Burghley Crown Up For Grabs

Burghley Crown Up For Grabs

It’s a strong New Zealand contingent to line up at the Land Rover Burghley International Horse Trial this week.Sir Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson and Caroline Powell are all previous winners, with Tim Price having come oh-so-close with his runner-up placing in 2015.

Todd, who is currently ranked third in the world, will start Leonidas II, a horse he says seems to be settling with age. “I am looking forward to this year’s Burghley,” said Todd. “Leonidas has been in good form and has a nice draw, so I am hoping he will go well again this year.”

In 2015 the combination placed sixth. Nicholson, who holds the unique record of a hat-trick of wins at Burghley, has a trio of horses on the card with Nereo, Teseo and Qwanza. Last year the current number six eventer in the world, and Nereo were second behind Chris Burton (Australia) and Nobilis 18.

Price has his well-performed Ringwood Sky Boy and Xavier Faer entered in the
prestigious CCI4* event. Last year Price and Sky Boy were fourth, and he’ll be looking to add to the trophy cabinet on this outing. He’s confident the course is well suited to both his horses.

“I am very excited. I have two horses who are in great form and good physical condition and what I believe to be very well suited to Burghley,” said Price. “I have had a look at the course preview and think it looks really good and will work well for my guys. It looks difficult and will be a tight time, which will suit me too.”

Both of his horses have got good draws and he is hopeful for kind weather. Powell, by her own admission, has “one unknown and one old timer” with her two Onwards
and Upwards and Spice Sensation. “Flash (Onwards and Upwards), well, he’s flash when he is flash,” she says, “and Spice is definitely feeling up for it. I always look forward to Burghley.”

Included in the very A-list 71-strong line-up are Kristina Cook and Oliver Townend – two members of Team Great Britain’s triumphant gold medal-winning European Champs, as well as individual silver medal winner and current world number one, Michael Jung (GER).

Also on the card is 2017 Event Rider Masters Series winner Gemma Tattersall (GBR) who has been very consistent this season. Course designer Captain Mark Phillips has said, fittingly, “it is a big track. It is Burghley”.

The course has 34 fences – or 52 obstacles if you count all the alternatives. “It will be very difficult to get time,” says Phillips, himself a former winner of the event. “I have given riders a lot of options – there are 11 places where they can take the one side which is the quick way, or the other side which is easier but more time. Riders need to decide what is good for the horse and where they may need to be more prudent and waste a little time.”

The first decent question comes at number four where combinations head into the first water, and they come thick and fast from there. The Cottesmore Leap (fence 13) is the biggest fence on the course and built to maximum size. It also holds the dubious reputation as being the most scariest fence in the world.

Phillips says the Rolex combination is the most difficult on the 6500m course. “We have top horses and riders here so you hope the best will make it look easy,” he says. “I hope the riders make the right choices for their horses so the horses can come home happy . . . and the more horses and riders who get home, the happier I am.”

Entries have been received from riders from Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, the United States, New Zealand and, of course, the United Kingdom – all of whom will be chasing the £90,000 first prize.

Burghley is also the final leg of the FEI Classics Series, which brings together the world’s six top-ranked events. Jung is at the top of the leaderboard on 39 points, with Maxime Livio (FRA) in second on 33, Nicola Wilson (GBR) third on 20 and Nicholson in fourth on 15. Price is the only other Kiwi in the top 10, in eighth spot on 10 points.

The winner of Burghley will collect 15 points, with 12 for second, 10 for third and eight for fourth, right through to a single point for the 10th place finisher.

The horse details –
Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar), Teseo (owned by Phillip Channer and Andrew Nicholson),
Qwanza (owned by Mark and Rosemary Barlow and Andrew Nicholson), Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Sir Mark Todd), Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, Tim Price and selwood.com), Xavier Faer (owned by Trisha Rickards, Nigella Hall and Tim Price), Onwards and Upwards (owned by Cameron and Mary Crawford and Caroline Powell), Spice Sensation (owned by Claire and Michael Hunter and Caroline Powell).

WHAT: The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
WHEN: August 31-September 3, 2017
WHERE: Stamford, UK
MORE INFO: www.burghley-horse.co.uk
RESULTS: www.bdwp.co.uk

ENDS

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