Sinead at the finish
Sinead and Manoir De Carneville delivered on the promise and steady improvement they’ve been showing throughout their career to jump to the very top of an international field over a tough track that caused widespread problems throughout the day. Four riders completed clear rounds within the time allowed: Sinead, Andrew Nicholson on Avebury, Mark Todd on Major Milestone and Oliver Townend on Armada. 9 riders were eliminated, 16 retired and a further 9 riders completed with a stop which leaves 47 clear jumping rounds. Eventing Nation extends condolences to Paul Hart and his connections as we hear the news that Heartbreak Hill, or Harry, fractured a leg galloping on the flat and has been put down.
Sinead gave Tate a lot of the credit for her speedy round, “He’s a super horse, he’s wonderful here because he doesn’t pull ever, and so I can keep it smooth. He’s not a thoroughbred, he doesn’t land and bolt away with power but everything is so smooth on him that you’re saving 2 seconds at every fence instead of over-preparing and going as fast as you can. He was with me the whole time. The going didn’t slow him down, he’s a bit of a fairy, he gallops on top of the ground, he’s french!” Sinead also thinks that having jumped round here clear last year gives her a slight advantage, “I’m lucky I have a comparison from last year, he felt much fitter. Last year from the last water I was riding kind of a legless horse, and I was smarter this year and saved him a bit in the beginning. It was much better having jumped around it once last year. I just hope he and I will keep getting better, but he felt great.” I think unanimously everyone would agree with William Fox-Pitt who described her round, “that was an amazing round to watch, I feel that she set the standard around that course and made it look so easy and there weren’t many competitors today who did that.”
As for handling the pressure of going into the show jumping in the lead, “He’s a good show-jumper, but again I’ll go in with the same mentality – he’s jumped clean rounds in the past, sometimes rails randomly fall and we’ll just have to see what we have, and we’ll take care of him tonight and go in with the same attitude we’ve had this whole weekend which is about doing your job. If it doesn’t go according to plan then I just have more homework to do, and if it does then we’ll keep on the same track.”
The US should be very proud of their Burghley riders today – Allison Springer rode the notoriously spooky Arthur round for a positive clear that was a pleasure to watch, adding 9.2 time faults which dropped her down to seventh overnight. I caught up with her after her round for a quick chat and she discussed her round, as well as again paying tribute to the Maizey Manor Alliance!
The Maizey Manor connection – Sinead finished just a couple of horses after Bettina Hoy, who jumped clear with 14 time penalties to finish the day in 16th place on the incredibly bold Lanfranco TSF. Lanfranco looked like he’d been programmed onto auto pilot and would have jumped anything and everything in his path, how nice to see Bettina with such an exciting horse for the future. Will Faudree was having a terrific round on Andromaque, going so well and quickly until it looked like she didn’t get her hind legs up the step at the Dairy Mound and went to push off from thin air. I have heard reliable reports from several sources that they are both fine.
Kate Hicks celebrates the moment with her husband. Belmont jumped round beautifully and she rode positively but with maturity to bring him home clear with 52.4 time faults. We talked about her round after she’d finished.
Erin Sylvester went out first for the Americans and apart from a mistake at the Rolex Complex she had a really good round, and told me she couldn’t wait to come back again with No Boundaries and improve on it.
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Kristi was rightfully thrilled with her ride on R-Star; the mare wasn’t in the slightest bit overawed by the course, if anything Kristi told me it was almost a matter of her being too bold being a problem, and props to Kristi for thinking so quickly after an awkward jump over the corner in the Rolex complex and pulling out to take the long route with no penalties – trainer Bruce Davidson who won this event in 1974 must be very proud.
Kiwis Andrew Nicholson and Lucy Jackson compare notes after jumping clear on their first horses, Calico Joe and Willy Do
Andrew Nicholson knew the time would be hard to make on Avebury, and indeed for the other competitors after his early ride on Calico Joe and managed to bring Avebury home with just 0.8 time, “I would doubt whether there’s another horse as quick as him, he won at Blair last year and was fifteen seconds inside the time in the CCI***. He was on all his minutes and he felt like he was doing it effortlessly, but looking at the ground they’re sinking in quite a long way so I think as the day goes they’re going to get slower.” Lucy Jackson jumped a super clear on Willy Do, albeit with 20.8 time faults, “I’m really, really chuffed, Willy Do was such a good boy today, he tried really hard all the way round. I wasn’t the quickest, I was about 50 seconds over my minutes but it’s his first four star and he coped brilliantly. It was a bit of a fact finding mission for later because Animator is in seventh so I’m going to have to put my foot down” Sadly Animator put in a bit of a dirty stop at the ditch at the Discovery Valley but after that he jumped round beautifully, flying over the Cottesmore Leap after a lengthy hold. Lucy has brought a big entourage to Burghley with her and is one of the most popular riders on the circuit, “I’m seriously lucky, I’ve got such an amazing gang of friends and they’re all so supportive. I’m so chuffed for the owners the Greenlees’ who’ve been so patient with him, and also for my trainer Gill Watson because she’s won Burghley so I’m just doing my best to try and catch up with her one day!” Lucy revealed that her nerves prevent her from eating much on cross country day and I hope Lucy won’t mind if I reveal her secret for staying calm in between rides!
Jock Paget survived an extremely hairy moment at the double of brushes in the Trout Hatchery and made an amazing recovery to bring Clifton Lush home clear and with just two time faults. “It was a very close call, it came up bigger than I thought it would. He jumped in really well there last year when the distance was longer and did the one stride no problem; I made my turn and it came up quite fast and he didn’t really see it until the last stride. The distance was there and I felt like I rode up to it but as he jumped I felt him hold his breath and he stopped covering ground – he was thinking. I got in the middle and held my breath and waited to see what would happen, he put in another stride and climbed over it somehow. Luckily for me he’s a bit of a lazy horse so he stopped as soon as I took my leg off, so I just scrambled back on! I never thought of letting go but I did think I was gone, and would have been if he hadn’t stopped.”
William Fox-Pitt retired Seacookie after a mistake explaining that after his mistake he didn’t see the need to continue around this type of course. He added that Seacookie was a little short of runs this year and wasn’t loving the ground either but moved into third place overnight on last year’s winner and Rolex Champion Parklane Hawk after accruing 2.4 time penalties. William said the footing wasn’t a factor in him getting time penalties, “I think it was quite hard work; my horse is so classy he didn’t really notice the ground. I was very comfortable on him and thought I was going to make up a bit more time towards the end and just couldn’t, he gets quite keen so I wasted the odd second setting him up and I should have let him roll on, he could have gone round again I think. He is a bit of a freak like that, he’s a fantastic galloper, he’s made for Burghley.”
Oliver Towned moved up to fourth place with a smooth round on Armada, the ride Andrew Nicholson gave to him at the beginning of the season because he already had too many four star horses to handle, “It was fantastic being on a horse that I knew was capable of going around inside the time. Obviously Armada is very experienced and has been here a few times with Andrew before, and I thought as long as I could keep him under control and allow him to see the fences when I got in front of them, then I had every chance of having a nice run.” Oliver had previously retired ODT Sonas Rovatio after a stop on course, and said he wasn’t liking the ground, “He’s a very good jumper and a very nice horse and it takes nothing away from his future, I’m just glad that he told me quite early on that he didn’t want to play on this ground because he’s perfectly fit and sound and ready for another day. When asked about the situation with Armada Oliver answered drily, “Well, I’ve still got the ride on him at the minute! He’s a horse that takes a long time to get to know and comes with a handbook written in Chinese. He’s a fabulous horse and as long as I’m sat on him I’m very, very privileged. Paul Ridgeon the owner is a fantastic guy who’s put so much into the sport and it’s an absolute honour that Andrew’s allowed me to get on a horse that he’s done so well with.”
Simon Grieve had the distinction of the slowest round today, but was nonetheless thrilled to complete his first Burghley with Cornacrew, “He’s the most amazing horse, I’m so lucky, he just helped me out everywhere. He’s got more scope than I gave him credit for because he didn’t make those massive fences feel particularly massive. He’s got such an engine because he’s got quite a large backside which is the powerhouse and he uses it to full effect” Simon was held right before the Cottesmore Leap and so then decided to take the long route after being re-started, “I thought I’d give him the benefit of the doubt, it’s quite a big fence to start off with.” Cornacrew’s owner Maria Buckley bought him as a four year old from the Cavan sales in Ireland, produced him and she keeps him at her home where Simon rides him every day.
Thursday dressage Leader Ruth Edge couldn’t have been more delighted with her horse, “Whatever Roger does tomorrow I”ll be proud of him because he just tried so hard today. He’s not the most consistent clear round show-jumper; he had one down at Tattersalls but he’s fitter here and tomorrow’s another day.”
Sam Griffiths kept Australian spirits afloat with a gorgeous clear round on Happy Times, some compensation for his slip on the flat in London, he did say it was perhaps time he had some good luck and he might want to share that around the rest of the team – Clayton had a horrible fall at the Cottesmore Leap, and Bill Levett and Paul Tapner both retired after stops on course. Sam had always intended on coming to Burghley and entered when he wasn’t selected for the Olympic Team, and then when he became a last minute addition, luckily he never withdrew. His handful of time faults moved him up to 5th place overnight. Many thanks to An Eventful Life for letting us use their interview with him to save me from asking him all the same questions all over again!
Caroline Powell’s Boston Two Tip had a great round picking up 9 time faults and change, but I think after Sinead my round of the day was Captain Geoff Curran on Shanaclough Crecora – it was an absolute demonstration in cross country riding, and this pair have got to be exciting for the Irish team. Sam Griffiths looked heartbroken when he got off Horseware Bushman at the finish after a stop in the main arena, and Elizabeth Power and Peter Hannigan both had stops too. Once again Izzy Taylor’s quiet but effective cross country style stood her in good stead, as well as probably the countless hours both she and Briarlands Matilda have spent out on the hunting field (seperately); they were a bright spot in a dull British morning to come home clear with only 6.8 time and sit in 11th place overnight. Francis Whittington, Kai Ruder and Polly Stockton all jumped nice clears with varying amounts of time faults to round out the top 15, and Mark Todd rocketed up the leaderboard from 64th after the dressage to take 15th place with an immaculately judged clear round just inside the time.
Louise Lyons and Watership Down about to get the day’s proceeding started – they were fantatic pathfinders, jumping a solid clear round
Course Designer Captain Mark Phillips told us he wasn’t surprised by any of the problems at the jumps, all of the alternatives were jumped at some point during the day, but if anything he hadn’t expected the ground to play such a factor, “Because of the cut in the ground we saw a lot more horses getting tired and the time became much more influential. We’ve had the Cottesmore Leap on the course for ages and we had more horses in that today than we’ve ever had, but I think it was just that the time the horses got up there they were that much more tired. When the riders went to press a button they didn’t get a response, but luckily no one was hurt up there. Burghley’s big and I think when you have soft ground it makes it even bigger. “
Congratulations to all the horses and riders today; I apologise for all the people I haven’t mentioned, and a massive congratulations and thank you to all the organisers, volunteers, jump judges, runners, grooms and everyone who helps Burghley run so smoothly, efficiently and make it so friendly. I wish all the horses a comfortable night and plenty of sleep, and for their riders too and look forward to an exciting day’s show-jumping tomorrow. Sinead has one fence in hand over Andrew Nicholson, but then it’s all very tight. Richard Jeffery is once again designing the course for Sunday, and the trot up is at 9am. Go Sinead Halpin Eventing!
