The huge cross country course which has attracted so much comment was now ready to be attacked and most riders seemed to agree that this was the only way to ride it. Last year’s winner Caroline Powell admitted that she had never been as nervous as she has been during this event but that she was looking forward to the cross country

“You know, there’s a lot of ‘rider frighteners’ out there and half the time the horses jump them really easily. But you know, it’s good as it just makes you a little more human and makes the competition more exciting for us”

Australian rider Sam Griffiths was the first rider out on course and he made the Capt. Mark Phillips designed course look like a stroll in the park. The ride was smooth as Happy Times ate up the ground and the combination had no real trouble at any point. As he came back into the finishing area close to where Chris Burton and Australian team helpers were waiting, Sam’s advice was to “just go for it”. Unfortunately Chris and Holstein Park Leilani had a fall at The Keeper’s Cottages but until that point they looked as if they were having a great ride. Both the horse and rider got straight up and walked home; Oliver Townend did not have the same luck. He had a bad fall on Neo du Breuil at the Land Rover Dairy Farm and although Oli bounced to his feet, the horse struggled to get up and was taken away for veterinary treatment but the prognosis is good. Later in the day, Oli’s second horse Imperial Master had a strange little hissy fit on course, stood on his hind legs and refused to go any further. Oli retired on course and no doubt would like to forget the whole day.

On the other hand, it was a great day for the New Zealand riders who are on fire. Yesterday, Andrew Nicholson said he had two good horses and he was ‘very confident to leave the start box with a very positive attacking frame of mind’ and there is no doubt that is what he did, coming home clear and under time on Avebury to finish in 3^rd place and clear with 2.8 time on Nereo for 5^th place. There was a look of sheer determination on Andrew’s face as his first horse Avebury stood as still as a statue in the start box and then galloped away. This is a man on a mission but also a man with a sense of humour; when asked how he thought the very big course rode, he cheekily answered “Quite small!” Another of Andrew’s classic comments about Avebury was that “....he loves it when I ride him like I’ve stolen him”

 

Experienced British campaigners William Fox-Pitt and Mary King both had copybook rounds on their first horses in their different style – William’s lanky body pushing his horse on in complete harmony with the horse’s movements and Mary, a very different style on a long rein and defensive position but both very effective and experienced riders. Mary finished in 7^th place (46.8) on Apache Sauce and 4^th (43.4) on King’s Temptress, putting her in a good position to win not only this event but the second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam. William went into the lead early on Parklane Hawk, a horse just stepping up to 4* level, and stayed there once the dressage leader Simone Deitermann had a fall and was eliminated, much to her disgust. According to William, his second horse, the more experienced Neuf des Coeurs tired more in the second half of the course and had to work harder to come home but he is still in the enviable position of also being in 9^th place (49.1)

At the other end of the scale of experience, 20 year old British rider Tom McEwan was a hero of the day, coming in clear and under time on his horse with the very interesting name of Dry Old Party. I don’t think it will be a dry party tonight for Tom’s connections.

The Irish rider Elizabeth Power is the sister of Grand National winner Robert Power and maybe she got some tips from him as she went around the course, putting her bad fall at Badminton earlier this year behind her, and taking her up the leader board to finish in 6^th place. Ex-Aussie rider Boyd Martin has a very good ride on Neville Bardos to put him in 11^th place and he was very emotional as he got off his horse, thanking everyone who had helped him through his recent difficult times.

The next Australian rider to go on this very big course was Hamish Cargill and Sandhills Tiger. Two run-outs cost him 40 penalties and Hamish decided to retire at The Keeper’s Cottages as it became clear that the long, big course was taking its toll on several riders. Capt. Mark Phillips commented later that he was pleased with the course as, despite the fact that it was a very big course, there were 53 clear rounds. However there were quite a few retirements as riders “needed their blood up to ride these fences....if you had a stop early on, your heart was drained out of you as it wasn’t an easy course to continue”. Maybe Hamish knew that feeling.

 

Bill Levett and Political Trump started out in great fashion and were eating up the course but, with a fall at the Waterloo Logs, another Australian rider bit the dust. However Lucinda Fredericks, resplendent in her hot pink outfit, rode a great round on Prada but incurred 14.8 time penalties to put her down to 38^th place. Australia now only has Sam Griffiths and Lucinda left for the showjumping phase but Sam is in a great position in 8^th place with less than two rails between him and the leader. One thing is for sure - it is going to be a very tense showjumping finale tomorrow

For lots more photos check out the Burghley Photo Gallery at www.equestrianlife.com.au/gallery