Cross-country
A fabulous day ends with Oliver Townend heading a British one-two-three as Mark Todd and Michael Jung are surprise victims of the tough course
The track produces some surprise victims, while Brits shine during tough test
BURGHLEY’S cross-country is always awe-inspiring, which was underlined by the large contingent of American first-timers.
“I was told Burghley was a step beyond Kentucky, but I didn’t know how much of a step beyond it could be,” said Mackenna Shea, who finished up 24th on the smart Landioso.
Those with more mileage said it was still big, still hilly, still Burghley.
“It’s a bit less technical than last year, but you’d be foolish to take it cheaply,” said Mark Todd.
There was one brand new combination, Storm Doris (fences nine, 10 and 11ab). Three huge logs in a zigzag offered three options, with the direct route on the right heading over a single log, then a huge right-hand corner.
The knock-on effect of the route to this complex was extra distance on the always energysapping pull up Winners’ Avenue. While it was sunny and the ground was good, the going was a touch softer than it looked, particularly in this area.
Mark Phillips offered a choice of routes in many places, sometimes with little time difference, although he admitted that the need to tackle four righthand corners if riders took all the direct options was a mistake.
COOK SETS THE STANDARD
TINA COOK was first out on
Star Witness and she gave him a copybook ride over all the fastest ways. They signalled the need for positive riding when even this experienced thoroughbred made the two-stride distances at Storm Doris and the two oxers on the left at the Keeper’s Brushes (fence 15ab) look long. She came home four seconds under the time to rise from 40th to 10th.
“He was amazing — he can go from any stride and waits for me to give him instructions — but it’s a very difficult course so Mark Phillips shouldn’t be worried [it’s too easy],” she said.
Harry Dzenis, third out on Xam, recorded the next clear
(4.8 time-faults to move up 28 places to 11th).
Andrew Nicholson was the first faller when Qwanza took off after one stride rather than the required two to the Storm Doris corner and had a heavy fall.
“I’m sure there was room for the second stride,” said Andrew. “She’s a bouncy, buzzy horse and she looked at the fence before
[the brush at Capability’s Cutting], so I squeezed her and she flew it. I should have throttled back more after that.”
Ireland’s Clare Abbott, a debutant who has considerable championship experience with the nippy Euro Prince, had a hairy ride at the end.
“He found Badminton in his comfort zone this year and I hoped this would be the same, but he was shocked by the size of the fences and forgot I was on top to do something after them,” she said.
Nonetheless, her 15.2 timefaults lifted her from 23rd to 12th, while Harry Meade’s marginally slower round elevated him 25 spots to 16th with Away Cruising.
Tom Crisp had an excellent ride through the Trout Hatchery — where the direct route required jumping a big log into water, then four strides to a triple brush arrowhead and on right-handed to a further D-shaped brush — and moved up to 17th on
Coolys Luxury. He has been in the top 20 here twice, but was pulled up in 2016.
“Last year I tired him by
‘When one of us makes an error the other has to say, “Come on love, let’s get on with this”’
IZZY TAYLOR ON HER RELATIVELY NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH TREVIDDEN
minute eight and we ended up sitting on a fence,” said Tom.
“He’s a big horse with not a lot of blood and you have to respect that round a track like this.”
Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser were impressive to finish just four seconds over the time and rise to seventh.
“We weren’t always on the perfect stride, but he made it happen and that’s all that counts,” said Tom.
JUNG BOWS OUT
MICHAEL JUNG was soon off with La Biosthetique-Sam FBW and initially it looked to be another faultless Sam performance, bar a skew into the Anniversary Splash, where Michael had to sit tight. But at the Trout Hatchery, Sam never locked on to the triple brush arrowhead and, shockingly, ran past it.
It was sad to see the double Olympic champion walking off course, but Michael took the blame — “I was too slow in my reactions and lost my reins” — and confirmed the 17-year-old will not retire on that note. He is likely to run again this season and if he feels well, continue campaigning next year.
Gemma Tattersall provided the high in this tranche. Arctic Soul looked strong, coming to the first with a high head carriage, but Gemma kept him anchored and racing through the direct routes, despite suffering from a “horrendous cold” which had gone to her chest.
“He was seriously aggressive today and wanted to get the job done, but he’s such a genuine horse,” she said.
Gemma made the decision to go long out of the Trout Hatchery when she was 10 seconds up at the previous fence, feeling too weak to steer “Spike” to the direct triple brush arrowhead, and finished four seconds under the time easing down.
Zara Tindall and High Kingdom showed why they have contributed to two British silver medals until they came to the Trout Hatchery, where the horse hit the final brush arrowhead with
‘He may lack a bit of pace now, but it’s like he’s read the course plan before he
starts’ ANDREW NICHOLSON ON THE
EXPERIENCED NEREO
his front legs and Zara didn’t have much chance to stay on.
British debutants Libby
Seed (What A Catch II) and Emma Hyslop-Webb (Pennlands Douglas) also had falls. Sophie Brown became the second homeside first-timer to complete after Emma Forsyth (see box, p48), but a looping route at the Land Rover Dairy Farm left her and
Wil with 20 penalties in addition to a cartload of time-faults.
Although Hannah Sue Burnett (Under Suspection) had fallen at the Dairy Mound earlier, the US was on the up when Lynn Symansky (Donner) and Boyd Martin (Steady Eddie) came home with minimal time-faults to take eighth and ninth overnight.
Their compatriot Lauren Kieffer, the dressage runner-up, knows Veronica “isn’t the fastest horse in the world”. Her 28 faults dropped her to 13th.
But there was further good news for Britain when Izzy Taylor brought Trevidden home inside the time. She took a long route at the Trout Hatchery, but was one of the best through the Leaf Pit.
“We only met a year ago and there are bits of him that are not quite with me and bits of me that are not quite with him, so when one of us makes an error the other has to say, ‘Come on love, let’s get on with this’,” she said.
Imogen Murray, 24, felt she’d been too cautious at the start, but she actually rode with skill beyond her experience and consolidated her Badminton performance with a competitive 10.8 time-faults on the 10-year-old Ivar Gooden for 15th overnight.
Piggy French kept the British rolling with a classy performance eight seconds over the time on Vanir Kamira, who rose to fifth.
“She one of those mares who sees the flags and does whatever she can get through them,” she said.
TOWNEND COMES THROUGH TO LEAD
IN the closing stages, Andrew Nicholson shrugged off his bruised ribs to ride Nereo, who added 7.6 time-faults for sixth.
“He may lack a bit of pace now — and I may not have quite the pace and bravery of a few years ago — but it’s like he’s read the course plan before he starts,” said Andrew.
New Zealanders came thick and fast. Caroline Powell moved up to 14th with Onwards And Upwards (who was withdrawn from the holding box the next day) and Tim Price’s 5.2 time-faults earned him a three-place rise to fourth on Ringwood Sky Boy, who gave him a slightly rough ride towards the end.
“He’s one to throw his heart
over, but he needs to figure out how to land,” said Tim. “I wanted to be in the time, but you have to take the pressure off and let him evaluate each fence.”
Dressage leader Mark Todd survived an uncomfortable moment at the Cottesmore Leap, but no one expected his sudden elimination when Leonidas II over-jumped the bonnet oxer at Discovery Valley (fence 26abc) and knuckled down on landing, depositing Toddy on the floor.
“He launched and lost his footing and that was it,” he said.
Only Tina Cook and Oliver Townend’s second horses could now seize the lead and Tina was desperately unlucky. Enjoying a great round on Calvino II, she was held at the fence before Discovery Valley while Lillian Heard’s LCC Barnaby was attended to after a fall (see box, p43).
After a 20-minute wait Tina set off again, but the bay was another to balloon the bonnet oxer and Tina couldn’t steer him to the subsequent angled hedge.
“As he landed, he drifted and there was no stride — it was painful,” she said.
Final competitor Oliver Townend gave the four-star firsttimer Ballaghmor Class a fabulous ride, allowing him time to assess the crowds and fences, but coming home just one second over the time, having taken the long route at the Trout Hatchery.
“I took my time going up Winners’ Avenue and I was 10, 12, 14 seconds behind, but every time I got to a downhill bit I gave him a squeeze and he opened up his huge stride,” said Oliver.
His round earned him the top spot overnight in an all-British one-two-three, ahead of Izzy Taylor and Gemma Tattersall.
“I’m happy enough if it falls our way or to someone else. He’s done his bit for me and I know I’ve got him for the future,” said Oliver.
This was a brilliant day’s sport, with appropriately strong crosscountry influence, excitement but no serious injuries, beautiful sunshine and record crowds.