Tom McEwan came to his first Burghley CCI**** fresh from winning the Young Rider Team Gold at the European Championships at Blair Castle, finishing fourth individually in the CCI** on Private Rudolf. We caught up at the prize-giving, thinking we’d have a quiet moment while everyone went outside to watch the spitfire jets, harrier jets? Silly me, please excuse the noise on the video! Tom and Dry Old Party, a thoroughbred by Undesperado, the same sire as Best Mate, the famous National Hunt Horse, surprised everyone, even Tom, (!) with a polished dressage that left them in the hunt in 21st place. Their cross country round on saturday was magic – clear and inside the time, and they climbed 11 places to lie tenth overnight going into the show-jumping. An unfortunate three rails down on the final day dropped them to 19th but they still came away with the prize for the Highest Placed British Rider competing at Burghley for the first time, and also the HSBC Classics Training Bursary worth $1,000. Tom currently trains with Rodney Powell, and has dressage help from Alex Franklin.
Congratulations again to Tom, not only for his fantastic Burghley debut of course, but for also being an Eventing Nation fan, thanks to Jacky Green spreading the word! Go Eventing!
