Sam Griffiths may be busy at the moment as part of the Australian team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games but in just one week's time he will be heading to Burghley
In this video Sam, who earlier this year won the Badminton Horse Trials, outlines what makes Burghley such a special event and what it would mean to take the top spot.
Sam Griffiths is the only rider with a shot at Grand Slam glory this season and he believes there is every chance he can take another step towards the most difficult triple in three-day eventing at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
In winning the Badminton Horse Trials back in May, Griffiths took the first of three steps on the path to the Grand Slam, with Burghley and the Rolex Kentucky still to come. Only one rider has ever won all three titles in a season si0nce it was introduced back in 1999, that person being Great Britain’s Pippa Funnell back in 2003.
But Australian rider Griffiths believes that in his horse Happy Times he has what it takes to claim back-to-back major victories.
“To win the most recent Badminton was an absolutely thrill for me, I have done the Olympics and World Championships but that was special,” he said.
“Burghley is a riders’ event. Badminton may have the history and prestige but Burghley is the one all the riders love to go to.
“It has been voted the best three-day event for quite a few years running now and that is no surprise.
“It is a tough cross-country course as the terrain makes things quite difficult but it is a magnificent setting and there is fierce competition. “The jumps are usually enormous so we are always a bit nervous the first
time we walk that course, but we know it is a real challenge and it is one of the biggest events in the world and a real major for us to win.
“You do feel the pressure, you put months and months of work on the line, but I would love to win Burghley.
“It would be the second leg of our eventing Grand Slam and that is something everyone dreams about.
“I have a very good horse called Happy Times who is in great form and I really quite fancy my chances.
“He is an experienced horse and has done it a number of times and come third in the past so to win and do it after Badminton would make it even better.”
A great deal of preparation goes into an event like Burghley, with months and months needed to get the horse in peak physical condition for the event’s rigours.
And Griffiths admits he is not going to let such a big opportunity slip his grasp, given what sacrifices are made in the build up.
“Eventing is really tough, leading up to Burghley there has been three or four months preparation with a particular horse, not to mention the years previously spent training,” he added.
“A huge amount of work goes into that, we work with a number of coaches to fine tune that performance and then you only get one shot so we need to make it count.”
To buy tickets for this year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk
