Same rider, different horse lead at Burghley

Cross-country day at Burghley is always full of surprises, but you don’t often see the top two names on the leaderboard take a dunking or forgetting the course – particularly when they’re the world number one and two.

Cold water

Michael Jung and William Fox-Pitt were joint leaders following the dressage, and it was largely expected they would come home clear on the cross-country – or at least come home.

Michael Jung and Fisherrocana FST took a very unlucky tumble at the Lion Bridge. They weren’t even at a fence, when Rocana tripped and fell, sending Michael crashing into the cold water, barely a minute into the course.

“The first round was quick – after 40 seconds it was finished,” Michael joked. “Every jump was good to there… all three!”

“When I went back to the stable my brother said, ‘You have to start fighting as now you are in seventh place’.”

‘Mental blank’

With Michael out of contention it looked like William and Fernhill Pimms were onto a winner, but the pair incurred 20.4pen when the rider lost his way at the Discovery Valley.

“I’m very sad to have let him down”, said William. “I had a mental blank at the long route. I completely didn’t register it – luckily I went back and jumped it. I’ve never done that before – but there’s always a first, isn’t there?”

Michael had a second chance with La Biosthetique Sam and this time managed to stay dry and almost within the time. They were less than a second over, to gain 0.8pen which was enough to put him back at the top of the leaderboard (40pen), albeit on a different horse.

“I was a bit slow in the beginning, but my horse was fighting and jumping and gave me a really good ride,” said Michael.

Wasp sting

Just behind the German Olympic and European champion is Tim Price on Ringwood Skyboy (41.5). They added 2.7 time penalties to their dressage score. This means Michael can’t afford to have a single fence down tomorrow.

“He is very honest and tries hard, but he has a long stride and the Trout Hatchery was a scramble,” said Tim. “It was a course you had to respect, I’m glad we survived it.”

As if dealing with the challenging course wasn’t enough, Tim had to contend with a wasp trapped in his shirt, which stung him.

“It was one of those peculiar things,” he said. “When I got back I lifted my top and a wasp flew away. I think he was quite annoyed by the experience!”

Incredible recovery

Tim’s wife Jonelle is lying third (44.89pen) and less than a fence behind him. She was one of two riders to add nothing to her dressage score with Classic Moet, who she credited for getting her home inside the time.

“She’s a fast one, I just have to keep up with her,” said Jonelle. “But I knew the time would be difficult and that I’d have to take some economical lines.”

The only other rider to beat the clock was Chris Burton riding his Gatcombe winner TS Jamaimo, which puts in him in fourth place (45pen). The Australian rider is also in fifth with Haruzac (41.2pen).

The highest placed Brit is Oliver Townend on Dromgurrigy Blue (51.4pen). He had a nasty moment at fence 23 when ‘Rocky’ left a leg, but they both made an incredible recovery.

‘Happy man’

Unfortunately his luck ran out with the next two rides, as both had a stop. One was with Armada – which was very out of character for the horse, who hasn’t incurred 20pen since Burghley 2013 – but they still came home just three seconds over the time allowed.

Course-builder Mark Phillips said he was a “very happy man” to have 38 clears out of 68 starters.

“It was a big track so I was nervous and the riders rode it a little differently to how I thought,” he said. “What pleased me is only 12 walked home and I was expecting more.

“The people who got into trouble were the ones who rode backwards. Don’t come to Burghley if you’re going to ride backwards.”