Australia's in form Chris Burton is one of the fancied contendors for this year's Burghey title
The first horse inspection at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is done with all 90 horses being accepted for the start of the competition by the CCI4* Ground Jury of Sue Baxter (GBR), David Lee (IRE) and Anne-Mette Binder (DEN)
Three horses were referred to the Holding Box but all three, Roo Fox’s Fleet Street, Stacey Shimmons’ Orions Promise and Holly Payne-Caravella’s Never Outfoxed were accepted on re-presenting.
Roo Fox shook her head and laughed ‘not again’ as they headed over to the Hold Area and, when accepted she gave Fleet Street a big hug and a ‘Love you, pony!’
Holly Payne-Caravella and Never Outfoxed
Holly Payne-Caravella has come all the way from New Jersey, USA for her first start at Burghley and she too had a feeling of déjà-vu when sent to the Hold Box. Holly’s 10 year old thoroughbred gelding Never Outfoxed jumped clear around the cross country in Kentucky this year but he was sadly spun at the second horse inspection there. The story is a happier one here at Burghley where Never Outfoxed was very quickly accepted by the Ground Jury on re-presenting
Holly Payne-Caravella
Happy birthday Tina Cook!
The field is chock-a-block full of talented riders and horses that could take this year’s title. Oliver Townend has three scopey horses (two with the whitest socks you’ve ever seen), Andrew Nicholson has withdrawn Qwanza but has Nereo here and Tina Cook, who is celebrating her birthday today, has Star Witness
We always love Andrew Hoy's handmade seude shoes - a bit of a green and gold theme going on this year?
Tim Price, who really deserves some good luck has brought his Rio horse Ringwood Sky Boy after their fall on the flat at the Olympics and has also brought the 10 year old Bango while his wife Jonelle is here with Classic Moet and there is plenty of hype around the antipodean contingent competing here with the FEI press release suggesting that ‘one of the strong representation from ‘Down Under’ will triumph in this final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016’
Paul Tapner sports a summery shirt but still has a token dash of red in the socks!
There is a bevy of riders representing Australia this year; former Burghley winner Andrew Hoy has two horses, Rutherglen and The Blue Frontier, Paul Tapner also has two in the mix with Vanir Kamira and Up In The Air, Bill Levett is riding Improvise and Sonja Johnson has Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison (our interview with Sonja coming up). They are joined by the recent Rio Olympic bronze medallists Chris Burton riding Nobilis, Sam Griffiths on Happy Times and Shane Rose with both Shanghai Joe and Virgil.
Shane Rose's Shanghai Joe and Virgil (above) both look in great shape
Britain’s Tom Crisp on Cooly's Luxury will be first into the Dressage arena tomorrow morning at 9:30 am and we’ll be bringing you daily updates, interviews and photos so stay tuned ...
21 year old Imogen Gloag, the youngest competitor in the field, was not born when Andrew Hoy won his first Burghley title in 1979!
