William rode a beautiful test (three 9’s for his riding) on Parklane Hawk in the horse’s first four star to take the Thursday dressage lead at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, despite halting in the wrong place at the end. William told us he hopes he doesn’t rue his mistake on Sunday evening, but with the calibre of riders and horses to come later he said he well might. Basically he blamed it on a brain fart after riding the halt at L in Luhmuhlen last week, and he compared being in the arena, with the tension and atmosphere to being in an exam, he said your mind just goes blank sometimes – even William Fox-Pitt has those moments!
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury from New Zealand are in second and Elizabeth Powers and Kilpatrick River are in third for Ireland. Boyd and Neville Bardos are sitting in 12th. Hawley Bennett–Awad and Gin & Juice are tied for 23rd and Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz are in 34th.
Good luck, William, thanks for talking, congratulations, and Go Eventing!
