Wednesday Morning at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

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Many of the riders this morning were out working before the 10:30 briefing; some just stretching their horses, some just walking around the warm-up by the main arena, some having flat lessons.  Lots of horses were very fresh on the way to and from the various working areas, but settled well once they started working, and I was lucky enough to stand and watch with Canadian coach David O’Connor and Chef D’Equipe George Graeme Thom for a while, and it was remarkable and wonderful again to me, that even at this, the very highest level of the sport, you still see all shapes and sizes of horse (and rider!), all manner of mover, and all condition – eventing is truly perpetually fascinating to me. 

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Always smiling: Jessie Phoenix and Exponential on their way back from a school
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Will Coleman was focused on Twizzel
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Looking at the main arena: Kitty King, Lucinda Fredericks and Polly Stockton. 
IMG_1811.jpgPolly Stockton on Westwood Mariner
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The Great British Hopes! Laura Collett and Georgie Spence
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Laura and Georgie, aka Yogi’s Babe’s, warmed up together in walk, trot and canter, even doing changes across the diagonal in sync – pretty impressive!
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Still one of my favourite horses and looking better than ever: Happy Times with Sam Griffiths. Sam worked a little in the warm up by the main arena, and then went down to the practise arena down by the lake for a lesson where they both looked awesome, and was planning on riding again after the trot up this afternoon.
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Boyd and Lindsay walking Neville back to the stables after a good flat session
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The prettiest couple? A fresh GInny looked like she could go all day. Hawley worked her as David watched. 
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Hawley’s groom Nathalia’s pick of the morning, (after Ginny of course!) Kitty King’s High Havoc
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Most popular girl at Camp? Definitely Sinead! 
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Former World Champion & Burghley winner Blyth Tait on Santos
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US born but representing GB, Lauren Shannon on Zero Flight
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Sandhills Tiger, much better behaved under saddle with Hamish Cargill; he’d been giving poor Bols, Hamish’s girlfriend flying lessons earlier when she’d tried to hand walk him out for a pick of grass, but at least she told me she was glad to get a glimpse of the castle!
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Oliver Townend on Neo du Breuil. I also hear on good authority that Flint Curtis is back in work which is nice news.
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William Fox Pitt took advantage of a lull in proceedings while all the riders were at the briefing to take both his horses, ParkLane Hawk and Neuf des Couers, out for a walk and a hack. They are both similar stamps of horse and look terrific. Typically modest, William credited his team at home when I commented on this, but did remark that they are both very fit, and also pointed out that the course here at Burghley is a full minute longer than at Kentucky.  He was also yet one more rider to comment on the wonderful going here, it’s just that good!
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Things are ramping up; horses are being schooled, hacked, braided and polished in readiness for this afternoon’s trot up at 4pm local, while riders get a first look at the course. Two full days of dressage start at 9am on Thursday and Friday, then cross country from 11am until 5pm on Saturday.
Michael Pollard and I were talking about the slightly more relaxed atmosphere here compared to Badminton, and he thinks perhaps some of it is also due to timing – in the spring everyone has something to prove, they’re aiming for a major Championship, whereas here Burghley IS the culmination of the season for a lot of people, or definitely their horses.   
Thanks for joining Eventing Nation in England for the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and Go Eventing! 
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