5th November 2006
Aussies 1-2-3 at Burghley, Great Britain
Australian riders made a clean sweep of the top placings at the August/September 2006 4-star Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in Britain, one of the most prestigious events in the International Eventing calendar.
UK-based Lucinda Fredericks and her little mare Headley Britannia didn’t touch a single pole in Sunday’s final showjumping test, leaving Andrew Hoy, who had led the three-day event from the start, with just one coloured rail up his sleeve.
But Andrew and Moonfleet knocked down three rails, slipping to second place and dashing his hopes of winning this year’s US$250,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.
NSW rider Shane Rose and All Luck, who made the trip to Burghley after falling and retiring on the cross-country course at WEG, jumped clear to take third place.
Aussie combinations dominated the top 10 with Andrew Hoy & Mr Practican in 4th place, Sam Griffiths and Conigar Bay, 8th and Matt Ryan and Bonza Puzzle 9th.
Robert Palm & The Regulator came 27th Luke Jones and Soul, 28th with Matt Ryan’s second ride Bonza Katoomba finishing 34th in a 100 strong field.
The Rolex Grand Slam is awarded to any rider who wins the Kentucky Three-Day Event in the US, the Badmington Horse Trials in the UK and Burghley consecutively. Andrew won Kentucky in April and Badminton in May. The Grand Slam has been achieved only once, by Britain’s Pippa Funnell at Burghley in 2003.
History
It was in 1961 that the Marquess of Exeter, on hearing that the autumn three-day event at Harewood could no longer be held, invited the British Horse Society to transfer the event to his estate. In its second year, 1962, Burghley ran the F.E.I.’s European Championship and this was the beginning of a remarkable record. No other international horse trials site has staged as many championships, a record ten in all including the first World Championship in 1966.
In total Burghley has run two World Championships in 1966 and 1974, six European Championships in 1962, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989 and 1997. Also one Young Riders European Championship in 1978.
It is the longest continuous running international event. Up to 2006 there have been six course designers: Bill Thompson, M.R.C.V.S. 1961-1983, Lt.-Col. Henry Nicoll, D.S.O., O.B.E., 1975, Philip Herbert 1984-1988, Capt. Mark Phillips, C.V.O., 1989-1996 and 1998-2000, 2005, Mike Tucker 1997 and 2001, Wolfgang Feld 2002-2004.
Individual Records
Virginai Elliot, (nee Holgate) and Mark Todd are the most successful riders to compete at Burghley, both winning 5 times. Virginia Elliott in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989 and Mark Todd in 1987, 1990, 1991, 1997 and 1999. Lorna Clarke, (nee Sutherland) has completed the Burghley event more times than any other rider, 16 times between 1967 and 1989. Finally, only one horse has won Burghley twice: Priceless in 1983 and 1985.
Sourced in part from: www.equestrian.org.au