Bill Levett and Improvise.
© Tattersalls
By Equestrian Life
The 2018 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials begins today! The CCI4* riders will take to the arena and ride their tests both today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), followed by the cross country Saturday and jumping on Sunday.
There are three Australian combinations listed to compete – Bill Levett on Improvise, Lissa Green and Hollyfield II, and Warren Lamperd on Silvia. Paul Tapner withdrew Bonza King of Rouges last week, while Chris Burton has withdrawn Cooley Lands – most likely to rest the horse for the World Equestrian Games team in the USA next month. Bill Levett has also withdrawn his WEG horse, Lassban Diamond Lift.
You can view the 2018 Burghley Horse Trials dressage start times here.
The provisional event timetable can be found here.
Preview the cross country course here.
There are ten kiwis lining up for a shot at the title; NZ eventers are on fire at the moment following a terrific win at CHIO Aachen, so it would come as no surprise if a New Zealand took home the top prize at Burghley…read more below!
Price eyes Burghley crown
New Zealand’s highest-ranked eventer Tim Price has his sights set on claiming the crown at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Last year, the WEG-bound rider was the best of the Kiwis with his fifth place effort aboard Ringwood Sky Boy and has been top five for the past three years.
This year he’s picking the 15-year-old bay as the favoured of his two mounts purely on his experience at top level. “Both Ringwood Sky Boy and Bango are in really good form coming into this event this time,” says Price. “Both are fantastic with a lot of talent and ability and I am slowly learning how to get the best out of them in all three phases. The endeavour is to produce solid performances . . . and be first and second.”
There are 10 Kiwi combinations lining up to do battle against the very best at the CCI4* event – one of just six 4* in the world. The timing is a little tricky, just a week out from when the New Zealand eventing team flies to the United States to compete at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games but Price says it is the nature of their jobs.
“I feel going and having a couple of good runs at Burghley will only set me up further for WEG,” he says. “It has plenty of solid combinations at Burghley this year, so no lack of competition . . . and may the best man win at the end of the day.”
Tim Price riding Ringwood Sky Boy.
© Kit Houghton
Five-time Burghley winner Sir Mark Todd has two on the card in 16-year-old NZB Campino who is so solid at 4* level with top 10 finishes at all of the Northern Hemisphere 4* events; and 11-year-old Kiltubrid Rhapsody who was sixth this year at Badminton in his first 4* start.
The history-making Andrew Nicholson has 12-year-old Teseo, 11-year-old Jet Set and 10-year-old Swallow Springs entered – all three are green at this top level but the same can’t be said for the rider who was eighth last year with Nereo. Andrew has also won the Burghley crown five times and with 34 completions to his name holds the record for the most finishes with 15 podium finishes – five apiece for first, second and third. Aboard Avebury he made more history as the only combination to have won Burghley three consecutive years.
Former Burghley victor Caroline Powell is entered aboard her 12-year-old On the Brash, who has a 4* completion to his credit. Dan Jocelyn is in on his 12-year-old Dassett Cool Touch who will be looking to improve on their 13th place efforts in 2016. Ginny Thompson and 14-year-old Star Nouveau are on début at Burghley and are looking forward to it with relish.
Entries have come from across the globe for this year’s Burghley including six previous winners all vying for a slice of the £300,000 prize purse, with £95,000 to the winner.
Captain Mark Phillips CVO has been the Burghley cross country course designer since 2005. A previous winner, this year he is promising “a real championship course”.
“Riders will need to take care of their horses and ride by the seat of their pants as there is so much new this time,” he says. “The winner will be a Burghley champion in the truest sense.”
Source: ESNZ press release
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