EVENTING News


Burghley-Bound Kiwis Chasing Top Title
Tuesday, 2 September 2014


Andrew Nicholson is eyeing up becoming the first rider ever to claim a hat-trick of titles at the Land Rover Burghley International Horse Trials in the United Kingdom this week.

Nicholson, aboard his beautiful big grey Avebury (owned by Mark and Rosemary Barlow), will be keen to set a rather disappointing Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games behind him to win a third consecutive Burghley title.

“That's the goal,” says Nicholson, who will also be launching his book Focused at the event.

But winning won't be easy – as no Burghley title ever is, and there are plenty of previous winners chasing both the glory and the sixty two thousand pound first prize. Burghley is renowned as the biggest and most beautiful cross country track in the world. Again it will be designed by Captain Mark Phillips who says he has no plans for any big changes.

There are 76 combinations entered for the prestigious four star event – the highest rank of competition in eventing – including most of the big names from the World Champs.

There's a strong Kiwi contingent, including Jock Paget and Clifton Promise (owned by Frances Stead and Russell Hall), who retired at the World Champs in France last weekend after an early run out.

“When something like that happens early, there's really no point in putting 10 minutes of hard yakka on his legs, and I had entered Burghley just in case something stupid happened . . . and it did,” said Paget.

Also entered is the Kiwi superstar of the World Champs, Jonelle Price, who will ride The Deputy (owned by Lucy Sangster, selwood.com and Price), her husband Tim Price on Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by selwood.com and Price), Megan Heath on her own St Daniel, Neil Spratt on Upleadon (owned by Sharon Robbins, Annitta Engel and Spratt) and Craig Nicolai on Just Ironic.

Australia has a large contingent, with representatives also entered from Great Britain, the United States, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Canada, France and Belgium.

New Zealand has an impressive history at Burghley – Nicholson has won it three times, Sir Mark Todd can lay claim to four titles, Carline Powell one, and Blyth Tait two.
Burghley event director Elizabeth Inman says the standard of entries this year is as high as ever.

“We look forward to welcoming some if not all of the World Equestrian Games medallists to Lincolnshire. As always Mark Philips' cross country course will provide riders and horses with a true four star challenge and with Andrew Nicholson and Avebury aiming for an as yet unachieved treble, and Sam Griffiths focusing on the elusive Rolex Grand Slam there is all to play for.”

The first horse inspection is on Wednesday (UK time), followed by two days of dressage, the cross country and showjumping.


For more information, head to www.burghley-horse.co.uk .

NOTES
The event was established in 1961 and is held in Burghley Park with the magnificent Burghley House as a backdrop.

It is one of three events in the Rolex Grand Slam of eventing and one of six events in the FEI Classics™ which unites the only six existing CCI 4*events in the world.

The event takes place on 4-7 September.