Oliver Townend Takes His Second Burghley Title

Pure class: Oliver Townend (GBR) wins a second Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials title, sixth and final leg of the FEI Classics™, riding Ballaghmor Class. (Photo: FEI/Libby Law)

Oliver Townend (GBR) kept his head in a tense final jumping round at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, last leg of the FEI Classics™, to score his first CCI4* victory for eight years and head a British sweep of the top four places.

He overcame a nerve-racking moment when the 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse Ballaghmor Class crashed through the upright gate but, fortunately for him, the previous pair in the arena, Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Arctic Soul had given him breathing space when they had a fence down.

“This is very, very special. Such a lot can go wrong with a young horse – and he’s only just learned to do flying changes – but he’s in a different class to anything else I’ve ridden recently.” Oliver Townend (GBR), Burghley winner

Piggy French (GBR) rides Vanir Kamira and finishes second (Photo: FEI/Libby Law)

Tattersall finished third, slipping one place behind Piggy French (GBR), who jumped clear on the mare Vanir Kamira to move up from fifth after cross country to the runner-up slot. It was a particularly triumphant return for French, who has taken a year off from the sport to have a baby.

“Our jumping round wasn’t that pretty, but who cares! Burghley is the toughest four-star in the world and to do well here is a dream!” Piggy French (GBR), runner-up

Tom McEwen (GBR) riding Toledo de Kerser rose three places to fourth, a career best, with a beautifully judged clear round and Kristina Cook (GBR), one of the British gold medal team at last month’s FEI European Championships in Strzegom, moved up from 10th to seventh on Star Witness.

Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Arctic Soul finish third (Photo: FEI/Libby Law)

Richard Jeffry’s track produced seven clear rounds from the 40 finishers, two of which were with time faults.

New Zealander Tim Price was the highest-placed non-British rider, in fifth on Ringwood Sky Boy. America’s Lynn Symansky was sixth on Donner and Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and the gallant 17-year-old Nereo were eighth with two rails down.

Final result:
1: Oliver Townend/Ballaghmor Class (GBR) 40.2 + 0.4 + 5 = 45.6
2: Piggy French/Vanir Kamira (GBR) 43.7 + 3.2 + 0 = 46.9
3: Gemma Tattersall/Arctic Soul (GBR) 43.0 + 0 + 4 = 47.0

FULL RESULTS