Chris and his Olympic mount, Holstein Park Leilani
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When the Australian Olympic Eventing Team was announced last week, and then appealed, I don’t think there were many people who would have argued that Chris Burton hadn’t earned his spot. I caught up with him after Barbury where he won the 4* Olympic Combined Training Dressage Test on Leilani, for a quick chat, “It was a huge buzz to do such a good test in that strong 4* field; I’m really happy with the way she’s coming along. The hard part for me as a competitor is to not try too hard now, and to stay relaxed and do what I normally do.I can’t wait to get there now to be honest!” This season especially, the norm for Chris has mostly been winning – the CCI* and ** at Tattersalls, and then taking the top two places in the CCI*** at Saumur just this Spring. Although Leilani will not compete now until the Games, Chris has two horses in Aachen this weekend, and two more at Gatcombe the weekend after that, “I think it’s an advantage to stay on your game and keep doing what you do.”
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Chris on Tina Stafford’s Kinnordy Rivaldo at Barbury Castle
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Making the decision to leave his native, and beloved Australia was difficult, but one he considered essential to advancing his career, and one that has now started to pay off, “I had some tough times when I left Australia, I didn’t necessarily want to leave but I was lucky enough to have supportive owners to fly their horses over here for me, and once I got over here I was able to appreciate the competing and I love it, it’s just amazing. As you saw at Barbury Castle over the weekend – when you get ground like that and the sun is shining (?!) you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world, would you? Now I’m here to stay, I’m settled in and I’m really enjoying it. Things are starting to happen, my business is picking up. ” Since arriving in England, Chris has been based with Sam and Lucy Griffiths in Dorset, an arrangement that seems to work well for everyone, and one he doesn’t anticipate changing any time soon, “It’s an excellent place to train; having Sam around to ride and train with, and we bounce ideas off each other, and compete makes for a great environment and I’m really happy there.” However, his growing business, and a barn of about eight horses competing, and then working pupils’ horses added to that, means it may be harder for Chris than he would like to escape the dreaded damp, cold British summer winter to the Australian sunshine to teach and give clinics this year.
Chris on Kinnordy Rivaldo
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On receiving the news that he’d be representing Australia at the Olympic Games, Chris’ first call was to Holstein Park Leilani’s owners, Jean and Jade Findlay who were “relieved and excited”, and the next call was to his parents, also equally excited, and Chris himself described making the Team as “a dream come true.” I asked Chris if the chestnut mare had always been his first choice, and if this had been his two year plan since the 2010 WEG,
“I’ve been very fortunate, I’ve had a lot of good horses but that mare just goes from strength to strengh. Her best quality is she’s just a very sound, reliable horse, and that’s why she’s always there, always in with a fighting spirit, and she just continues to get better and better, I can’t believe it. She certainly is a lovely, lovely mare and I’m looking forward to it.”
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“The mare feels great, she’s really really going well so I’m looking forward to getting there.”
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On whether the appeals have been bad for the morale of the Team, Chris pondered that equestrians as a whole tend to be less team-oriented by the nature of the discipline, but regardless, he didn’t forsee any problems, “These teams area always very tough things because we’re a group of individuals really, our sport is not a team sport. Rugby is a team sport, where you train and prepare with your team the whole time and the sport suits that, but it’s an interesting thing the way we’re all thrown together. We all know each other, the Team all knows one another, and we’ll get along, it’s the Australian spirit. The trick is to really combine and come together and create a good performance.” Australia will without a doubt be a force to be reckoned with in London, and I look forward to watching Chris and Leilani do her proud. Many thanks to Chris for his time. Go The 2012 Olympic Games and Go Eventing!
