Just one of the streets in the Burghley shopping village - and they are all just as busy!
Having only the one 4*class on cross-country day means it is a very civilised start time of 11am at Burghley. By 10am there is a palpable sense of heightened excitement; the crowds are thronging around the trade village (indeed some of them never even see a cross-country fence), the brass band is playing outside the member’s enclosure and there is a frenzy in the press room as journalists and photographers stash their lunch in their pockets, put on the obligatory bibs, gather the necessary equipment and head off on course to capture the day’s action.
Then suddenly it’s underway, the first rider is on course and the day’s drama unfolds. It wasn’t long before there were a few riders walking their horses home from the big course; what was surprising was that William Fox-Pitt (Seacookie) and Oliver Townend (ODT Sonas Rovatio) were among them on their first horses. Apparently they passed each other on the way back and William said to Oliver, “Shall we have another go this afternoon?” They did, with much better results.
Mr Blazing Saddles himself - clear and under time on Calico Joe Photo: Libby Law
Another big name however went out and showed how it should be done. New Zealand’s Mr. Blazing Saddles (a reference to his speed on a horse and nothing to do with baked beans), Andrew Nicholson, riding his first horse Calico Joe was the first rider, and one of only four (Sinead Halpin, Oliver Townend and Mark Todd being the others), to go clear and under time around the Capt. Mark Phillips designed course. Mark Phillips later said he thought the lack of outings this year for many riders may have had an impact on their fitness preparation and subsequent problems with making time. It wasn’t just the horses either as many of the riders came off their horses at the end looking seriously tired!
Megan may not have made it to Greenwich Park but here she jumps one of the London 2012 fences
Photo: Libby Law
One who was not at all tired but was disappointed was Megan Jones. Megan and Kirby Park Allofasudden (Floyd) looked great through the early part of the course and were as neat as anything through the huge drop at the Leaf Pit. Unfortunately she had a problem at the first element of the Trout Hatchery as she explains here.
Clayton looked fantastic through the tricky Trout Hatchery Photo: Libby Law
As Megan was finishing, third placed Clayton Fredericks riding Waltersdown Don was on course and looking very impressive. They were having a fantastic round and were 13 seconds up on the clock at the half way point then disaster struck. Waltersdown Don seemed to totally misread the largest fence in eventing – the Cottesmore Leap, slammed into it ending up in the ditch and pelting Clayton over the huge brush. Luckily both horse and rider walked away but I could imagine what Clayton was saying.
Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville are home safe and very happy
Olympic silver medallist Mary King (King’s Temptress) retired on course and Will Faudree (Andromaque) of the USA was eliminated, but his compatriot and the overnight leader, Sinead Halpin, made the course look (according to both Mark Philips and William Fox-Pitt, her old boss) “ridiculously easy” on a score of 36.2. Sinead was obviously delighted and is also delightful. At the press conference she opted for ‘something stronger’ than a bottle of water and, when provided with a glass of white wine, she quipped, “Am I the only drinker around here? I seriously doubt it” with a wry look at her press conference colleagues William, Andrew and Oliver.
Sinead lives in Pittstown, New Jersey, and when we caught up with her after cross country, explained why she chooses to still live in the USA.
(Sinead video)
Sam Griffiths and Happy Times at the Anniversary Splash Photo: Libby Law
Alison Springer of the USA also continued the American form with a lovely clear round and 9.2 time faults on Arthur IV, but while the USA were doing well, Australian fortunes continued to decline when Paul Tapner and Inonothing retired on course after having a stop at the second element of the Trout Hatchery. Finally however, there was good news when Sam Griffiths and Happy Times came home clear with only 4.4 time faults to finish the day in 5th spot.
Sam was at that point in provisional second place but, as he pointed out, there were some big guns yet to come. Andrew Nicholson on Avebury almost repeated his first round with a clear and only 0.8 time faults to put him in second place, William Fox-Pitt on his 2011 winner Parklane Hawk was clear with 2.4 faults for third place and Oliver Townend riding Armada joined the elite of double clears to move from 10th to fourth.
Not at all like a monkey up a stick at the Planet fence - Oliver Townend and Armada Photo: Lucy Hall
Oliver Townend probably wins my quote of the day award and of course is a favourite because he is a Yorkshire lad. Asked about his ride on Armanda he admitted that the horse is “hugely talented but definitely different to other horses” and is one that has an occasional tendency to speed up approaching fences. This happened today at the Burghley Station fence, a huge white oxer on a downhill run where Armada made a decision regarding the strides and Oliver declared “I must have looked like a monkey up a stick”.
Going into the showjumping phase tomorrow, Sinead is 5.5 points ahead of Andrew Nicholson who no doubt would dearly love to win the Burghley trophy so it will be, as always, a tense finale.
1 MANOIR DE CARNEVILLE Sinead Halpin 36.3
2 AVEBURY Andrew Nicholson 41.8
3 PARKLANE HAWK William Fox-Pitt 43.4
4 ARMADA Oliver Townend 43.5
5 HAPPY TIMES Sam Griffiths 46.4
6 CLIFTON LUSH Jonathan Paget 48.2
7 ARTHUR IV Allison Springer 49.2
8 CALICO JOE Andrew Nicholson 53.0
9 BOSTON TWO TIP Caroline Powell 53.5
10 SHANACLOUGH CRECORA Geoff Curran 54.7
For full results CLICK HERE.
