The New Zealand flag dominates the top of the leaderboard at the end of the dressage phase at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in the UK.
Five Kiwis are in the top 10 – Andrew Nicholson and Nereo are in third place on 35.2 penalty points, with Caroline Powell aboard Onwards and Upwards in fourth on 37.8, Tim Price aboard his 2015 runner-up Ringwood Sky Boy in seventh on 38.9, Blyth Tait and Bear Necessity V in ninth on 40 with Sir Mark Todd aboard NZB Campino in 10th on 42.2.
Chris Burton (AUS) and Nobilis 18 made a late charge to snaffle the lead with a 30.2 dressage test, with overnight leader Bettina Hoy (GER) and Designer 10 in second on 34.5.
It was a career-best score for five-time winner Nicholson and Nereo.
“He is a pleasure to ride,” said Nicholson. “It is great to be back at Burghley. I never doubted that I wouldn’t be.”
Nicholson is on the come-back from a serious injury last year.
Powell, also a former winner at Burghley, was very pleased with the efforts of Onwards and Upwards, a horse she describes as an inspiration, and one that always has the potential to do a stunning test.
“He is an inspiration to get up to in the morning and go and ride, and put the time in because when he is in the right form he gives so much,” said Powell.
“There is more to come from him too. He is 13 but he missed a couple of years and is just really coming back into competition work. He is developing all the time.”
Powell admits to being “slightly terrified” at the thought of Captain Mark Phillip’s cross country course.
“I haven’t done a 4* for a few years . . . but I am majorly looking forward to it because to jump those big fences, and for the horses to cope with the combinations, you just get filled with pride for them. They go out and trust you so much, and they love it.”
She cautioned there was no room for complacency on the course.
“I don’t think you can let your guard down on any of them (the fences),” she said. “There are some pretty major combinations out there. The Dairy Mound is probably one of the top ones, but right to the end it is pretty meaty.”
That is reiterated by Blyth Tait who was “thrilled to bits” with the “best test by far” from his horse.
“I couldn’t have asked for more from him,” he said. “He tried his little heart out. I am phenomenally pleased with him and I am still five marks behind Andrew (Nicholson) who just went before me and we all know is a genius on the cross country. I will be putting all that out of my mind and concentrating on my performance. This horse isn’t overly experienced, but he has done well up until now so I will give it my best shot and see what happens.”
Tait says the course will be “no walk in the park”.
Sir Mark Todd says Campino is a big jumper and very scopey, but he had concerns that the horse is only 29% thoroughbred.
“He is very fit and we will just have to see how he can cope with the hills,” said Todd. “You will have to be on the button all the way around (the course).”
Jonelle Price and Classic Moet are in 22nd on 48.5, with Tim Price and Bango in 26th on 49.5 and Dan Jocelyn aboard Dassett Cool Touch in 56th on 59.8. The scores in the 70-strong field span from 30.2 to 75.2.
Earlier in the event, Todd was was honoured at the Eventing Riders Association Hall of Fame Burghley Awards. The five-time winner was very pleased to receive the award.
“I was really thrilled to receive this, particularly at Land Rover Burghley, which is my favourite event,” said Todd
“I have had a long association with the event and I was delighted to be inducted into the Hall of Fame here. I would like to do as well as I can this weekend . . . a win would be great.”
The FEI Classics Series also winds up at Burghley, and Tim Price is handily placed in second on the leaderboard with quite a battle brewing for the minor money. Leader Michael Jung, who is not at Burghley, is untouchable in the cash-rich series.
Details
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What: Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
When August 31-September 4, 2016
Where: Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK
For more info: www.burghley-horse.co.uk
Catch the cross country live via burghley.tv
Latest results: www.bdwp.co.uk
Latest FEI Classics standings: http://inside.fei.org/system/files/Classics%2520Standings%25202016%2520%2528%25205th%2520event%2529.pdf
The horse details -
Bango (owned by The Numero Uno Syndicate), Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Varenna Allen, Robert Taylor, Selwood.com and Tim Price), Bear Necessity V (owned by Ronnie Bartlett), Classic Moet (owned by Trisha Rickards and Jonelle Price), Dassett Cool Touch (owned by Therese Miller and Dan Jocelyn), Flying Finish (owned by Richard Ames and Caroline Powell), Onwards and Upwards (owned by Mr and Mrs Cameron Crawford and Caroline Powell), Nereo (owned by Deborah Sellar), Qwanza (owned by Mark and Rosemary Barlow), NZB Campino (owned by Sir Peter Vela and Sir Mark Todd).
