “so I could have done with three or four more jumping clear. But what really disappointed me was the number of fallers today [13 in total], some riders clearly haven’t learnt how to jump round this new Burghley course yet, whilst others make it look easy.

With a 10 point commanding lead and with Nobilis 18’s phenomenal show jumping record, having not had a pole down all season, it seems that Chris Burton has his first British 4* win all wrapped up and in the bag. But with the crucial vet inspection after a tough cross country day and the world’s best sitting right behind him, as always, there is all to play for.