It was great to back at Burghley Horse Trials after an enforced three-year wait, thanks to COVID et al.
This year I returned with my Land Rover Equestrian Sponsorship hat on to provide imagery for the sponsors use throughout the year, both internally and externally. There was a new hospitality area up at the Dairy Mound which provided a tailgating opportunity during VIP course drives, and another, Defender Lodge, next to the Land Rover Experience at the lake, for invited guests.
After dressage it was Kitty King and VENDREDI BIATS in the lead by a whisker from Tim Price and VITALI , with Sarah Bullimore and COROUET and Piggy March and VANIR KAMIRA right behind them. Oliver Townend and SWALLOW SPRINGS and Ros Canter and PENCOS CROWN JEWEL were less than a showjumping pole away.
Cross country day at Burghley is always eventful, as one would expect from the course riders respect the most worldwide. Cornelia Dorr and DAYTONA BEACH 8, on their Burghley debut, produced an excellent early round with only 8.4 time penalties to add, soon followed by Piggy March and VANIR KAMIRA who kept up the pressure on the leaders by finishing only 0.01s outside the time, another Burghley first-timer, Alice Casburn and TOPSPIN who were only 17 seconds outside. The fastest horse in eventing proved her worth, though, as CLASSIC MOËT and Jonelle Price took three seconds off the optimum time and flew up the leaderboard. This was to be no dressage competition.
Moving day usually refers to cross country day but this year it was showjumping which reorganised the pack. A challenging track, coupled with tiredness meant that many had poles down, and those who went clear more than compensated for average dressage scores or slower cross country rounds. Cornelia Dorr and DAYTONA BEACH 8 followed up their excellent cross country round with a valuable clear, as did Tom Crisp and LIBERTY AND GLORY, Pippa Funnell and BILLY WALK ON, Richard Jones and ALFIES CLOVER, Alice Casburn and TOPSPIN and Tom Jackson and CAPELS HOLLOW DRIFT.
